subject: Saving Money on Business Costs [print this page] Thanks to the grip of the recession, businesses around the world have been forced to tighten their belts and do their best to cut costs without losing out on productivity. Unfortunately, this has had some poor impacts on staff attitudes, especially when company downsizing has had to occur, but many managers haven't had other options to turn to in order to make quick, large cuts on company costs.
However, there are ways to pinch pennies here and there that may not seem too cost-effective in the short term, but in the long run you could actually see significant changes in the levels of company cash left over. Just as there are certain things you can do to cut bills around the home, you can look for ways to reduce costs at the office that are not only better for your business' wallet, but in some cases better for the environment, too.
For example, electricity bills can be slashed by more sensible use of power. Instead of leaving kitchen and bathroom lights on all the time, instruct staff to be sure to turn the lights off when they're not using the room. Ask your teams to switch off their computers fully at the end of the day instead of leaving them in the power-sucking standby mode and readdress your lighting scheme to make sure that you're not using many smaller lights when one larger one would do.
Another, often forgotten, way of cutting expenses is to check that the supplier of your electricity, gas and your telecommunications provider is offering you the best deal available. It could be the case that you are paying way more for your electricity and gas than you need to be - and you can check if this is the case by getting online and comparing prices. Similarly, it could also be the case that the monthly cost for your phone line and broadband is far greater than it needs to be. Perhaps it's time to ring up your supplier and see what they have to offer you at a smaller price - or simply switch to a rival company and make the most of the savings they can provide.
By following even one of these cost-cutting measures, you're making a start - and that means you'll be running a far more cost-effective, possibly even more eco-friendly company than before which, recession or not, is always bound to be a good thing.
