Rome was not built in one day, but bricks were laid every hour. It is how large empires are built. It is also an example of how large empires can collapse – they crumble under their weight.
Modern times have made large companies look like empires. They take many years and sometimes even decades to build. Yet, despite being large, companies are still businesses. They must make profits to survive.
However, more than the profit is essential in pandemics; it is cost-cutting that has taken precedence.
According to a McKinsey Quarterly survey, 79% have taken cost-cutting measures due to the global economic crisis triggered by the pandemic.
Companies, large or small, can use cost-cutting strategies, whether they have covid-19. It is a great way to save money and improve your cash flow. Every penny counts.
These six cost-saving ideas are excellent for large companies:
1. MISCELLANEOUS SPENDING – START SMALL, WIN BIG
Start by looking at all your expenses and classifying them. Then, you can cut unnecessary expenses like pizza parties for employees and magazine subscriptions that your company doesn’t need.
You can also spend more! For example, a department in a manufacturing company spent up to $10,000 per year on stationery without asking for approval from their superiors. Yet, they struggled to purchase the overhead crane that would have cost $8,000, according to a Harvard Business Review report.
It is only one example. Grab a magnifying lens and get rid of everything that doesn’t add value to your business. It can be done accurately with reliable accounting software.
2. OUTSOURCING: REMOVE WEAK LINKS AND RESEARCH ON CORE COMPETENCIES
Focus on your core competencies and let the rest fall to the team. Each company has a weak link. It is better to transfer the work so that professionals can do the same job at a lower cost than hiring an entire department.
To save money, companies can consider outsourcing remote workers. These employees will work remotely for you from remote locations. It will save you money and reduce the hassle of hiring qualified people.
Payroll processing, HR, customer services, advertising, media plans, social media marketing, and digital marketing are all areas that can help with core operations. However, these skills and expertise are not required.
Some situations require non-critical tasks that can only be completed by one resource in the short term.
Your company may choose to hire remote workers or employees for design work, such as logos for sales leads, marketing, and social media.
Companies can find reputed outsourcing companies that will help them hire one or more professionals and build a team to work for them, whether they need it short-term, long-term, or part-time, depending on their project.
3. MODERNIZE and AUTOMATE: THE POWER OF INTERNET
Encourage virtual meetings over the traditional follow-up client luncheon. Limit your phone bills and make use of online communication tools. Switch to cloud services rather than relying on ink and paper.
All the benefits of the internet are yours. Invest in new technology to shift storage and communication online. You can use Zoom, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Skype to help with this.
It will help you keep track of office activities, reduce your landline phone bills and save you space. In addition, automating many tasks can be done with various software to pay taxes and bills.
Virtualization will allow you to cut down on secondary costs that your company incurs.
4. TIMING: EFFICIENT WORK HOURS
Time is money, and time wasted means money!
- Plan business activities. Encourage employees to follow work schedules. Set expectations for reasonable time spent on specific tasks.
- Reduce distractions and burden: You should focus on reducing distractions for employees and reducing unnecessary work. It could include limiting the use of social media and email during work hours.
- Track your billable hours: Software keeps track of the time you spend on various work activities and projects.
These time-saving strategies will allow you to optimize your work hours and keep employees focused.
5. INVEST IN YOUR EMPLOYEES
Although it may seem contradictory to cutting costs, investing in employees and rewarding them can save more money for companies than it looks.
Consider structuring your salaries so that a fixed portion is lower and a more significant share of the commission is given to your sales team.
Notably, the company should keep a vital resource rather than firing or hiring another team member. It is because it will cost 20% of the employees’ annual salary. In addition, it will improve the team member’s satisfaction as well as their performance.
6. GET SPONSOR TO-DO YOUR EVENTS
Yes, your company is significant. However, it can make your company even more famous if another company sponsors the gala or seminar in return for advertising or discounts. Galas and seminars can also be a great way to grab attention.
It will allow the company to save money on events, enable networking and help develop good relationships with other companies.
Companies tend to reduce costs in the same way in all departments, but it is possible to do so more intelligently. Thus, Mckinsey correctly states that cost-cutting must be intelligent.
It is important to remember that cutting expenses does not necessarily mean reducing headcount. On the contrary, it invariably leads to an “uncontrollable workload.” Cost reduction must create value and reduce unnecessary frills.
These six cost-saving business ideas will help you restructure your company’s processes and make the most of them.
According to the report, companies need to reduce costs by shifting their focus away from their organizational structure and current and future strategic needs and trends for the business. It will allow them to make informed decisions and not harm the bottom line.
Disclaimer. The opinions and views expressed in this article are the authors Shalom Lamm.