Business Answer for Fiscal Cliff
For the most part, the general press is trying desperately to change the news cycle to something else besides the fiscal cliff. The problem is someone from the financial industry continues to speak out and some part of the media will break ranks to scoop the others with irresistible negativity. If there were just a solid two weeks without such mention, we’d be distracted by the Super Bowl or whatever headline of the day.
However, business owners already know payroll and dividend taxes increased, forcing both owners and employees to pay restitution for government ineptitude. The fact is businesses must follow the government lead and increase revenues while reducing expenses.
There are two main ways to achieve this effect: 1) Cut information technology costs with managed services and 2) Raise sales with digital marketing. Now, the worst mistakes you can make is to go fire your IT people and also hire the pay-per-click consultant of the day. For both decisions, you need to select vendors that fit with your philosophies and have proven results.
For managed services, avoid hardware or phone system suppliers or by-the-hour “consultants”. It’s pretty easy to spot their motivation and know your costs will do anything but go down. A true managed service provider offers flat cost and business acumen, as well as technology expertise.
Similarly, digital marketing is no longer just about your keywords and a website review. Ranking is pointless without conversion and you should select firms that have actually run sales and marketing teams and can provide numerous ideas for content. Watch for warnings signs of poor website design, missing blog, or few search results from startups or hobbyists.
Alternatively, you could just do nothing, but are your old ways going to prevent you from having a worse year in 2013?
