Four Ways to Reinvest in Your Small Business’ Future

BY JEREMY SHACKLEFORD

THE PAST FEW YEARS have certainly thrown quite a few challenges at small businesses, with many reimagining and reinventing their business.

While tough economic conditions can certainly impact profits and cash flow, many of the most successful businesses lean in, embrace change, and adapt to market conditions to strengthen their business for the future.

Here are four ways you can look to reinvest in your small business.

REAL ESTATE

If your business is currently renting its location or looking to expand to additional areas, purchasing real estate can be a great way to invest in your company’s future.

Owning your business’ property enables you to have better cost controls in place and avoid potential price increases or restrictions on the work you can do to the building that may come with leasing your space. One option for businesses looking to purchase property is an owner-occupied commercial real estate loan, which can provide cost certainty with fixed terms and rates, depending on your lender.

Purchasing your business’ home can also unlock additional revenue streams, like leasing additional space to another business or having a residential tenant if you have a mixed-use location, you will just need to ensure your business uses 51% of the space or more.

INVENTORY

If your business’ cash flow is in a good place, reinvesting through additional inventory can be a great way to set your business up for future success.

Take stock of your inventory and customer purchasing patterns and consider ordering more popular items in bulk to look for potential vendor discounts as well as handle seasonal spikes in demand.

Inventory can be a balancing act—you don’t want to over-purchase and strain your cash flow while having products sit in storage—but optimizing it can contribute to your business’ short- and long-term success.

EQUIPMENT

Upgrading your business’ equipment and software can be costly upfront but can provide a host of benefits to the business as a return on the investment.

Technology continues to rapidly advance, which is a great thing, but can also lead to equipment being outdated more quickly. Investing in upgraded equipment and software to replace aging, outdated systems can save money on repairs as well as streamline your operations to help save time for you and your employees.

EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS

Your employees and your customers are your most valuable asset. Investing in their happiness can go a long way toward building sustainable success.

If your business is in a good place financially, look into the benefits you’re currently offering your employees and ways you can enhance those.

Providing solid benefits—like retirement contribution plans, additional PTO time, bonuses, or educational opportunities—can go a long way in promoting employee happiness and reducing costly turnover.

Speaking directly with your employees about the benefits that matter most to them can also be a good way to build a strong culture and provide the resources they need to be successful professionally and personally.

Don’t forget your customers either! Reinvesting profits by offering customer incentives like buy-one-get-one deals or reward points to redeem in store or online can help build loyalty and increase future sales.

There are many ways to reinvest in your small business to make it stronger and more resilient for the future. Speaking with your business’ support system, including your banker, accountant, and other advisors, can be a great way to put a plan in place to help your business grow.

Jeremy Shackleford is senior vice president and director of small business sales for WSFS Bank.