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Scale back at headquarters

4/1/2009

In-store isn’t the only place to cut costs. The corporate office offers plenty of opportunities both to save money and set a good example for your store-level managers.

Here are some quick, and largely effortless, ways for your headquarters staff to save:

  • To cut down on paper, use both sides of each sheet when printing internal documents.
  • Turn off the lights, computers, electronics and adjust the heat/air accordingly when you leave the office overnight and on weekends. Conserving energy saves money as well as resources.
  • Request bids from new vendors. Comparing services and renegotiating prices with your current vendor can get them to offer you a better deal, thereby saving you money.
  • Limit business travel whenever possible. Try video-conferencing rather than meeting face to face. Microsoft Live Meeting video-conferencing software and many other software and services available today allow you the convenience of meeting without the hassle and cost of travel.
  • Regularly review and update insurance coverage. If you sold a vehicle or other insured equipment, call your agent to have it taken off your policy. Ask about any other discounts that might apply to your company.
  • Review all cellular phone and pager usage. Employees who rarely leave the office for business purposes don’t really need these conveniences available for their use.
  • Consider locking up office-supply storage cabinets/rooms. Institute a buying freeze on anything but essential supplies, and ask employees to use what they have on hand in their desks, pencil jars and briefcases before they take from the supply cabinet.

Source: Mark Andrew Harris, managing director, Business for Profit, Manchester, England 

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