Keep it Simple

You've been given the prestigious task of finding ways to save money in your marketing budget and all you come up with is a sore head from scratching it so much. But the answer may be simpler than at first thought, and may lie in the form of a to do list. To do lists have at times gotten a bad rap. Often they get in the way of us doing something we'd rather do, like watching football on an afternoon rather than mowing the lawn. But in reality a focused list can help keep you on track and reveal otherwise lost savings. For example on those weeks that I (or my wife) don't carefully write out a grocery shopping list including all the ingredients for our favorite recipes we inevitably spend about twice as much time and money running back and forth from the store to get those items we missed during the first go around. The same principle can be applied to the purchasing of print, direct mail and e-marketing. Specifically, you'll want to detail all aspects of your next project before moving forward with your marketing support company. The more specific you can be in your purchase order, the less opportunity there will be for a change order that could put you over budget. Clearly communicate your goals in the first go around, and you'll find yourself staying on budget and maybe even uncovering some additional savings....seems simple doesn't it!