Maintaining tight control over both fixed and variable expenses is an essential part of maximizing cash flow and profits in your business.
There are a variety of tactics entrepreneurs can employ to rein in expenses and prepare for unforeseen costs that crop up over the course of the year. BDC Client Partner John Brison offers several suggestions to better control expenses.
1. Make a plan
You need to evaluate where your business is now and where you want to take it in the future. A well thought-out road map is essential to properly forecast expenses and provide for contingencies.
2. Track expenses diligently
You have to understand your historic costs before planning for the future. This requires gathering data in an effective and efficient way
3. Benchmark against your industry
Establish metrics that are meaningful to your business and comparable to those used by other companies in your industry.
4. Manage variable costs
Look at your company’s past variable expenses and calculate what percentage of sales they represent. Historic percentages provide both a good indictor of potential future costs and a benchmark to use in keeping those costs in line with selling activity.
5. Get tough on fixed costs
People tend to become complacent about fixed costs because they are generally recurrent and often reflect long-standing relationships with suppliers. But you should periodically test the market to see if you can get a better deal from competing suppliers.
6. Invest in technology
Explore new technologies that may help your business improve efficiency, increase productivity and reduce costs. For example, many companies are now using cloud computing systems as opposed to in-house hardware that can be relatively expensive to buy and maintain
7. Offer incentives to staff
Make people accountable for costs and establish appropriate rewards for employees who find ways to reduce expenses. This helps to create a zero waste culture within your organization. It also helps motivate staff members charged with implementing expense-reduction initiatives to stay on task and be creative.
Article obtained from www.cbc.ca
