By Mary Hubble
Keeping costs under control is crucial in today’s competitive
business environment. Without a doubt, one of the quickest ways for
a business to cut costs is through staff reduction. But cutting
jobs is not always the best cost-cutting strategy. Drastic job cuts
can lead to a vicious cycle of reduced productivity, followed by
slower growth and decreased profitability.
Keeping costs under control is crucial in today’s competitive business environment. Without a doubt, one of the quickest ways for a business to cut costs is through staff reduction. But cutting jobs is not always the best cost-cutting strategy. Drastic job cuts can lead to a vicious cycle of reduced productivity, followed by slower growth and decreased profitability.
Here are some alternative cost-control strategies that companies could consider.
Look at the cost of
your office or plant
If the company owns expensive office space, consider moving to a less costly location that will not mean losing clients or business. If a move is out of the question, consider sharing office space with a compatible company. What you save in shared operating costs goes directly to the bottom line (after taxes, of course).
Consider sale-leaseback arrangements, which enable the company to generate funds for operations and transfer the burden of ownership to the buyer from whom you rent back the office space.
Review the cost of
supplies and inventory
Analyze the cost of materials and supplies. Are you stocking too much material too far in advance? Can you arrange to have materials shipped directly to customers by your suppliers?
Periodically conduct a competitive review of suppliers, and select those who can deliver good quality and service at the lowest cost possible. Also, you may not have to pay full price; inquire about volume discounts.
Outsource processes
Consider outsourcing certain activities that either consume a great deal of time and resources or are prone to errors. For example, you may be able to have payroll processing done by a vendor at a fraction of the current cost to you.
For help in finding the best cost-control strategies for your business, give us a call.
