If there's one thing that holds small businesses back, it's overheads.
Overheads have always been the bane of business. Whether you're the CEO of a huge multi-national mega corporation, or you're only taking your first tentative steps into the business world, one thing is certain - you'll always be looking for ways to reduce those costs you just can't seem to go without.
Too often, reducing overheads is a task thrown in the 'too hard' basket by businesses of all sizes. While this might seem to save time and money in the short-term, the long-term effects couldn't be further from the desired outcome. By making concerted efforts to reduce overheads, businesses can give themselves the competitive edge over their competitors to see growth they could only dream of.
Client communications
Communicating with clients is never a popular task, especially in appointment-based businesses. Contacting each and every customer before their appointment is time-consuming, but the alternative is arguably worse - in-demand bookings being left empty by no-shows.
Instead of spending hours each week calling, emailing and texting customers, it's more than worth investing in an online-booking solution that automatically reminds customers of upcoming appointments, to make sure you're making the most of your resources. It won't take you long to find a business management app that costs less than what you'd make from filling a no-show.
Accounting
Another commonly overlooked area of business finance is the person managing your finances - the accountant! While there's no arguing there's a place for accountants, especially when it comes to making the most of tax-time, there are plenty of tasks that can be automated to save everyone time and money.
Finding a booking solution with integrated payment-processing and invoicing is by far the easiest way to do this. Nobody has to worry about manually sending invoices or calculating income for the week - just let the system do it all. Even better is a system that includes expense management, giving you an all-in-one solution for almost every aspect of your business.
Have you had success finding savings in these areas? Let us know below, and share any other cost-cutting tips you might have!
