Ways to Save Money This Year

Owning a company can be a very rewarding endeavor, but it can also be a stressful one. You feel the weight of needing to turn a profit even as an avalanche of expenses pile up. There are payroll costs, insurance bills, marketing expenses, and more.

If you want to grow your business, you need capital to do it. As they say, “It takes money to make money.” There are a number of strategies for tightening your budget in the coming year. If executed correctly, they can help you save cash and expand your operations.

Consider the following money-saving tips:

• Use organic search – Many start-up businesses spend money on paid customer acquisition that doesn’t always yield results. It may be more cost-effective to invest in advanced SEO techniques that can bring about sustainable traffic increases. Content marketing, page optimization, link building and off-page SEO can all help accelerate the growth of your company without breaking the bank.
• Cut the fat – Many start-up businesses show off shortly after launching by leasing big office spaces in expensive areas to create an image of success. Instead of spending money in that area, start-ups should focus on building the business profitability and managing the payroll. The flashy image can wait until the business has taken off.
• Spend money where it matters – While it is helpful to skimp on some expenses, companies should not go cheap on important matters. A start-up needs a good accountant and a top-caliber lawyer to comply with governmental regulations. If you hire a cheap professional, you may get what you pay for with low-quality services that could compromise the financial and legal status of your business.
• Use free software – Instead of investing a lot of money in software, a start-up company can often make do by downloading free software from the Internet. Websites offer free versions of most every kind of business software. If you can’t find the free software you need, you can find an appropriate product and download the trial version from its website. For example, need Microsoft Word? Try OpenOffice. In fact, this article was written using OpenOffice.
• Opt for used equipment – A start-up business runs on a limited budget. Instead of buying brand new equipment, look for used or refurbished versions. Some may even come with a manufacturer’s warranty. The last few Macs I’ve used I have bought refurbished through Apple’s certified refurbished site.

Saving money in business is a challenge, but if you apply a little ingenuity, you can trim your business expenses. Over time, small savings will add up.