FOCUS ON FLEXIBILITY
Rent and utility bills are often one of the biggest outgoings for businesses, but many organisations could save significant amounts by thinking carefully about their space and storage requirements. Bigger business premises mean bigger rents, not to mention inflated utility bills, so it’s worth considering whether using an external storage facility for excess stock, archive documents or equipment storage might be more cost-effective.
Offering security and convenience for very little money, outsourcing your storage to a self-storage facility gives you greater flexibility to respond to peaks in demand, as rental periods start from as little as one day in line with your individual business needs. That means you won’t be lumbered with higher than necessary rents when the extra space isn’t needed!
Effective stock management is also vitally important when trying to stay flexible. Bulk purchasing can save you money, but can lead to unnecessary wastage (e.g. with office supplies); storing excess stock off site allows you to reap the rewards of bulk discounts while ensuring that stock is only used when it is truly needed.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR ASSETS
In most organisations, staffing costs are one of the biggest overheads, but your people are also your biggest asset. Offer incentives to promote greater productivity and, instead of taking on new staff, focus on maximising the potential of existing employees, training them where necessary so that they can be more flexible in meeting changing demands.
If you’ve got good relationships with suppliers and local businesses, make the most of them. Your long-term suppliers value your custom, and they’ll want to do what they can to keep your orders coming in, so don’t be afraid to negotiate with them to secure a better deal. Do your research- suppliers from overseas may be able to offer you a lower price for the same product, and knowing this in advance of any negotiation could help to drive down a price with your existing supplier.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
To ensure that your organisation is working in the most efficient way possible, reflect on existing working practices and processes. Are they the best solutions available? There are lots of innovative ideas for driving down costs without compromising on quality business delivery.
Think about technology, for example. If your company phone bills are sky high, look at increasing the usage of email and Skype for company communications. Investing in integrated CMS and marketing tools can help you to get the right messages to the right people efficiently and consistently. Going paperless at meetings, using a projector to show key documents, can also save on paper costs- great for your company’s green credentials too!
If you’re approaching the capacity of your existing work space, think about using it more creatively. Look at hot-desking and home-working options for staff to avoid the need for bigger offices with higher rents. Or free up some space by exploring different storage solutions.
Finally, consider exchanging services with other local businesses. Not only can this help to reduce some of your expenditure (e.g. on catering, printing, etc), it can also work to raise the profile of your business in the local area.
Try talking to Storage World on 0161 274 4777 and learn more about how the real cost of Storage might be a lot less than you would think www.storageworld.co.uk
