Businesses know it is always important to try and provide the best inventory and customer service, but it is equally necessary to maintain a budget and keep overhead at a minimum. Many entities are finding innovative ways to reduce their expenses, maintaining employee loyalty and engagement without incurring major layoffs. For companies looking to do the same, it is important to make judicious use of intuitive strategy rather than reckless cuts, so here is some basic financial advice to meet that end.
Haggle with suppliers
Chances are good that many businesses have had to increase their prices due to higher costs in the supply chain. Gas has been one of the biggest factors in these calculations, with some places like California reporting more than $6 per gallon for unleaded fuel. Inc Magazine wrote that savvy small business owners will research every element of their supply chain to ensure they are partnered with people offering the lowest prices possible for these services. Entities like WalMart can afford to offer lower prices because it owns every aspect of its shipping services, but local companies must ensure they are not paying more than necessary to get stock on the shelves.
Remove the paper trail
Eliminating physical receipts and paper fliers can cut a huge chunk from monthly expenses. All that ink, printing and handling can be placed in an online structure, saving time as well as money. Companies like Apple do completely digital invoicing, emailing receipts to customers and suppliers alike. Money Crashers wrote that this strategy can reduce waste as well – according to Xerox, about 40 percent of all paper a company buys each year is thrown away or never used.
Get rid of old devices
It may seem like spending more is the opposite of savings, but an initial expense can be worth it if it's to get tools that work better and save money. Using old computers can present a deficit to productivity and these machines are much less energy efficient than newer computers. Buying new mobile computing devices gets work done faster and gives employees more freedom to complete tasks, Boston Online wrote. Such acquisitions also increase employee loyalty and may help improve customer service.