Budget Season Banter with Sarah Bozarth

Budget season survival advice from a former operator

Sarah Bozarth, shared some helpful advice on getting through one of the busiest and most important times of year as a property manager: budget season. 

Sarah spent over a decade in multifamily property management before joining Funnel as Product Marketing Manager of Customer Enablement. Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:

#1. Start early and stay organized. Budget season isn’t just one hectic time of the year—it’s a year-round process. Gather vendor info, anticipate cost increases, and organize your documents ahead of time. 

#2. Lean on your team. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Sarah advises leaning on, and learning from, colleagues and fellow managers when you’re stuck or need advice. Community support makes the process smoother. 

#3. Take breaks when needed. If you hit a roadblock, don’t power through. Step away, grab a coffee, and come back with fresh eyes. She emphasizes that taking breaks can help you avoid burnout and get a better perspective.

#4. Provide year-round training. For property management companies, Sarah stresses the importance of training teams early—well before budget season. Teams that are trained right after the last budget cycle, and brought up to speed if they are promoted mid-year into a role with budgeting responsibilities, are better prepared for the next one.

#5. Create focused time for budgeting. Companies can support their teams by removing managers from their day-to-day tasks during budget season. At a former role, Sarah and her team were sent away to “budget boot camp” at a beach house, where managers collaborated and got work done in a focused yet relaxed environment. This provided a space for both focused work and camaraderie. 

If you’re in the midst of budget season and need some anthems to pump you up, enjoy the “acclaimed” Budget SZN bangers playlist.