When The Going Gets Tough

This year we seem to have all been transported into a parallel primitive world. Bullying is televised, promoted and packaged as strength and authority. Serious threats are made, no longer with subtlety nor veiled. Appalling actions go unchallenged internationally.

Where we’re headed is unpredictable. Can you remember the world where respect for humanity was uppermost? Even if only in lip service, it was the accepted ethic.

The Butterfly Effect tells us small changes in a system can have an unpredictably big effect elsewhere. My goodness are we seeing that right now, or are we what?

You all know the saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. But the current tough guys are the cause of where the world is at today.

So I’ve re-written the saying for those of us in business: “When the Going Gets Tough, Every Dollar Counts.”

Just being tough will not get us through predicted tough times ahead. Something far more tangible will. It’s called money management! Every dollar will matter more than ever before.

In difficult times, news media focuses on the big picture. How much revenue might be lost, how far down might things go, how long will it last. Answers to these are not apparent.

But it’s the small picture that will make the big difference in your business. A dollar saved here, a cost trimmed there, a smarter decision made somewhere else, will all add up. In your business, focus on the power of small financial wins.

What used to be "just a few dollars, so who cares" can become your breathing room, the extra cushion that covers an unexpected bill, funds a vital expense, or keeps your business functioning without having to let staff go.

There’s a mindset shift that happens in tough times. The flashy buzz-word strategies like scaling fast, acquiring aggressively, spending to grow, all fade into the background. In their place comes a return to basics: budgeting, cash flow, prioritising, and maximizing the financial benefit from what you already have.

This doesn’t mean giving up on ambition. It means getting lean and focused. It’s about asking smart questions.

• Do we really need this?

• Can we do it cheaper or better?

• What’s giving us the best return on investment right now?

Because when the going gets tough, being money-smart becomes your superpower. That’s the focus of Abtrac. It helps. It’s not being obsessive. It’s just being honest, because the whole is the sum of the parts.

Now obviously as any arborist will tell you, there’s no point in pruning a tree so much that its chances of survival are minimised. But when times are good, it’s easy to be a little loose with spending. Nice-to-have purchases go unused. Bills for consumables creep higher. Staff lunches become the norm.

If the tide turns, you have to realise what’s important. Realising that every decision is a financial decision means every one of those decisions shape the entire outcome of your business. So look for ways to stretch those dollars further without sacrificing the quality of your service delivery, to maximise the wellbeing of your business and minimise any negative impacts on the staff and families it’s supporting.

Cutting $50 a month in unnecessary travel expenses might feel small, but that’s $600 a year. Now imagine doing that in five places. Suddenly, you've reclaimed thousands that can be reinvested, saved, or used to weather the storm.

When the going gets tough, those who survive and thrive aren’t always the biggest, the boldest nor the toughest. They’re the most adaptable. They’re the ones who know that frugality isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. They know that doing more with less isn’t defeatist. It’s smart.

So whether you're running a multinational, or managing a small business, remember, “every dollar counts”.

Count yours wisely. The value of your business depends on the decisions you make, be they to spend, defer, or go all in.

That’s our philosophy in Abtrac and value it delivers for the benefit of all our clients.

Whether you’re an existing Abtrac client or not, feel free to reach out for a chat or with any questions if you’re wanting to sound out ideas you have in mind, just in case the going gets tough.

I’ll be pleased to respond, as always.