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Emerge fitter and stronger from the downturn.
Howard Butterfield of theimagefile...
offers some more good advice
If you just believed what the newspapers say or listened to the television
news about the downturn we would certainly be a sorry state. In reality
there are always winners and losers in a recession and we all have to work
that extra bit harder to retain business and equally as important continue
trying to create new opportunities. Here's some more top tips from Howard
Butterfield of themagefile…
Stay motivated
Try and keep yourself motivated; this will keep your performance up and will
also help keep the moral of colleagues and staff high. One thing is certain;
you are far more likely to win business with a cheerful and positive
attitude. It is sometimes helpful to keep yourself focused on longer term
objectives and your corporate vision and try to keep the downturn in
perspective.
Look after yourself and your team
This can be a stressful time - don't let it take a toll on your health.
Exercise frequently, eat well and keep yourself fit for the fight. It will
improve your mood and give you more energy. If you work with colleagues then
exercising together is great for team building.
Look at all your sales channels
Particularly though, are you selling on-line? The businesses still making
headway are those with on-line offerings, Next and John Lewis both make more
money on-line than through their stores and the percentage of online spend
continues to increase. If you have yet to engage the internet, then resolve
to do it immediately. It is less important how or who you use to help and
far more important that you decide to do it. The internet will also help
with productivity - doing more with less is the order of the day.
Fix the finance
Improve your management accounts to be on top of trends. Network better with
suppliers and customers; a key supplier getting into trouble can be as bad
as a customer not paying, though thankfully most photographers have that
side well under control. Spot the early signs of a business in trouble.
Constantly juggling funds, struggling to pay the monthly PAYE or quarterly
VAT, delaying payments to suppliers or sacrificing your own salary to the
point where you may personally get into difficulties are all classic signs.
The sooner the situation is dealt with the better and unless there really is
the big contract around the corner the problem is unlikely be fixed with
additional loans or injections of capital.
Continue to innovate
Keep excitement in your work. Try new things and invest in yourself and your
craft, with time and ideas rather than money. This will give you a new story
to give to your existing customers and perhaps something the competition
does not have. Stay aware of the competition but avoid getting into any form
of price war. Sell a better service; keep closer to your customers - sell
and market harder and more inventively. Those that survive will invariably
emerge stronger and fitter.
For more help and advice to get your work online with fully
integrated e-commerce…plus other key benefits, take a look at the inside
front cover cover or visit
www.theimagefile.com/try where you can set up a no commitment
trial account or call 0870 224 2454 to find out why more and more Society
members use them.
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