As a small business consultant who has spent over a decade advising entrepreneurs, I‘m very familiar with both the financial obstacles and opportunities that come with running your own company. One strategy I frequently recommend to clients is implementing a 12 Month Money Challenge as a way to systematically build up their capital reserves.
Overview: A Powerful Savings System for Entrepreneurs
The 12 Month Money Challenge requires setting aside a monthly contribution amount that increases incrementally over the course of a year. For example:
- Start with $100 in Month 1
- $200 in Month 2
- $300 in Month 3…
- Ending with $1,200 in Month 12
By the end of the year, the typical entrepreneur following this plan will have saved over $6,000 through small, consistent actions.
For business owners, these new capital reserves can provide:
- A boost in working capital
- Funding for an expansion initiative
- Peace of mind with an established emergency fund
Let‘s explore in detail how entrepreneurs can implement and optimize this savings challenge.
Customizing Your 12 Month Plan
While the overarching framework is straightforward, I advise my clients to customize their money challenge based on their company‘s financial realities and strategic goals.
Here are some of the key elements we evaluate together:
Income Sources
- For the typical small business owner, your salary and profits may fluctuate month-to-month. We factor these patterns into your saving strategy.
Expense Expectations
- As an entrepreneur, you may have irregular capital investments, inventory purchases, consulting fees, or seasonal expenses. I help you anticipate and account for these costs.
Broader Business Goals
- What are you working towards with this capital? Emergency savings? New equipment? Additional staff? I ensure your savings align to your strategic priorities.
Quarterly Check-Ins
- It‘s essential we re-evaluate on an ongoing basis to ensure you stay on track or make any necessary adjustments.
With this level of personalization, my clients are able to realistically commit to and achieve their 12 month savings goals.
Actionable Tips for Consistency and Follow-Through
Beyond choosing a monthly savings figure, executing on that plan month after month is critical and often the most challenging.
Here are my top tips for making consistent progress:
Automate Transfers
I advise setting up automatic deductions from your revenue sources directly into a separate savings account. This takes the effort out of conscious decision making each month.
Build Reminders
Mark monthly transfers as recurring calendar events. Consider adding email or SMS reminders as well so it never slips your mind.
Cut Discretionary Costs
Identify areas of flexibility in your expenses, whether suspending certain services during slow periods or dining out less. Allocate these savings directly to your challenge.
Celebrate Milestones
Human psychology can work against setting aside increasing amounts of money. Counter this by deliberately acknowledging savings milestones achieved along the way.
Leveraging these techniques helps my clients stick to their savings commitment and ultimately achieve their 12 month goals.
Real-World Examples from My Consulting Practice
To provide additional perspective, here are examples of entrepreneurs I‘ve worked with to implement customized and highly effective 12 month money challenges:
Case Study #1: Offsite Development Firm
I advised the leadership team of a small software development shop looking to open an additional office location in another city.
By following an incremental savings plan over 12 months, they successfully funded a $150,000 expansion budget. This covered moving costs, first and last months rent for new office space, key new hires, and other upfront operating expenses.
Case Study #2: Consumer Goods Startup
A former client launched an eCommerce company selling specialized cooking products nationwide. During their first year in business, we instituted a 12 month challenge to provide an emergency buffer.
Through consistent monthly contributions totaling $4,200 by year end, they developed a financial safety net to absorb unexpected dips in sales or inventory costs.
As these examples demonstrate, the 12 Month Money Challenge, when thoughtfully designed and diligently executed, can be a game changer for entrepreneurs. The capital reserves you build translate directly into greater stability, resources to invest into growth, and overall peace of mind.
I invite you to contact me directly if you would like guidance tailoring and implementing this savings system for your business. I look forward to helping you establish financial practices that empower you to reach your biggest goals.
