You’re a business, and one of the most important things you must learn to master is cost-cutting. Businesses that don’t make money don’t stay in business for very long. Unfortunately, saving money is getting harder to do these days. But, fortunately, there are a few exceptional ways to cut costs in your operation without sacrificing quality or service to you customers.
Using Coupons
Using coupons is a simple way to buy what you’re already buying right now, but for less money. There are thousands of promo codes out there for printing supplies, office furniture and supplies, batteries, electronics, and even software.
These coupons help you save money on business items, almost regardless of where you buy them, as long as you get the manufacturer’s coupon and not a store-specific coupon.
Join A Shopper’s Club
A shopper’s club is a store where you pay a fee, usually a monthly or annual fee, for the right to shop in a particular store. In exchange for the fee, you get discounted goods and services. For businesses, this can be a great deal if you use a lot of office supplies and electronics.
For example, stores, like Sam’s Club and Costco, operate as a sort of warehouse. Paper products, clothing, office supplies, even furniture can be had for less than what you would pay through a retail office supply store.
Membership fees range from $50 a year at some stores to $200 for premium business memberships. Some stores also offer premium printing, and other related, business services. These stores sometimes also track the amount of money you spend with them, offering you additional discounts or rebates if you spend more than a certain dollar amount in a given year.
Not all businesses can benefit from shopping this way, but retail stores and businesses with busy offices often find they benefit.
Buy Used
There’s a stigma with buying used machinery and office equipment, but many businesses can save themselves a lot of money buy buying used. You don’t have to go for stuff that’s clearly distressed, but a business that’s getting rid of its office furniture because it’s going out of business might have something worth buying.
If you buy used printers, always ask how many print cycles it has been through.
Yet another option is to visit the local Goodwill or Salvation Army. If you have a lobby that needs furnishing, you can find some excellent buys in these places.
Examine Your Broadband Needs
Most businesses take for granted that they need high-speed Internet, but think about this for a moment before you sign up. Most business-class services are at least twice the price of consumer-level Internet, and some businesses just don’t need the speeds offered by the major service providers.
If the Internet is incidental to your business operations (e.g. you only send emails and occasionally surf the web), consider a low-tier service offering, like 5Mbps down or even less. They’re very reasonably-priced, and you won’t be paying for broadband that you don’t use.
Richard Turner has a background in personal finance and small business consultant. He is always on the lookout for innovative ways for businesses to save money and his articles mainly appear on small business blogs. Stay on top of discount coupon offers on Google+ and Twitter.