Got a Few Extra Budget Dollars to Spend by June 30? Here are some great ideas.
June 30, the end of the fiscal year for some, is around the corner. If your organization is fortunate this year, you may have a little money left to spend. We love it when we get your calls around this time of the year. They usually start with, “I have some money left in this year’s budget that I need to spend, what can you do for $ (fill in the blank).” To help those scratching their heads about how to spend the last few dollars in this year’s budget, we developed a list of short-turn around, worthwhile, and inexpensive projects.
Product Development
- Phase 1 and geotech studies are smart due diligence on a site or potential site. Master plans are a little more expensive, but well worth the investment.
- A one year, unlimited subscription to our site assessment tool, CreativeSiteAssessment.com, is $1,499. Use it all next year to evaluate sites.
- Take new photography of sites and buildings for next year’s marketing pieces.
Marketing
- Update and refresh website content, including site list, business testimonials, and current news.
- Review e-brochures and marketing materials to make sure all data is current.
- If you have more than a few dollars left in the budget, update/validate target sectors and get updated industry trends data on each sector.
- Turn over social media and e-marketing to the Creative EDC team for FY16. Check out our website for services information.
Research
- Pay ahead for new data subscriptions to make research easier. We like ESRI and STDB for general data and JobsEQ for workforce analysis.
Organizational Development
- Have an economic impact study done of all FY15 projects. Use the impact data in your next annual report. Metrics are a hot topic.
- Host a board planning retreat to set a course for FY16. The retreat may be in next year, but we can get the planning done by June 30.
- In our small business, we use the year end to prompt a review of needed technology updates.
Don’t let the last of your budget disappear on June 30. Be creative – there are lots of options. And if you are still scratching your head, call us. We’ll be glad to help you spend that last dollar!