Running a small business is a costly undertaking in terms of time, effort and money. Unfortunately, too many businesses spend too much on their expenses. This eats into your working capital unnecessarily, possibly crimping your flexibility and your ability to take advantage of opportunities as they appear. Let’s look at some expenses for which many owners overpay.
Credit card processing:
As your business grows, so does your credit card volume. Have you asked for a quantity discount on your credit card processing fees? This is an extremely competitive market — shop around and you might find much better deals.
Design instead of content:
Your website is a tremendous lead generator. A problem surfaces when owners lavish too much money on design without paying enough attention to content. Your search results will improve if you populate your website with timely, authoritative content. While fancy design is fine, it won’t improve your Page Rank, and it can be expensive to create and maintain. Spend that money instead on quality writing and search engine optimization.
Oversized office:
Rent is expensive. Are you paying for space you don’t really need? Have you filled your office with expensive furniture and equipment? Many businesses can function in smaller spaces or even in a home office. The latter is a great option because it gives you a tax deduction without additional expense, eliminates your commute time (saving money on gasoline), and perhaps reduces your wardrobe costs.
Inefficient employees:
You might spend more on labor than any other expense. Inefficient employees are costly because you are not getting your money’s worth and you might even overstaff to compensate for some bad apples. There are ways to quantify how much an employee is returning to the business. Good employees should return 5 to 10 times what you pay them. If your employees are underperforming, replace them with better ones (even if they cost more) or use contractors instead.
Unproductive advertising:
Do you know your marketing return on investment (ROI)? If not, you don’t have a handle on how your marketing efforts are performing. Many businesses spend a lot of advertising dollars on Google and Facebook. These media sites can provide extensive information about your marketing ROI, but it goes to waste if you don’t use it.
Using paper:
OK, its 2019. Aren’t you ashamed you still haven’t gone paperless? If you had invested in a paperless office, you’d be saving a small fortune on printing and photocopying costs. Plus, don’t you want to save the trees?
Unnecessary travel:
Some transactions require in-person interaction. But does that really pertain to your business? Consider the costs of travel, hotel, meals and entertainment. Chances are you aren’t getting a good return on these expenses. Your time might be better spent conducting your business on Skype, and you’ll save a fortune.
Living the louche life:
You are a business owner, not a superhero. If you burn the candle at both ends, you’ll get burnt. Guard your health by avoiding too many nights entertaining customers, vendors and employees. Your tab will be substantial, and your health might suffer. Sure, you can probably charge off your entertainment expenses, but you may pay in other ways.
Failure to grab opportunities:
In the penny-wise and pound-foolish department, false economies can cost you in the long run. For instance, you might be offered inventory or raw materials at a discount, but you don’t make the purchase because you don’t want to borrow the funds you need. This behavior can stymie growth. The lesson is to use borrowing intelligently. If you don’t, you can be certain your competitors will.
These are just a few of the many ways you can cut waste and increase efficiency. Should you need to beef up your working capital, contact us at IOU Financial for business loans that are easy to get and easy to repay.
