Only three percent of start-up businesses secure more funding they need (mostly through genius Kickstarter campaigns). The other 97%, however, have to rock a shoestring budget and find way genius ways to make their money stretch further, and they do this because it really pays to be frugal and money-savvy. It is one of those soft-skills that all entrepreneurs need to get into the habit of because, more often than not, it is that unsung hero that can make or break your business.

Of course, not all money-saving hacks are born equal, which means the advice we are handing out below (for free: call that a win) is full of some tips that will be better than others. Nonetheless, all of these tips and tricks will work some form of magic in your efforts to thrive and not just survive.

Get Creative With Marketing

You no doubt have a marketing strategy and spend a bunch on this area of your business, but there are ways you could be making your buck stretch further. It’s called piggybacking, and it is things like using your marketing materials in forgotten materials, like your invoices, newsletters, email signature and whatever else you use.

Join Forces With A Neighbor

You know that pretty expensive billboard on the sidewalk near your business’ premises? Well, instead of looking at it wishfully, why not ask a neighboring business if they want to go halves with you on it? You could then take this alliance further and share your mailing lists, suppliers and distribution channels. Clever, huh.

Don’t Buy New So Much

You probably buy used in your personal life as a way of saving some pennies, so why don’t you employ the same approach in business. It could be that you need some new MacBook Pros, in which case a refurbished option could work, or you need to add a truck to your fleet, in which case you could visit truckdealersaustralia.com.au and see when their next auction starts. Even things like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can churn up a few gems now and again. Savvy, savvy, savvy.

Selling Products Online

When you are starting out, the idea of setting up an ecommerce site can be daunting because of the costs associated. But you don’t have to start at the deep end. Instead, start selling your products on auction sites like ebay.com and Amazon. Build your name up that way. Or you could get one of those online storefronts that are cheap and easy to manage.

Stay Flexible & On The Move

Having a permanent location can be super-expensive and rather rigid too. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a location of some sort because going mobile is a great way to get your foot in the door. It could be a kiosk, a food truck, an old Airstream, anything. You could even lease this to see how it works for you. Either way, going down this route is a great way to get your name out there.