Tips to Trim Your Office Budget
February 2002

With 2002 being what it is, every business probably feels the added pressure to watch their costs. So, we thought a quick review of our own frugal ways could help spark ideas for those needing to trim some budget ‘fat’.

RECYCLE, REDUCE & RE-USE
Start with everyday office supplies. Save old letterhead or half-used paper: use it for staff meeting printouts, message taking or testing your design work. Misprinted envelopes, unused stickers on labeling sheets, binders —get creative before you throw something away. Look into recycling offered on certain office products such as toner cartridges. Consider second-hand purchases, such as furniture, from a business closing their offices. Review your mailing procedures, i.e. overnight mail vs. standard.

COMPARE YOUR VENDORS
All of us are creatures of habit, and one of these habits could be buying products and/or services from the same suppliers without revisiting competitors’ prices. Often our suppliers themselves have adjusted pricing for new customers but have forgotten that our accounts still carry older, inflated fees. We’ve all kicked ourselves for buying something we found cheaper elsewhere, so make time to research, inquire and make price comparisons.

REQUEST COST/BENEFITS
In-house processes should be periodically analyzed to keep costs down. Assigned workers should be the most cost-effective and the process itself should be effective and necessary. Request cost/benefit analyses of your outsource vendors; they should be able to detail their work and associated costs. Don’t be shy about putting this information against the costs & benefits of doing the work in-house or with another vendor.

USE CAUTION WITH SYSTEMS
With technology costs changing daily, we all have to continually review and revamp our systems. When it comes to new hardware, wait for necessity, not trends.  Recycle old monitors, research wholesalers, compare purchase & lease options, and look at a variety of places (even ebay)for software/hardware deals

ACCEPT YOUR CHEAP SIDE
When a client knows you watch expenses, they have more confidence in your pricing. So, question yourself: Why do I use personalized memo pads instead of scrap paper? Do I want to upgrade just to be first or to have a real advantage? There are many reasons, including maintaining a certain image, to warrant spending, yet by trimming ‘budget fat’ you will be able to keep prices competitive. And this will appeal to others with the same budget pressures.

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