Apartment Trends Magazine September 2014 | Page 31
BUDGETING
BRITTANY BOYCE | for rent media solutions
5 Tips for a Stress-Free
Budget Season
Over 60 Years
in Business
AAMD’S
WINDOW & SIDING
SUPPLIER
I
t’s that time of year: budget season. While it
can certainly be a stressful time, there are
plenty of steps you can take to ease the process
and help you actually look forward to the year
ahead! Survive budget planning with these tips:
1. GET ORGANIZED
Everyone’s method of organizing may be different, but the important thing is to set aside time
to carefully and thoughtfully work on your 2015
budget. Take a look at the previous year’s budget
to see what needs to be updated and what should
stay the same.
2. PRIORITIZE YOUR SPENDING
When taking a look at last year’s budget, you
may realize that there are areas that can be reworked
to minimize spending in the coming year. Before
you fret about cutting your budget, though, think
of ways to maximize those dollars that you are
planning for 2015. For example, maybe you feel
like your trade show spending was too pricey in
the past – so consider cutting a show that is not as
essential, or use local staff instead of flying out-oftown team members to the show.
3. SHARE THE DUTY.
Let’s face it: planning a budget is a lot of work!
With many other responsibilities to handle, you
can’t devote all your time to crunching numbers.
Consider asking your team to help out by tasking
them with researching the areas that they are
responsible for. After all, they would know their
needs best!
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4. STAY FOCUSED.
It’s easy to get distracted, especially since you’re
also working on many other projects throughout
the day. Reserve some time on your calendar to
really tune in to your budget planning, making sure
to step away from the phone and email for a reasonable amount of time.
Also, try to reschedule meetings if they conflict
with your budget planning time – stopping in the
middle of a budget brainstorm session to check in
at the weekly status meeting may throw off your
thought process.
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5. TAKE A BREAK.
Sometimes, you just need some fresh air! If
you’ve been cranking away at your 2015 budget and
everything is starting to blur, take a walk, grab a cup
of coffee, or meet a friend or co-worker for lunch
outside the office. You’ll come back refreshed and
ready to get back to it!
Each of these steps can lead you to a more
stress-free budget planning season, and the best
part is, they’re all within your reach. Take a deep
breath, find a place where you can be free of distractions, and start planning out those dollars for
the upcoming year.
Brittany is the Marketing Content Editor & Writer with For
Rent Media Solutions, a leader in the multifamily housing
industry, providing diverse marketing and advertising solutions to real estate industry professionals
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SEPTEMBER 2014 • TRENDS | 29