Are your current debt levels manageable? Debt for any one supplier should be at a level you're comfortable with and it's important to spot the warning signs if you think they're in trouble themselves financially. Now is the time to look at how you can move money around faster by improving your credit policies and billing procedures. Slow payers can cause real problems to your cash flow if not kept on top of, so look at ways of making your processes as efficient as possible. 4. Update your books Few of us like admin work, but now is the time to look at your bookkeeping, and get up to date. Set aside time on a weekly basis to do this, as it will save you a huge amount of time and money later on. It will also give you a clear picture of where your business is financially, particularly when it comes to bank balance and debtors, allowing you to react accordingly. 5. Be more frugal (but not tight) It may also be useful to look at areas you can cut back on without detriment to your business. This doesn't need to be anything dramatic; I'm talking about 100 small things rather than one big thing. Do you really still need subscriptions to all those trade magazines, can you use recycled printer cartridges, is there any room for negotiation on your building insurance and loan payments, can you shop around for a more cost-effective courier? The list goes on, but