Where Do Businesses Leak Money?

You have to spend money to make money, is what they say. However, though you will need to invest a significant amount of funds to ensure that your business is as watertight and high-quality as it can be, you shouldn’t just throw money at a problem, and hope it’ll get fixed. The key thing is to spend your money wisely; for every cent that you spend, you should see a return, in one way or another. While there will always be wastage – it’s hard to get things right all the time – you should aim to reduce the amount. Below, we take a look at a few areas where businesses typically leak money and offer some advice to help you plug these gaps.

Poor Hiring

You should absolutely bring people on board to help you push your company forward. Indeed, one mistake that many business owners make is that they put off hiring people because they see the expense as too great. In fact, it’s better to hire people — they will help make money for your business. However, you will need to ensure you’re hiring the right employee. One bad hire can be an expensive mistake — and it can also have knock-on effects that negatively impact your business, such as decreasing morale and creating problems with customers. To reduce the chances of this happening, make sure you’re formulating a robust hiring policy that’ll ensure only the best candidates make it through. 

Working With Others

You’re not going to be working in isolation. Every company in the world depends on others for their success, be it through selling to other businesses, or buying from them. But the contracts that you have with other businesses can sometimes get out of control; you could end up buying supplies at the wrong time, for instance, or simply lose track of how much you’re spending. Fortunately, there is software that is helping organizations maintain cost discipline. Use contract and commerce life cycle management software, and you’ll be able to maintain a clear grasp on this side of your spending. 

Necessary Expenses 

There’s much that you need to spend in order to simply do your job. For example, you’ll need to spend money to rent your offices, and for your office equipment. While these expenses are necessary, how much you spend on them is within your control. For instance, let’s take your office. You might like to have that centrally located, top-floor office, but it’s going to cost you. If your business doesn’t need to be located in the hottest part of town, look at moving further out. When it comes to your office equipment, such as your desks, chairs, and computers, it’s best to look second hand. You could end up paying half the price, yet still have everything that you need to do your job well. 

Undercharging For Services

You will, of course, want to be competitive when it comes to your business. But you should always avoid trying to be too competitive. If your entire business model is based on undercutting other companies, then eventually you’ll run into a problem. It does cost a lot to run a business, and you’ll always run into surprise expenses that you didn’t expect. If your profit margins are so small, then you won’t be able to absorb these costs. You can avoid running into financial issues simply by figuring out prices for your services that are fair and reasonable.

Productivity Issues

There are few companies that hit the nail on the head when it comes to productivity. Indeed, it’s something of a continual problem. Some businesses are worse than others, however. You’ll spend a lot of money on a single day’s work, so it’s important that you’re getting your money’s worth. If you only fit in a couple of hours of actual work each day, then you’re wasting far too much cash. While you’ll never get 100% output, there are things you can do that’ll nudge you in the right direction. The first step will be to identify where you’re wasting time and resources, and then plugging those gaps.

Using Your Time Incorrectly

As we said earlier, you need to spend money to make money. As a business owner, you need to ensure you’re putting your skills and energy into the jobs where you can really make a difference. If you’re wasting time doing those complicated, time-consuming tasks, then something is wrong. Look at outsourcing the tasks to a third-party company, and use your time in the areas that count.