Leverage retailer offers and tax programs for extra savings.
If you want to save money this year and save taxes the next, you have three weeks left in 2008. To make them count, accelerate some purchases to take advantage of year-end deals from retailers and vendors. Add on the tax savings you can get by expensing more items this year (review Economic Stimulus for Small Businesses) and you can start saving some serious coinage.
The holidays are always a good time for many small businesses to stock up, because they use consumer level equipment. As an example, desktop and laptop computers that work for home users work for most small businesses. A high end consumer multifunction printer (including scanner) works great as a workgroup printer. The same goes for many network-attached storage devices, PDAs, smart phones, and office equipment. Hey, need copier paper? Grab three boxes instead of one.
I’m doing my part. I reluctantly admit it’s time to start fighting with Vista, so I just ordered a desktop computer. As usual, I searched uBid to bid on and win a system recertified by the manufacturer. If you’re in a situation where you need 15 of the same system, all the major vendors offer their own recertified products on their Web sites, often with enough available systems to handle your 15 unit order. Just be sure to get them delivered and installed by year-end.
If you’re not ready to fight with Vista, remember that uBid and similar services also sell systems that returned off corporate leases. Most of those have XP, and you don’t have to pay extra to have that OS loaded in place of Vista.
Of course, the Economic Stimulus Act was originally passed to help big auto companies sell SUVs. Now that gasoline has dropped back down to prices not seen for years, a new company SUV may not be as dumb an idea as it was this summer. Even with the high gas prices, people who work need work vehicles, which probably explains why the Ford F150 pickup is the highest volume seller this calendar year.
You can always rethink “work truck” and save even more money. I talked to a telephone service company owner three years ago, and he traded in his F150 pickups for Toyota Scion xB cars / trucks / minivans / thingys and saved enough on gas (even before gas prices went crazy) to make the car payments. Of course, phones don’t take much space or weigh much, unlike steel pipe or 2×12 boards for construction. But if your products are small and light, a smaller and lighter company “truck” may be just the thing. And you know a Detroit car company, or any car dealer for that matter, will be absolutely thrilled to see you walk through their door.
Don’t forget that even non-consumer sales groups like to make their sales quotas in December, perhaps more than any other time. But don’t wait long for cars and trucks, since they know you’re trying to beat the deadline. Some dealers report having their best sales during the holiday season as people buy vehicles as presents (I’d like any of the new sports coupes, please, with a five or six speed manual transmission).
Before you rush out, check card in hand, take this opportunity to think about your approach to the first quarter of 2009. If your business is booming, great, stock up now to take advantage of the year-end deals and tax advantages. If your business is not booming, think long and carefully about your approach to 2009 in general and the first quarter in particular.
As you plan, remember that your goals for next quarter depend greatly on your customer’s goals for next quarter. What are they? Do you know? Have you asked your customers their goals? Have you contacted them at all this past quarter? If not, perhaps some marketing help may top your holiday gift list. You can’t expense an e-mail contact service under the Economic Stimulus Act, but you can try one of the many services out there to touch base with your customers. Or you can use the old fashioned approach and call or visit them.
If you wait until the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day to do your planning, like far too many small business owners and managers do, you’ll be too late to take advantage of the discounts and tax savings. Think now, this weekend, about what you need for next quarter. The sooner you know where you’re going, the easier it will be to pick the road that will get you there.
My guess is that the inauguration will pump up spirits and the economy will follow. By summer we’ll be through the worst of this recession and leveling off, ready to go back upwards during the fall of 2009. I don’t have a degree in economics or high finance, but those who do seem unable to tell the future any better than a county fair fortune teller. At least at the county fair you can get corny dogs and cotton candy. Can’t get either of those in financial services company boardrooms. Maybe all our financial statements wouldn’t hurt so much if they included a coupon for a free corny dog.
So plan for the future and buy smart for today. The Economic Stimulus Act may be extended, according to rumors, but there are no guarantees. You can, however, guarantee if you’ll need new supplies, equipment, and tools in the near term. If so, go ahead, buy ahead, and buy smart.
