What’s overhead? Not just the roof. For a small business overhead is usually the debt hanging over the small business owner’s head. Actually, overhead is the ongoing general cost of running your small business, and can include items like the cost of carrying inventory, office supplies, payments on equipment, and the cost of service providers like accountants and lawyers.In this article, I outline four ways to decrease your company’s overhead. These simple solutions can help your business preserve cash, and stay solvent.Decreasing Small Business Overhead1. Barter with Others
Trading products or services with other businesses is one way to reduce your overhead. I often use this approach in with my small businesses. I may trade my writing services or web-design work for graphic design services or legal advice from another company. Bartering works well so long as both parties have goods or services of equal value to trade. If you’re not sure how to go about bartering, check in with your local Chamber of Commerce, which may already have a barter network in place.2. Reduce Inventory
The cost of carrying inventory makes up a large percentage of the overhead for many small businesses. While it’s essential to provide your clients with what they want, there are ways to do that while trimming your inventory. First, review your inventory to identify which items are hot-sellers and which have been sitting on the shelf gathering dust. Next, locate the items that generate the best profit for your business. Finally, trim the low-profit and slow-selling items from your inventory. You can even turn this action into a benefit that can be conveyed to your customers. Turn an inventory reduction into a “specialization.” For instance, one gift store business reduced inventory by carrying only products made by indigenous people around the world. The resulting reduction in overhead has allowed the business to expand their marketing efforts, and the increase in cash flow is the overall result.3. Renegotiate the Cost of Regular Business Services
Most small business owners are too busy to price-shop, but you’ll find that you can negotiate lower costs for regular services your business buys by doing just a little price shopping. Call around and get three to for quotes for regular business services, including insurance, long distance phone service, equipment maintenance, and delivery services. Once you find the best rate, go back to your current supplier and suggest they meet the price. If they refuse to do so, consider setting up an account with another, less expensive service.4. Join a Buying Co-op
Buying in bulk is always less expensive. Many small business owners are now forming buying co-ops to purchase office supplies and equipment in bulk. For instance, many office supply stores offer discounts for buying paper, ink, or toner in bulk. If you don’t already have a buying co-op in your area, call up a few of your fellow small business owners and create one from scratch. You can also call your local Chamber of Commerce to see if a buying co-op exists in your area.Reducing small business overhead is really a matter of paying attention to the details. Often, the savings you get from renegotiating your insurance policy or buying in bulk may not seem like much, but if you add up all the small savings you’ll find that your average annual savings can be significant. These days, when cash is vital to business survival, pinching pennies where you can is often the difference between a thriving enterprise and a bankrupt business.
4 Ways to Decrease Small Business Overhead and Increase Cash
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Learn Digital Photography Now – Solving Some Concerns In Digital Macro Photography
We have always found that looking at objects from another perspective is fascinating. This is because of the fact that we often discover new things just by looking at a familiar object from a different angle or focus. This might be the reason for people’s fascination with digital macro photography.Digital macro photography is an art. There’s no question about that. It takes the genius of an artist to take something so ordinary and something so dismissible and turn it into something that just captures an aspect of life. For that is what art is. No art ever claimed to contain all the truths of life. Art is a reflection of the world through the eyes of the artist. By looking at a piece of art such as digital macro photography, we get to share the perspective of other people and that can be a very powerful connection.One thing to understand about digital macro photography is that it is not easy. Many factors come into play in creating an amazing photograph. But what are these factors?1) Skills – You need to have the skills necessary for digital macro photography. This includes the ability to see those fragments of beauty within the world that would be shared with those that would view your work. You also need technical skills such as a steady hand. When taking digital macro photographs, even hardly perceptible movements of the hand can spoil your picture.The ability to use a camera correctly is a must. Knowing when and how to adjust the camera accordingly can make the difference in capturing the image that you are striving for. While you can edit digital macro photography, the perfect shot begins with the camera.Photography skills come naturally for some. But know it is still essential to polish these skills by taking classes or attending workshops. The goal in digital macro photography is centered on showcasing things in news ways and perspectives. Keeping this in mind, know that people may view your work differently from the way you designed it to been seen. A new point of view never hurts and only creates another facet to your vision.2) Equipment – you also need the proper tools in order to express your talent. The proper tools can help you a lot if you want to achieve the effect that you want. Remember that although there are tools today that claim to be usable for any type of photography, you should try to find equipment that’s specially made for digital macro photography. This is because such equipment can definitely bring out the best in your skills.The proper equipment is crucial since digital macro photography requires a lot of skill and practice to be perfected. With the right tools for digital macro photography, this goal can be reached much easier and will present your photos to the best of you and your subject’s ability.3) Subject – Most everything holds a new level of interest when viewed in different ways. However, there are some subjects more appealing than others. When choosing your subject of digital macro photography you might find even yourself surprised at the new things you see within an object from a different vantage point. The best subjects of digital macro photography are those that open a door to a new world from the everyday. So keep in mind the power of your photography subject.