Perhaps there’s nothing earth-shattering in this report from PC World. I have learned over the years that advice doesn’t have to shake the foundations of your world to be extremely useful, however.
So if your small business is looking to save money—and let’s face it, your small business is—let us break down the seven tips from PC World in bite-sized form. While it’s important to invest in working capital, it’s also key to drive down costs at the same time.
- Use open-source software. You may not replace everything in your office’s suite of programs with open source, but the fact is that such software is free and better than it’s ever been. You can save a bundle by exploring the option.
- Reduce your electricity usage. You can do this any number of ways, but unplugging devices and turning off computers before you leave for the night are good starts. Also strongly consider upgrading your technology to more energy-efficient equipment.
- Rent! Buying can be a very worthy way to get what you need, but in the right environment renting will save you money and headaches. Consider renting things like cell phones and larger pieces of equipment are sensible if you have short-term needs and don’t want to deal with the long-term maintenance that invariably results from ownership.
- Don’t fly the friendly skies. With the costs of air flight rising along with fuel prices, it’s becoming an increasingly expensive proposition to use airplanes to travel. Instead, consider using the latest Internet technology to communicate from the comfort of your office, PC World suggests.
- Do fly the cloud-y skies. Cloud computing platforms can represent huge savings, much like the switch to open source. Do away with software and use services like Google Docs to compound your savings.
- Voice over IP for the win. Making effective use of VoIP technology like Skype can allow you to make phone and video calls for cheap, with a global reach that is hard to attain with traditional systems. If you make a lot of international business calls, Skype can end up saving you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year, which is well-worth your investigation.
- Kill your printers. This is easily the most drastic solution on the list, but it also comes with enormous potential for cost-savings. The business dependence on paper is fast becoming an artifact of another era, with employees printing off documents they can easily review on their computers for reasons that have nothing to do with necessity. Not everyone can walk away from printing, but those that can should at least explore the possibility.
Like the list? Have more suggestions? Share them in the comments!
Photo credit goes to urbancow at www.istockphoto.com
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