Whether your company is going through some tough times or it’s currently enjoying high profits due to brisk business, it’s always a good idea to look into ways of maximizing its budget. Keeping overhead expenses low and manageable is one of the main tenets of keeping a business afloat, no matter if a company is flush with revenue or not. Otherwise, it may end up cutting into its profits earlier than expected, which can possibly lead to some financial misfortune in the long run—and no one wants that.
So to help your company manage its expenses better, here are some ways that you can stretch its budget without compromising your products, services, or customer experience.
Use cheaper printer ink alternatives.
When it comes to consumables that can really be a drain to your company budget, nothing comes quite close to printer ink cartridges. They cost a lot, they run out way too quickly, and, depending on the size of your organization, you probably require a staggering amount of them every month or so. To help stretch the budget while still having the convenient use of your printers, consider using remanufactured printer ink. They’re basically recycled ink cartridges that have been reassembled, refilled, and restored to a state that’s almost new. They work just as well as fresh ones but are much cheaper.
Recycle or repair your old electronics.
If your company has a lot of old electronics or gadgets hanging about the office, then consider having them repaired and put back into use rather than simply tossing them out and buying new. This not only helps you save money but also cuts down on e-waste – i.e. electronics being sent to landfills. This applies for all companies, not just for those who extensively use computers or electronic equipment for their products of services. For example, if you’re a professional photography company, fix your old drones and cameras rather than shopping for new gear. There are many service centers and self-made experts out there that can make your old and busted tech live again.
Move your offices somewhere cheaper and less crowded.
Another huge chunk of the office budget usually goes to the office rent, especially if the office itself is somewhere busy and highly-populated, such as deep in the heart of a city or a business district. Do yourself a favor and move offices somewhere that’s a bit more affordable, in terms of rent, taxes, and standard of living. Your employees may have a harder time getting to your office, but that can easily be remedied by telecommuting or boarding. Besides, it’s much more desirable to have a harder time getting to work than the company itself going under.
Look into telecommuting for most of your employees.
The above puts us neatly to another cost-saving tip: telecommuting. If you find that your employees can do their work on their own with minimal supervision, and that your meetings end up being unnecessary most of the time, then look into giving them telecommuting privileges (i.e. allowing them to work from home). This allows them to keep working for you without adding to the expenditures usually associated with having them present in the office, such as energy usage from their PCs being constantly on or the thermostat having to run for longer. You’re also allowing them to save money by no longer needing to commute to work. It’s a win-win!
Unplug all electronics after work.
Did you know that turning your electronics off doesn’t necessarily make them stop using up electricity? This is because turning them off most of the time simply puts them in a “standby mode”, where they switch off nearly all of their functions but keep a small portion of their machinery running. This makes it so the next time that you turn them on it’s a much faster process. While convenient, this still constitutes to power usage, and it can easily balloon your utility bill by a considerable amount. To prevent against this, unplug all electronics from their sockets after the day is done.
Hire fresh graduates rather than experienced employees.
While it makes sense to hire employees who have years of experience and tenure, allowing them to contribute earlier to the company without too much training or handholding, you may have some difficulty assimilating these tenured hires into the company. This can be for many reasons, one of which is that they may feel underpaid for the kind of output they’re giving. They may then lead to them growing dissatisfied with the state of things and thus underperform. By hiring fresh graduates, you not only get someone with fresh eyes and a unique perspective but one that you can help mold into a world-class performer.
Conclusion
Maximizing the company budget shouldn’t be confined to a last-ditch tactic to keep a business afloat at times of scarcity or thin profits. Instead, it should always be an evergreen practice, something that your company makes a habit of no matter how much revenue it’s earning. By practicing the above-listed ways, you can ensure that your company’s budget goes a very long way.
