Even the best of times are a challenge. In good times, it’s just keeping up with the work. But in times like these, it’s a matter of survival.

Forget Your Competition Instead, get your own house in order.

Pennies Matter, Dollars Matter More Insist on time cards every day — no excuses, no exceptions. Time is money now more than ever. Remember, a staff member with unbillable time is an expense, not an asset. And don’t even consider unbilled time. Count every billable hour and get it billed on time.

Don’t Drop The Ball Traffic people love their own systems, but enough’s enough. Don’t let them juggle calendars, spreadsheets, or homemade apps for something as critical as meeting client deadlines. If they’re not using C&P X for traffic, they’re working twice as hard. And now’s not the time to pay for that.

Prove Your Worth Use the Client Job Status report to remind your clients how professional, organized, and efficient you are. Always send estimates (and get them signed). Insist on creative briefs (and get them approved). Impress them with automatic client emails that keep them in the loop.

Act Like a Client Make sure you’re getting the best deal from your vendors. They’re hungry too. So use the Vendor RFQs to get three quotes for everything you print. No orders without approval. And pay no invoices without a purchase order.

Everyone, Same Page Make sure everyone has their priorities straight: clients, jobs, deadlines. That’s all that matters now. Always use the auto email alerts for breaking news about job dates, status changes, budget warnings, and approvals.

Measure Up Use Snapshot reports to see the big picture. Winners have it all: profitability, productivity, cash f low.

Bill Early, Bill Often Get a jump on cash by billing something — anything — when a client approves a job. (Offer a token discount if you have to.) Then bill as the job progresses, even before all the costs come in. You can always send a final billing with lots of detail if the client asks for it.

Get Paid Use the Collection Manager EVERY DAY to stay ahead of your unpaid invoices. Let it nag your slow-paying clients for you.

Stay Plugged In C&P X is always on, so rely on it. You have up-to-the-minute stats on your shop at your fingertips. Head bad news off at the pass with change orders, budget alerts, and job status emails.

Eyes Forward Bad times don’t last. These best practices give better odds that you’ll be one of the survivors — and the one rescuing your dead competitors’ clients.