As a business owner, you are probably always looking for ways to increase revenue. But what about ensuring that your company is financially fit and healthy? While it may seem like the two are mutually exclusive, they are not. In this post we'll share six simple tips that will help ensure that your company is in tip-top financial shape. #1 - Set a Goal Ask any personal trainer if it's a good idea to set fitness goals and they'll respond with an emphatic "yes!" The same rings true for your business' financial fitness. Setting goals is a great way to ensure that you're on track for success. Remember that your goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. For example: ● Reduce expenses by 5% by the end of Q1 ● Set aside enough capital to open a second location within three years ● Hire a full-time marketing manager by the end of Q3 #2 - Create a Plan to Achieve Your Goals Once you've set your goals, it's time to create a plan for achieving them. If your goal is to reduce expenses by five percent by the end of Q1, then list out specific areas that are ripe for improvement and identify potential solutions. For example: ● Reduce postage expenditure by implementing an online postage system ● Implement a more efficient way to track inventory ● Create new systems to increase productivity ● Increase hybrid working hours ● Relocate to a smaller office space #3 - Track Your Progress Just as runners track their miles on their Garmin watches or weight lifters keep a log of their sets and reps each session, business owners should keep track of their data in order to track progress and identify trends. However, instead of a smartwatch or phone app, business owners should opt for cloud accounting software. Cloud accounting software gives you greater financial visibility and anytime, anywhere access to all of the numbers that matter. It also makes it easy to track your invoices and transactions, and get a handle on your cash flow. Cloud accounting solutions also enable you to visualise data, which can help you to identify problems and opportunities that might otherwise go undetected. #4 - Prioritise Cash Flow Cash flow is one of the most important aspects of a healthy business. If you don't have enough cash to pay your employees, suppliers and other bills then it doesn't matter how much revenue you're bringing in - your bottom line will be negative every month. Therefore, cash flow is central to the financial health of your business. Keep on top of your cash flow by using a tool like Xero. Xero lets you manage your cash flow to ensure that bills are paid on time and you're always aware of how much money is coming in, going out and whether or not there's a surplus or deficit. You can set up alerts for when invoices become due so that you don't end up incurring a late payment fee. #5 - Hire a Consultant/Advisor/Accountant Just as fitness fanatics hire personal trainers, business owners need the guidance of a quality consultant/advisor/accountant. A great consultant/advisor/accountant will allow you to tackle the particular problems and pitfalls of your industry using a proven method for success. They will point out where there is room for improvement and identify opportunities for growth that you may have missed. Furthermore, they will coach you through the implementation of these strategies and keep you accountable, ensuring that your goals will be met. #6 - Create a Culture That Fosters Financial Awareness Finally, in order to ensure that your company is financially fit and healthy it's important to create a culture where employees are actively engaged in improving financial performance. This can easily be done with team-building exercises, like brainstorming new ways to decrease expenses or increasing profits. Hire employees who are enthusiastic about improving the financial performance of your company by providing them with training and access to cloud accounting software so that they can monitor their daily tasks for possible improvements. Summary Don't wait until hard times start - be proactive about your company's financial fitness. Track your progress, prioritise cash flow and hire a consultant/advisor/accountant so that you can avoid paying late fees. Finally, create an environment where employees are actively engaged in improving the financial performance of their company. With these six simple steps, any small business can get itself into great financial shape. 

If you're looking to grow your small business, then mobile marketing solutions are the way to go. Mobile marketing is a relatively new field but it's quickly becoming one of the most popular ways for businesses of all sizes to advertise their products and services. In this blog post, we'll discuss 5 ways that mobile marketing can help your company achieve success. #1 - QR Codes QR codes are a great way for your customers to access important information. They can be used to direct people to websites, give discounts, access content and even pay bills. QR Codes work by allowing you to scan them with a smartphone and accessing the web page that is linked. They're very easy to set up, use and track, so they give you more control over and insight into your mobile marketing. Unsurprisingly, these codes have exploded in popularity recently. If you haven't yet capitalised on this trend, don't delay any longer. #2 - SMS Marketing SMS marketing is another great way to reach out to your customers. You can use it to send special offers, alerts about sales or new products and even surveys. SMS messages are also very affordable, which makes them a great option for small businesses. You can even use SMS Marketing as an effective tool for customer support, which is one of the most important aspects of any successful company. #3 - A Mobile-Friendly Website According to Statista, mobile devices have accounted for over half of web traffic since 2017, so it's vital that your website is mobile friendly - yet you would be surprised at just how many businesses overlook the importance of mobile optimisation. Having a mobile website is especially important if you're doing any sort of e-commerce. Your customers need to be able to easily search for products, compare prices and make purchases from their phones - otherwise they could simply go to your competitor's site instead. If you don't already have a mobile friendly version of your website, start planning one now. It's not as difficult or expensive as you might think and it could make a huge difference to your business. #4 - App Development If you're looking for a more comprehensive way to reach out to your customers, then app development might be the answer. Apps can do everything from providing product information to letting customers make purchases, payments and reservations. Your customers will definitely appreciate the convenience of being able to access all your services from a single app instead of having to visit multiple sites on their phones. If you want your business to stay ahead in today's competitive market, then investing in mobile apps is an excellent idea. Creating an effective and compelling mobile app is no easy feat. You'll need to hire a reputable mobile app development company, which can be very expensive and time-consuming, so make sure you get it right the first time. As an added bonus, your customers will appreciate being able to access all of your services in one place on their phones. #5 - User-Generated Content User-generated content (UGC) is one of the most effective ways to increase brand awareness and boost sales. It involves your customers creating their own content about your product or service, which can be anything from photos and videos to reviews and blog posts. UGC is incredibly powerful because it's authentic - it comes from real people who are genuinely interested in your product or service. As a business, you should encourage your customers to create UGC and make it as easy as possible for them to do so. You can do this by setting up social media accounts specifically for user-generated content, providing ready-made templates or even offering rewards for the best submissions. Final Thoughts If you want to grow your small business, you can't afford to overlook mobile marketing solutions. Not only can they drive traffic into your funnel and convert casual visits into sales, but they're also affordable for all budgets. The digital age is only just beginning, so it's time to incorporate mobile marketing solutions into your overall strategy.