Business managers have to use their resources carefully. The more you’re able to save on your operating expenses, the greater your overall profitability. In making efforts to save money, however, you don’t want to have to do without the things that you need. Your efforts to reduce overhead should benefit your bottom line, but not interfere with the quality or efficiency of your operations. Here are some great ways that your business can save money.
Streamline Payroll Tasks
Paying your staff is probably your most important obligation in managing a workforce. Payroll has to happen on time, and you simply can’t allow for any mistakes. A miscalculation can cause a lot of stress and aggravation to employees, and it may result in your HR staff having to sort out time consuming or confusing corrective measures. Use a payroll system that offers cost savings and makes it easier for your staff to do payroll. Ideally, you should choose a system that gives employees a clear summary of how their wages are calculated in addition to calculations for any type of withholdings such as taxes or benefits contributions.
Take Steps to Be More Energy Efficient
Energy efficiency is good for your company’s image, and it helps you do your part to preserve the environment. Moreover, energy efficiency initiatives can lower your operating expenses every month. Without having to do without the power that you need to operate, you can minimize your power usage to achieve substantial cost savings. For example, regular service on your HVAC system can make the cost of heating and cooling more affordable. In addition, using a programmable thermostat will enable you to optimize your system’s performance and spare you from having to run it any longer than necessary.
Switching to LED lighting will use far less electricity than traditional fluorescent or halogen lighting. You won’t necessarily have to replace any fixtures but rather only bulbs. LED light bulbs cost a little more than traditional bulbs, but they need to be replaced far less often.
Install a Renewable Energy Source
In addition to adopting energy efficiency initiatives, you might also consider installing a renewable energy source such as solar panels. Having an independent source of energy can decrease your reliance on municipal energy providers that derive power from non-sustainable and sometimes environmentally dangerous sources such as burning fossil fuels. In addition, having your own energy source could spare you from the consequence of an outage which could temporarily suspend your operations.
Bid Out All of Your Service Contracts
It’s important that you get competitive quotes for every type of service that you get for your business. You should always bid out services such as phone and internet, printer and copier needs, and waste collection. Don’t automatically renew contracts as a default measure. Service providers typically don’t reward long-time customers for their business. Instead, they tend to reserve savings opportunities for new customers.
At least three months before a contract expires, you should start working on getting customized quotes. Depending on how many providers for a particular service operate in your area, try to get approximately three quotes for every type of service.
Buy in Bulk
You may be able to reduce your operating costs by purchasing certain supplies in a large quantity. If there is any type of supply that you know you use in volume, it isn’t smart economically to buy only a little of it at a time. Not only would you pay more for the item itself, but you may also end up paying more for shipping and delivery. In addition, you may inadvertently lose track of your inventory and run out of something you need, which could result in a delay to your workflow or having to pay a premium to get something fast.
Look for retailers that serve businesses rather than both individuals and businesses. They’ll be the most likely companies to have considerable savings for purchasing some of the most commonly used office supplies in bulk. Some items to think about buying in bulk are paper, folders, envelopes, and breakroom supplies.
