You may be internet based, mail order or a local merchant with 150 employees; you've got to know how to keep your business alive and kicking, during economic recessions and down times. Anytime the cash flow in a business, starts to dry up you need to ensure that you have tight control over your expenditure, profits and marketing.

1) Protect yourself from expenditures made on sudden impulse. We've all bought merchandise or services we really didn't need simply because we were in the mood, or perhaps in response to the advertising or the persuasiveness of the salesperson. Then we "wake up" a couple of days later and find that we've committed hundreds of dollars of business funds for an item or service that's not essential to the success of our business. Remember the mantra