March 2019
Time is Ticking: Is Your Business Brexit Ready?
Brexit is not far away now, and whether it happens or not you need to ensure your business is ready for the potential impact of the biggest economic shake-up of a generation. There’s still a lot of uncertainty around the big B, and as far as government advice goes many businesses are still feeling let down by the government.
That’s where the Lunar Team comes in – independent businesses need to look after one another in this difficult time. We’ve come up with a few tips that you’ve still got a little time to put in to practice before the big day.
Keep Resources Aside
There’s been a lot of talk about having to ration on a personal level in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Though as luck would have it the government has since voted to rule out a no-deal scenario. However, rationing your business resources could still mean the difference between your business weathering the storm or not.
Hopefully you’ll have started to prepare your business for the uncertainty already, what with the schedule saying it’s Brexit month. But to be sure, now is the time you’ll need to set aside emergency funds for your business. Whether this means setting aside money to pay yourself or your staff in the event of a business shortfall, or to resolve any problems with equipment, or any kind of emergency, you’ll want a rainy day fund at the ready.
This also means cutting any unnecessary expenses. Time to cancel those app and service subscriptions you’re not making full use of – at this stage if it’s not profiting you then it’s not worth keeping. An all in one solution like a bespoke CRM solution will come in handy here.
And remember, chase up your clients on their invoices! Now is not the time to accept late payments.
Connect to the Cloud
A cloud-based CRM should be top of your resource list right now. Why? Because it’ll save you time and money in a variety of different ways.
We mentioned keeping funds aside in case of equipment repairs – imagine if you could limit the amount of equipment you need in the first place? With a cloud-based CRM all you’ll need is a WiFi connection and a device to access it (even the simplest laptop will do).
Third-party integration will ensure you don’t need to spend money on additional tools, so you can cancel your other subscriptions no problem. You wont even need to spend money on rented office space, you and your team can work anywhere with just an internet connection.
Find the Skills
If and when the UK departs the EU, there’s going to be a rather problematic shortage of skills in local areas. A large amount of our workforce is made up of EU nationals and people living here under EU law, and we’ve seen plenty of those people already choosing to leave the UK, particularly in the public sector.
So, you’ll need the ability to find those skills both near and far. The beauty of a cloud-based CRM solution, as we mentioned above, is that you can use it anywhere with minimal equipment and an internet connection. That means your business can tap in to freelance talent anywhere, both within and outside the UK. Remote working is the perfect solution to the predicted Brexit skills shortage.
On the other hand, you may want to consider saving costs. Can you upskill your existing team, or possibly even yourself? That way there’s no need to hire new people or sign new contracts for new roles, you can fill them yourselves. It might mean making life a touch busier for everyone, but if it keeps you all in a secure position in this troubling time then it’s definitely worth it.
The Right Tools
As we’ve mentioned, cancelling any subscriptions to services that aren’t giving you a guaranteed profit at the moment is imperative. Even if said services are making your life easier, if you can continue said service as part of an all-in-one bespoke CRM package, you’ll want to do that instead to cut costs.
A bespoke CRM solution is an affordable package that can consolidate all your apps in to one place. Not only does this mean saving money, it also means increasing efficiency by keeping everything organised at a single point. And with top-level security, even with everything in one place you can rest easy knowing you’ll always be able to access your work.
Is you business prepared for every eventuality? Why not try Lunar CRM to get prepared? Get in touch to request a demo.