Once you’ve gone to all the effort of starting your own business, you’re going to want to make sure it remains afloat. If your projected income isn’t quite what you’d expected it to be, then it may be time to consider cost-cutting. Now, this doesn’t have to mean redundancies or rash changes to the way things are done within your office. Here are six simple ways that your business can save both time and money – check it out!
Outsource Your I.T
I.T services can be expensive to both purchase in the first place, and sometimes even more to maintain. It’s very much worth considering to outsource your I.T to a specialist company to avoid all the hassle and expenses of running your own system. A lot of business are opting for cloud computing services these days. The advantage of this is that you simply need to get hold of fairly basic, and cheap, hardware. However, you are still able to make use of the power of an external, remote server. I.T outsourcing is certainly growing in popularity, too. Your choice of company is important, however. Make sure that you invest in your I.T system with a business that understands your SME’s needs. You don’t want to be paying for a package or services that are unnecessary for your company. The best I.T outsourcing companies will offer an on the job 24/7 helpdesk and be proactive in their maintenance of your network. Anything less simply won’t do! Outsourcing your I.T makes sense. This is because although it still costs a fair whack, you’re saving so much money by not having to employ a team of I.T specialists. Plus, you save additional funds on hardware, too. This could easily be spent elsewhere. There’s also the element of time you save by not having to fix your own computers when they go wrong, thankfully, now, that is somebody else’s job!
Hire A Social Media Intern
Is your marketing budget tight? Do you not have a minute to spare to do anything proactive in terms of promoting your business? If so, then this is the solution. Hire an intern from a local college or university. Almost all interns are happy to go unpaid, so you’ll be saving up to a year’s salary by doing this. There are many reasons to consider an intern. Young people are great on social media, too. So, why not get your intern to launch a marketing campaign across a number of different social media channels? It will help to grow the profile of your business. Social media is a free tool in almost all instances as well, so what are you waiting for? This is the ultimate way to saving yourself some time, and some money!
Make Use Of Cloud Storage
Having discussed cloud computing, you should also be aware of cloud storage. Don’t you hate it when you lose all your progress on a document because you accidentally clicked don’t save or your hard drive goes defunct? Well, you can kiss goodbye to those daily inconveniences thanks to cloud storage. Your business should really make use of this service, in most cases it is free, too.
You can easily learn from Cloud Certification Courses where you can learn to handle cloud applications and services at your own convenience. The likes of Google, Dropbox and Microsoft all have free, basic cloud storage solutions available for enterprise use. Cloud storage works by backing up all of your files as you use them, what this means is that you’re far less likely to lose anything. That way you’ll save time by not having to type out documents again. Plus, did we mention it’s free? This is a great all-round time and money saver. Cloud storage equals convenience!
Host International Meetings Remotely
This one could save you an absolute fortune. If your business regularly deals with international clients from overseas, then you need to change the way you go about meeting them. Instead of expensive around the world flights and costly nightly hotel rates, simply give them a call over Skype. Arrange a time, set up a professional looking conference room and discuss exactly what needs to be spoken about over the internet – for free! Be wary, however, some cultures may find it offensive that you are not willing to meet them to do business. However, in most cases this is going to be largely welcomed and accepted. You’re also saving your client money on their travelling expenses too, remember. This will save you both a ton of cash, and a massive chunk of time that would have been spent commuting.
Maximise Productivity Within The Office
A great way to get value for money is to maximise the productivity of your employees. That way they will accomplish tasks in a shorter timeframe, thus freeing up more time to be used elsewhere. They will also help grow the business more rapidly. Insist that everybody writes up a checklist at the beginning of each week or even each day to instil a productive mindset into the workplace. By publishing and sticking to strict deadlines your employees will be more driven to meet them. You will then get way more value for money from them when you consider their wage. At the end of the day, they will always take the same amount home with them each month, so it’s up to you to get the most out of them.
Retain Your Best Employees
Finally, this may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but it is important. Rewarding your best employees and encouraging them to have illustrious careers with you is going to save you time and money down the line. While offering a member of staff a bonus might not seem like you’re cutting back on money, you are, however, doing yourself a favour. If you stick with your best staff, then your business is more likely to flourish and grow. However, more importantly, you won’t be faced with the costs of re-staffing and hiring somebody new should they leave. Not only does this cost a lot of money to do, but it also takes up a whole lot of your time that you could be better spent elsewhere.
Ultimately, this post should have outlined six incredible ways to save your business some serious time and money. If you’ve got any more tips for companies to follow, then drop them in the comments section below.
