New work procesess can save you money

When you are in the business of business you can be sure you will have expenses. Even when you work from home, there will be expenses you can't avoid having. But there are some potential savings you can make, just by thinking differently.

Lights - if you're not in the room - do you need the lights on?It may seem like a very small thing, leaving a single light on in a room - but it only takes a few dollars a day to make a big difference to your bottom line at the end of a year.

Appliances - Don't leave them on standby - it's amazing how much these things take to run - even on standby. Where you can - turn them off at the plug.

Mail - Outgoing mail - do you still send hardcopy invoices? Why? Most organisations are quite happy to receive electronic invoices. Some organisations have ways to capture, index and store electronic records - including invoices - and with EFT - the whole process can be handled in cyber space. Consider the cost of an envelope, stamp, printing (colour is a lot more expensive than b&w copies), the cost of paper and the time it takes to reach your client. Add a "read receipt" to your message so you know the person opened it, and you have a better chance of being paid on time - none of "Oh I didn't get the invoice" rubbish you quite often get, with the second line "can you send me a copy?" - which of course doubles the cost to you, and gives the client another couple of days of hanging on to your money.

Whilst we are talking mail outs - do you need to send confirmation letters - most people supply an e-mail address, so save yourself some more money and email the confirmation. Not only does it improve your response time, it immediately raises your profile and your standing in the eyes of the client.

There will be other savings you can make as well. Individually they may not seem like much, but together and added up over a year - well the savings could be quite large - and well worth having.