When you run a small business, money can often be tight. It’s not like you’re playing with millions in the bank. Plus, any profit that is made often needs to be redirected into the business. However, there are a lot of things that small businesses can do to save money. Here are some of the best money-saving tips for small businesses.
Outsource
Hiring internal employees is expensive. The true cost of an employee goes way beyond their actual salary. That’s why you should outsource as much as possible. Some things will need to be kept in-house. However, you can outsource digital marketing, design, payroll, bookkeeping, and more. This has two benefits: firstly, it means that you don’t have to pay the additional costs of an employee, and secondly, you get expert-level help and don’t need to pay for training.
Negotiate with vendors
When it comes to business expenses, many small business owners don’t negotiate anywhere near enough. You can often negotiate with vendors to secure a better deal. To do this successfully, you should get multiple quotes from other vendors and be prepared to walk away.
Use the cloud for storage
You don’t have to pay for expensive hard drives. Instead, use cloud storage to keep all of your business documents. Not only will this protect you in the event of a fire or physical theft, but it will also work out cheaper in the long run. Embrace the cloud for your business storage to save money.
Embrace remote working
When you’re used to employees coming into the office every day, remote working can seem a little scary. However, it has been proven that it can increase productivity and employee happiness. Instead of keeping a watchful eye over employees, you can track their performance from home. However, the biggest benefit is that you don’t have to pay the physical costs of keeping employees.
Renegotiate your bills
Many small businesses overpay for their energy and water bills. However, as a small business, you can often access better deals than the average customer. Check out https://www.businesswaterquotes.co.uk/ to get a better deal on your water bill and go from there.
Hire smart, inexperienced people
When you’re trying to cut costs as a small business, you need to make compromises. You can’t expect to hire the most experienced people. Instead, you need to hire smart, young people without experience. This will make them much cheaper (at least to start with).
Think outside the box when it comes to advertising
You can advertise your business for next to nothing. For example, if you’re trying to drum up business for a restaurant, walk around the local area and offer free samples out. If you sell plant products, head to the local allotments and hand out samples in return for reviews. Word of mouth is still a great way to advertise a product, and you can get it started for cheap.
Keep your meetings short
Keep meetings short and focused. Make sure you know what the goal of the meeting is before starting and try standing up to stop employees from getting complacent. This will give employees more time to focus on their work, driving sales and profits. Spending too long in meetings is one of the cardinal sins of business.
Negotiate with your landlord
When you’ve been in a building for a while, you might be able to negotiate a better deal with your landlord. If you are a good tenant that pays on time every month and looks after the building, you might be surprised at what you can get. Most landlords are looking for a reliable tenant.
Review all expenses, even the little ones
It might seem ridiculous to look into how much your company is spending on tea and coffee. But if you review all of the small expenses, you might be able to save a considerable chunk of money. All of those small expenditures can add up to one big cost. Spend some time looking into everything that your business spends money on.
Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk is important if you’re looking to save money. Pretty much anything can be bought in bulk, from teabags to printer paper. The more you buy, the cheaper the price per unit (normally). Plus, it’s better for the environment because the products come with less packaging and don’t have to travel as far.
Use open-source software
You can save a lot of money by using open-source software. For example, instead of using Microsoft Office, you can access a free, open-source version. Sure, it might not have all of the same features, but it’s basically the same thing. You will have to test it out with your employees first and make sure that it has all of the features they need.
Reduce maintenance costs
Ask yourself how much you actually need to spend on maintenance. Instead of a daily cleaner, can you change it to once a week? Encourage employees to do basic maintenance (keeping desks tidy, emptying rubbish, etc.).
Cut down on employee hours
Many studies have shown that a four-day workweek encourages employees to be more productive. The extra day off leaves them feeling refreshed and more positive about work. You should ask employees how they would feel about a four-day week and reduced pay. You might be surprised at how many of them like the idea. People are less money-driven and value their time more nowadays.
