Shoestring budgets are commonplace in most start-up businesses. However, there are some things that need a cash injection.
It can be difficult to part with cash when your business isn’t seeing a regular income, but sometimes a small spend can yield a big result.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can spend your money as a small business.
Customer Acquisition
Free marketing is a mainstay of getting your business off the ground. Small businesses can capitalize on free tools and social media.
But in the end, it is marketing that does some of the heavy liftings when it comes to client acquisition.
Great marketing and great PR usually comes at a price. Flashing adverts in just the right place will bring people to the door, and PR will get your name out there where it matters. Unfortunately, there is no real replacement for a great marketing and PR company.
Yet, there is a lot you can do with next to no-budget here.
Criminally Prolific has a great piece on doing your own PR – Do Your Own PR Without A PR Agency. And while the DIY method is the perfect start, over time it is worth adjusting any budget to work with a marketing company.
Learning
Free courses can open the door in so many ways. Opening a business means that you take on the role of the accountant, the office manager, customer acquisitions, customer relations… The list is endless.
Ultimately, with so many hats you have to learn a lot and learn it quickly.
Learning in your downtime might seem surplus to requirements, but it is time well spent – in both a professional and personal capacity. And, you never know when your hobby learning will turn into something you can use for work.
What you learn can directly impact how you do business, and you can store that information away. You might choose to learn the art of enticing copy, or perhaps color theory, how to use MetaTrader 4, a whole new language – or just that really cool folding trick for your clothes.
The more knowledge you have across the board, the more you have that can be put into your business.
Design
No matter how good your marketing, if you are using bad design it won’t get the clients you deserve. Bad fonts, unreadable texts due to poor color choices, logos with zero impact, are all going to impact how much business you get.
Investing time and money to work alongside a professional designer is always worth the money. It is important that you take the time to find a design that you feel you can work with and one that understands your vision and goals.
Using images that are designed for particular resolutions, platforms and uses will give you a cleaner and more professional look.
Sometimes the biggest commitment you make to your business is with money rather than time. Understanding where your business can do with a cash injection is a key part of moving forward.
Read more: #Design Better #Content #Marketing
