It’s a complicated time for South African business owners. According to Xero’s State of SA Small Business 2017 report, 62% have seen a reduction in consumer demand over the past year, and 68% describe economic instability as their most significant challenge. Of course, these problems that entrepreneurs face are not of their making, but they must face them nonetheless.
There is a degree of optimism amongst entrepreneurs which is encouraging: 45% anticipate that business will stay the same over the next year, and 40% expect growth. While this positivity is a good thing, it must be tempered with pragmatism and proactivity.
If you’re running a small business, here are three things you can do to survive and thrive in this tough economic climate.
1Look for cost savings
This is very obvious, but it’s worth repeating. When your business is contending with an ailing economy, it will be forced to make certain choices. Those choices can become more or less difficult depending on how you manage your incomings and outgoings.
Developing the firmest possible handle on your finances is the best defence against external turmoil.
Look for cost savings wherever you might find them. What subscriptions are you still paying for that you no longer need? Which supplier relationships need to be terminated? Are you spending too much on stationery? Aim to eliminate all unnecessary costs: Even if they’re small, they’ll often add up to a larger cumulative saving.
Technology can often help with this process. For instance, cloud accounting software like Xero can take care of financial administration and cash flow related tasks – identifying any areas of discrepancy or waste and ensuring that your resources are being used efficiently. Taking advantage of it is likely prudent.
2Automate everything
And we mean everything.
Businesses that waste time, waste money. The more energy expended on manual processes and tasks, the less time you have available for vital business or operationally critical processes and tasks. It’s very hard to grow if you’re spending inordinate amounts of your day on repetitive, time-consuming work.
When it comes to things like report preparation, data entry, and accounts payable and receivable, it’s worth investigating your automation options. Things like pursuing invoices can now be done with a click of a button and a few strokes of the keyboard. What’s more, they can be handled safely, legally, and efficiently.
Don’t stop there. See what other tasks can also be automated. When you have more time, you have more headspace for the things that really matter to you and your company.
3Spend wisely
Although it shouldn’t be a rule during trying economic times, it becomes substantially more important during times of unrest. It’s easy to spend money on hires and gadgets in a blind panic, but it’s also dangerous – and can deepen any financial troubles you may have.
Any investment you have, no matter how trivial, should be thoroughly audited for potential profitability. If it won’t help you make money or become more efficient, it shouldn’t be pursued. If there’s a greater than acceptable chance of making losses, save the risk for a time when your business is more profitable.
Knowing what is and isn’t a sensible investment isn’t always easy. Cloud technology can again be of use here. if you’re considering investing in service desk software, it can generally let you know if the number of resolved queries will result in meaningful cost savings. If you invest in a marketing automation tool, it will let you know if your campaign ROI is likely to exceed the expense.
Navigating the choppy waters of the modern South African economy won’t be easy, but by implementing the above, it will be more than manageable. With financial prudence, process automation, and strategic investment, you can come out the other side even stronger than before.