Recession-Busting Tips for Small Businesses
It’s an understatement to say that the current economic slowdown has created some uncertainty about the future.
To manage this uncertainty, small business owners are probably taking rational steps to protect their business, such as trimming excess expenses and eliminating unnecessary spending.
However, cost-cutting isn’t the only strategy survival – rather, businesses can also focus on maintaining current revenues and priming the pump for future revenues.
But how can a small business do this?
Simple: one secret weapon to not just surviving, but thriving during this time, are the tens of thousands of talented and professional freelancers available for hire right here on Elance.
Here are a few ways freelancers can help your small business thrive:
1. Focus on Key Customers
You want to keep the revenues you do have, so it’s time to make sure you are closer than ever to your most valuable customers. Hire freelancers to call and connect with your customers, write and conduct surveys, design and execute direct mail campaigns to recognize and thank your top customers, or design special customer promotional offers to thank your customers for their past business.
2. Hone Sales & Marketing
As you look to bring in new streams of revenue, you’ll no doubt target a new segment of customers. Consider hiring a freelancer to re-write your sales and marketing materials, re-design or upgrade your website, help you launch a blog, build and execute an online marketing campaign, produce a radio ad, or simply update your customer newsletter.
Now is a great time to make noise and attract new customers while your competitors stand paralyzed by the economic environment.
3. Maximize Employee Productivity
Let’s face it: there are way too many tasks that get in the way of your employees spending time on activities that can really impact your business. Think about empowering your people to delegate these some of those distracting activities to freelancers.
Tasks such as conducting competitive research, sourcing customer leads, entering data into your database, sorting through inbound email, writing articles for your blog or website, or any other administrative task is ideal for delegating to an online remote worker.
The bottom line is that freelancers are a flexible, affordable resource to help you survive and thrive.
Have you hired a freelancer to help you weather the economic climate, or are you a provider that is helping businesses thrive? Let us know what you’ve done by leaving a comment below.
