Everyone wants to save money. This is especially true for the small business owner. It seems as if more demands are being made of our money than ever before. There are definite ways for the small business owner to save money and cut costs.

Whenever we hear ”we need to cut back and save money,” every person starts thinking of things we have to sacrifice. Something inside us all rebels at the thought of sacrifice. Well just maybe there are ways to save money without actually making huge sacrifices. Let’s take a look at some of those ways.

Small Changes Help

Begin with small changes such as printer ink. Buy refilled or refurbished ink cartridges. Companies like HP refill and resell their used cartridges. Web sites such as 123 Ink sell the refilled ink cartridges at substantial savings.  

Paper is another place to make small changes. Who wrote the rule that we must use the brightest white paper we can find? Bright white paper cost more to make, therefore it will cost more to use in our printers. By using regular white paper we will see a small savings.

Does your business use a lot of pens in the course of a week or month? Do you buy designer pens for the office? Start buying plain stick pens. The Bic pen has been around for many years and still works great.

One of the best-spent money is to join a warehouse club such as Sam’s or Costco. The price for a basic Sam’s Club membership is $35. For the business plus membership the price is $100. Both of these memberships are for one year. The cost for a business membership at Costco is $50. Costco does have an Executive upgrade for an additional $50.

By having a membership to a warehouse club a business can save money on purchases for the office, restroom, and even coffee for the office. You can also purchase computers, printers and fax machines at reduced prices.

Making Larger Changes

One larger change you might want to consider is your phone service. If you are paying a huge amount for a traditional phone service, consider a Voice Over IP. Also consider using a service like Skype for your long distance.

Check on how much your Internet connection is costing you. Would it be better to have a DSL connection verses a cable connection? Think about bundling your phone and Internet. Most of the cable providers are offering specials if you have phone and Internet together.

Another way to save money is by outsourcing a project or a job. Instead of hiring another employee, hire a freelancer. There are some very good professional people who work as freelancers. These people can be found through websites dedicated to freelance work. Guru is one of these sites. The site has many categories from which to choose. Another site is Sologig. This site is affiliated with Career Builder. Both sites offer access to many professionals in a wide variety of categories.

Printers and copiers can also be expensive. Check your equipment, is there any way people can share a common printer? Also are you leasing or buying your copier? There a great advantages to leasing your copier. One is in the area of maintenance. If you are leasing your machine the maintenance may be included in the contract.

Another way to cut costs is to videoconference instead of traveling to the conference. Web cameras are relatively inexpensive.

Nonessentials

Get your employees involved in cutting nonessential supplies and services. Have them make suggestions on what can be cut or eliminated. Make this a fun time. Getting your employees involved will help them to feel like they are a part of the solution and not just a cog in the wheel.

Shop Around

Many large chains offer price matching. You can research prices online and then go to your local stores with the ads and ask them to meet the price.

Also shop for the best price when it comes to business and health insurance for your company. Do not assume that all insurance companies are the same. It may profit you to look at an independent company instead of going with a mainstream company.

Shop around for the best cell phone plans for your business. Make sure you are using all the features for which you are paying. Don’t be afraid to read the fine print.

Saving money is not easy, especially for the small business owner. Taking small positive steps is the best way to proceed. Keep an open mind about any and all ways you can save money. Forming a network with other small business owners can be helpful. By forming a network you might be able to negotiate better prices for needed services. Remember to ask for discounts.