What are the Effective Ways To Reduce Your Business Costs
Every business owner wants to decrease business expenses and save more money. It's crucial for small business's survival. Here are a number of effective ways for your own reference.
1. Barter. In case you've got a business you should be bartering goods and services with other companies. You should try to trade for something before you buy it. Barter deals usually require little if any money.
2. Network. Try networking your business with other companies. You could trade leads or mailing lists. This will cut down on your marketing and advertising expenses. You may also try bartering goods and services with them.
3. Wholesale/Bulk. You will save money buying your business supplies in bulk quantities. You could get a membership at a wholesale warehouse or buy them through a mail order wholesaler. Buy the supplies you are always running out of.
4. Free Stuff. You should try visiting the thousands of freebie sites on the internet before buying your business supplies. You can find free software, graphics, backgrounds, online business services etc..
5. Borrow/Rent Have you ever purchased business equipment you only needed for a small time period? You could have just borrowed the equipment from someone else or rented the equipment from a"rent-all" shop.
6. Online/Offline Auctions. You'll find lower prices on business supplies and equipment at online and offline auctions. I am not saying all of the time, but before you go pay retail for these items try bidding on them first.
7. Plan Ahead. Create a list of business supplies or equipment you will need later on. Keep an eye out for stores that have big sales. Purchase the supplies when they go on sale before you need them.
8. Used Stuff. If your business equipment and supplies do not have to be new, buy them used. You can find used items at yard and garage sales, used stores, used stuff for sale message boards and newsgroups etc..
9. Negotiate. You should always try negotiate a lower price for any business equipment or supplies. It does not hurt to try. Pretend you're talking to a salesman at a car lot.
10. Search. You can always be searching for new suppliers for your business supplies and equipment. Search for suppliers with lower costs and better quality. Don't just be happy with a few.
Finally, you will need have monitoring method to discover how your money is invested and where your money goes to. Do it monthly. You can readily identify what money is wasted so that you can avoid that occur again in the future. You can purchase some softwares like Quicken or Microsoft Money to assist you for tracking.