You should give your business a health check at least once a year!
You may need to invest some time rather than money back into your business.
It is very easy to do little things like; compare the prices of your current suppliers to any new suppliers that may have popped up.
Even tender your supply lines out - it is amazing how competitive some companies can be when you offer them business (especially if they can get one over their competitors).
You will be shocked at the $$ you can save by simply negotiating with suppliers and always, always asking for a cheaper price...electricity, rent, labour hire, stationery, ISP, hosting etc..
Check that you have the correct and best priced insurance cover in place for both your business and yourself. e.g. life, business continuance, public indmenity etc. Again $$ to be saved even before the crisis happens.....
Are your administration systems running as efficiently as possible?
Are your staff busy? Have their roles changed in the last year? Give them an annual performance review and maybe a necessary payrise (at least as much as CPI you cheap bastard). Be sure they are doing their jobs so you can do tasks more valuable to the business (like networking in Phx..!!).
Are your accountants and attorneys offering you the services you need rather than ones they think you need?
Has there been any changes in local, state, federal, international laws that affect your business - perhaps these changes can be used to assist your business (read profit).
Get amongst your accounting reports and find out what your gross profit margin, net profit margin, assets / liabilities ratio, profit to asset ratio etc is and compare that to the last 3 years.
Ask yourself questions like; Have my assets increased in the last 12 months? Have my liabilities decreased?
DONT BE AFRAID - This means dividing one number by another - it's not hard and your accountant should be doing this anyway.
But YES - even you can do it !!
Sit down and do 3 budgets for the next 12 months - the first should reflect your highest expectations, the second should reflect your lowest expectations, the third somewhere in between.
Visit these budgets regularly - i.e. at least monthly!! Adjust your monthly, weekly, fortnightly forecasts accordingly. (If u cant - hire someone that can).
Freshen your business up a little - archive the old filing, or have a bonfire, throw out those old cases and dirty keyboards....clear the clutter from your office and life - you will be amazed at what you find....and find you don't need!!
Have a holiday.....you will be more enthused and think better with a clear head. Your business needs you to be jumping not snoozing!
You will be absolutely astounded at the difference these few easy to do steps will mean for you and your business.
It is an investment that wont cost you much, but may make or save you plenty !!!!
If I get enough applause from this post I may even post some more free, simple to use business tips that will help you make some more dollars... 