More Innovative Ideas for Challenging Times

Don’t be afraid to hit up your vendors. Work with your vendors on dual-promotion events and see the success. Robert, one of our mastermind participants, has a very prominent appetizer company hosting his FREE Half Time Appetizer Buffet. It’s free for the guests but also free for Robert and his restaurant; a win-win situation for all!

Is rent reduction in the cards for you? A lawyer friend said he has a client that is in commercial real estate. He said his client is getting hit by many folks to get rent reductions. Times are tough and if money is an issue start the dialogue now and you never know what will happen…you just might be able to save a ton of money

Proper planning is not just about communication, it can SAVE you a TON of MONEY!

Make your operations and marketing more effective. Proper planning is not just about communication, it’s about having an action plan in place.  One of my mastermind members is using an annual calendar figured already to the end of the year for all his regular maintenance. He had a thermostat go bad on Wednesday, instead of calling in a service call for a minimum of $100; he looked at his calendar and saw his HVAC maintenance was coming that Friday. When the guy came through the door he met him discussed his needs and not only did it not cost him a trip charge the repairman fixed as part of his regular PM – Total Savings estimated to be at least $350.

How about rushing your marketing to the finish line – pricey right? I have seen people doing last minute print jobs at Kinko’s which cost them double what it would to send it to an online printer with just a few more days preparedness.

Have you ever had to overnight something because you missed a deadline? We have all been there, now is the time to draw the line in the sand and commit to removing that waste from your business.

Bang for your Buck. Is now the time to cut marketing or increase your marketing efforts? I say now is the time to lose anything that is questionable on delivering results and put a little extra into those programs that are working. The timing is right for a couple of reasons:

1. you can buy media cheaper than you could six months ago.

2. If others are cutting marketing spending as most do when times are tough they have just cleared the way for your message to get through. Your message comes through louder and clearer to those customers that aren’t hearing from everyone!

What new ideas have you used to market successful in this current financial climate?

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