CouponShack

Shipping is arguably the largest expense of a small business. Aside from the freight cost, there's the cost of packaging, labor, and inventory management. With all that said, there are ways to drastically reduce the cost. Here are some tips on reducing each aspect of the shipping cost.

If you ship by the postal service or by FedEx, I urge you to check out Stamps.com for their shipping services. Their software seamlessly integrates with most inventory management software as well as QuickBooks accounting software. If you have an eBay or Amazon store, the software is already equipped and ready to integrate. All of these features can save you both time and money, but the best part is you also get a shipping discount as well. If you ship with the USPS there's up to a 10% discount on all shipping rates and services. Ship with FedEx? If you do, you'll also get up to a 21% discount on their shipping rates.

The only draw back I could find the the Stamps.com service is that it is currently only PC compatible. If you have a Mac, it's not the end of the world though. You just need Parallels. If you're not familiar, Parallels allows you to run any PC software on a Mac. The program runs in it's own secure environment so you won't affect anything else on your Mac while running a PC application.

Need shipping supplies? Get them in bulk from ReStockIt. I've found that they've got the lowest prices on mailroom supplies. That includes boxes, tape, packing, and labels. You can purchase in any quantity, but buying them in case quantity gives you the biggest savings, especially when using a coupon for your purchase.

I hope these tips can help you drastically reduce your shipping overhead. At the very least, take advantage of the 4 week free trial from Stamps.com to see if it's worth it for your business.

Posted by Sok on November 02, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center

As mentioned in previous posts, there are a number of steps that can be taken to save money while running a successful business. If you look back on CouponShack's Small Business Savings Tips you will find many useful suggestions on ways to make every dollar count, and have a little left over to put back into your business, or your pocket!

Going green, or utilizing eco-friendly solutions, is a huge step that can be taken to better your business, and not to mention the environment. You'll be surprised at how much money can be saved by just being aware of the products you use and the energy your business consumes. In Small Business Savings Tips Part 7 Sok outlined a number of suggestions that can be helpful when it comes to reducing the energy consumption of your business.

Reducing the amount of energy your business consumes is a great way to save money while going green, but it's not the only eco-friendly solution. Environmentally friendly office products are not only a great way to pitch in to help the environment, they could also be an effective way to stretch your dollar. Staples is a great resource when it comes to finding office supplies, and they have thousands of products that are eco-friendly. Products such as recycled paper, filing folders, eco-friendly batteries, and energy star rated technology. If it's good for the environment, and you need it in your office, Staples has you covered. They also have programs which allow you to send or bring in your old computers, printers, and ink cartridges for recycling. Staples will even reward you with store credits and new ink for sending in old ink and toner cartridges for recycling. Just visit Staples Eco-Easy center to find all of your environmentally friendly office supplies. So remember to be aware of the energy you consume and the products you use to go green while saving green!

Posted by Ryan on November 09, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center, Go Green

The most effective way to bring both bring in new customers and to retain existing customers is to go online. It used to be fairly difficult and expensive to start an e-commerce site, but if you check out sites like Yahoo Merchant Solutions you'll see that you can save 35% on their merchant solutions packages.

It can be fairly difficult (and not to mention time consuming) to find the right web hosting service, set up your website and shopping cart, and integrate it with your inventory. Yahoo makes it really easy now to e-commerce store up and running in no time for a minimal cost.

If you have a small business and are just starting out, try the Yahoo merchant starter package. It costs just $25.97 a month for the first 3 months. After that, the cost is just $39.95 a month. It makes for a low barrier to entry for e-commerce. You cost is fixed and with it, you get a free domain name with email and unlimited storage, secure shopping cart integration with credit card and Paypal processing, powerful and easy to use store design software, and more. The cost of payment processing ($20 per month w/ Authorize.net) and e-commerce web hosting (costs $7.49 a month with Yahoo Web Hosting) alone just about makes up for the monthly cost of the complete package with Yahoo Merchant Solutions.

If you do not already have an e-commerce site then I urge you to do so. It doesn't cost much and is not nearly as intimidating as it used to be. It's a sure fire way to both retain your current customers as well as gain new ones.

P.S. make your payments automatic with your American Express card and get an additional 5% off the monthly cost.

Posted by Sok on October 19, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center

One of the most over-looked ways to lower overhead costs is to reduce energy consumption. Simple habits such as turning off lights, computers, and copying machines can save hundreds of dollars annually for small business. Take for instance a copying machine. When left on standby overnight, the copier consumes enough power in one month to print 1500 pages. That's just one copier! So just turn the copier off at night and save yourself the money!

Light bulbs also consume a lot of energy. Go ahead and switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. A 65W equivalent compact fluorescent light bulb consumes just 15W. These bulbs are a bit more expensive up front but the average savings over the life of the bulb is around $200 each. Save yourself even more money by buying them in bulk from online retailers such as 1000Bulbs. You'll save about 80 cents a bulb (includes shipping).

Another way to lower energy costs in the office is to replace all CRT monitors (those old bulky monitors that take up half the desk) with LCD monitors. Take for instance the Viewsonic G220fb 21-inch CRT Monitor (top rated CRT monitor on Cnet). Power consumption is 115W in operational mode and 4W in standby mode. Compare this to the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 (top rated LCD monitor on Cnet) which only consumes 21W in operational mode and just 1.42W on standby. That's over an 80% reduction in power consumption! By the way, Buy.com seems to have the best prices (when using a coupon) on LCD monitors.

There are a ton of other ways to reduce power consumption such as adjusting the thermostat 1 degree. All of these actions, when added up, can save you a tremendous amount of money on your energy bill and bottom line. It's easy to come up with ideas. You just have to be more conscience of the normal every day items.

Posted by Sok on October 07, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center, Go Green

Businesses are evolving and are becoming more mobile. In today's business climate, you are at a disadvantage if you don't have access to all of your files at all times. Services such remote access, online file storage, and online backups can mean the difference between closing the deal and losing it.

Remote access allows you to access your computer from anywhere. GoToMyPC gives you the freedom to work from virtually anywhere. Access files, emails, and presentations from you office computer like you were sitting right there in the office. There is no need to worry about compatibility either because it works through your web browser so it is compatible across all platforms.

Another option to increase productivity is to utilize online file storage from sites like Drop.io and Box.net. This gives you simple real time file sharing. You can upload files to the online server and your associates can access it collaborate with you on the project. All of this is done in real time, giving you the ability to collaborate with someone half way around the world without either of you leaving the office.

A third difference maker is the ability to automatically backup your hard drive to a remote location. For piece of mind, this is worth every penny. We all know that at some point in our career that our hard drive will fail on us and if it is not backed up it could mean the end of your career. Two of my recommendations are Carbonite and Mozy. These services are simple and automatic and run while you're away.

These are just a few of the online tools you can use to increase your productivity. They come at a minimal cost, yet offer a tremendous advantage because the more you can do online the more you can save to your bottom line!

Posted by Sok on September 28, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center

Printing supplies are essential for practically any business, but they can be a huge drain on the budget. Costs, quickly add up as your business grows. That's why it is imperative that you start now with good practices to cut down on printing costs.

The first and obviously most logical practice is to cut down on the amount that you print. Download Adobe Reader from Adobe. It's easier to share a PDF across multiple platforms than it is to share a word processor document. Adobe Reader will convert any file or image into a PDF. You can share the document right from the Reader if you sign up for a free account with Acrobat.com or you can just upload it to your Google Docs (if you have a Google account) and share it from there. The bottom line is you save money by not printing a copy for each collaborator.

There are times when you must print and if you do, then try and plan ahead. It's convenient to go to your local office supply store to purchase ink and paper, but it's not cheaper. Let's take the HP Officejet 5610 as an example. It requires the HP 56 black ink cartridge. To buy this at the office store it would cost $23.99. The same retail package costs $22.99 at 4inkjets. That's not where you get the real savings. A re-manufactured HP 56 cartridge costs just $12.99 (or $12 ea when purchased as a 3 pack). Now you're almost at half cost, but it gets better. Going with a refill kit costs just $11.95. That gives you 2 refills so the per unit cost is really just $6. Now you're all the way down to a 75% discount! To get the last bit of savings you'll need to order $50 or more. That will get you free shipping as well as allow you to use one of our 10% off coupons. That means if you order 9 of these refill kits your total cost will be $54 minus the 10% discount or $48.60, making the unit cost just $2.70 per cartridge. That's about an 85% discount and probably a few years worth of ink!

Need paper? It's cheaper online as well. You'll find that your local office store sells a case (5 reams of 500 sheets) for about $21. Quill on the other hand sells a carton (10 reams of 500 sheets) for $30. That's $3 per ream at Quill as opposed to $4.20 per ream at your local office store. Order two cartons at Quill and shipping is free.

Keep in mind these supplies are for normal every day use. For large printing jobs, it is much cheaper, especially or color prints, to outsource it to someone like VistaPrint or PrintPlace. Just figure 1 ink cartridge (4 if you are printing in color) per ream of paper for your unit cost calculations.

Posted by Sok on September 10, 2009    Tags: Coupon, Small Business Savings Center

Computers, peripherals, and accessories are essential to any small business but the up front costs can be quite a hurdle. With that said, there are ways to reduce the amount of money you spend. It does take a little legwork but I hope that these guidelines will help reduce the amount of time you spend while researching your purchase.

First and foremost, I recommend you purchase directly from the manufacturer. Generic brands may be a little cheaper, but as the whole saying goes, "You get what you pay for!". Most of the prices for desktops and laptops are very competitive anyway. The intangible difference is you have the manufacturer warranty versus being on your own. My top recommendations would be Dell, HP, and Apple.

Once you have a brand and/or model picked out, be patient and wait for the deal to come to you. Dell and HP run promotions almost continuously. Just sign up for our coupon alerts to be notified when there is a new coupon available for Dell or HP (or another brand). I know some of you don't have the luxury of waiting, but if you can, you will be handsomely rewarded.

When you have your coupon and are ready to make your purchase, be sure to customize your purchase. Remove any unnecessary components or peripherals. If you need additional items or upgrades, it's sometimes cheaper to get it elsewhere instead of adding it to your purchase. Here is a list:

1. If you already have a mouse and keyboard, remove it. This will save you $12-$15.
2. If you need larger monitor see if you get a credit for removing the monitor. It's cheaper to buy it from somewhere like TigerDirect. If you do not get a credit, then it's probably cheaper just to just upgrade from the manufacturer.
3. It's definitely cheaper to upgrade your hard drive storage from the manufacturer. Better to get the extra storage now than it is later.
4. For RAM upgrades, the cheaper solution is to purchase elsewhere. Newegg has great prices on memory. If you need 4GB of RAM and the system comes with 2GB, get a 4GB stick from Newegg and then sell the 2GB stick on eBay or Craigs List.
5. High performance video cards are cheaper at Buy.com because you can use coupons for your purchase. Low end video cards are cheapest with your computer system purchase.
6. CD-ROM/DVD drives are almost obsolete. In fact they are not even offered with the base system setup. If you are purchasing multiple computer systems for your office, the best thing to do is get one external drive and share it among all the computers.
7. If you need a printer, most of the time it is cheaper to include it with your order. Just double check just to make sure. (if need a printer USB, get it locally. it's cheaper.)
8. Basic speakers are cheaper to include with your purchase unless you want some higher end ones.
9. Software is almost always cheaper elsewhere. There are a few exceptions, but most of the time it's cheaper somewhere else. Check sites like NothingButSoftware for deep discount pricing on software.
10. All other peripherals and accessories are usually cheaper elsewhere.

These tips are just for buying computer systems direct from the manufacturer. Should you decide to go with a generic brand I would recommend checkout out pcRUSH. You'll find computer systems for under $300. Just remember, it doesn't come with the same guarantees as one direct from the manufacturer!

Posted by Sok on August 31, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center

Aside from payroll, the next easiest thing to cut is communication costs. Just think about how much you spend each month on your phone, fax, long distance, etc. It can cost $200 or more a month to keep all these services. So here's how to cut it down to less than half the cost.

Let's start with the phone service. We use Vonage as our phone service. If you're not familiar with this, Vonage is an internet phone service. You are given an actual local phone number. (or toll free for an extra fee) Vonage uses your existing internet connection to make and receive calls. The cost is just $24.99 per month for unlimited calls. (in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and about 60 other countries)

If you need a fax line, I recommend eFax rather than any bundled package. (with Vonage or any other carrier) If you were to bundle with Vonage it would cost $49.99 for phone and fax. That means the fax line is costing you as much as the phone line. ($25) eFax offers the same service for just $16.95 a month. (or $14.13 a month if you pay annually) With their service you get a toll free fax line plus saved digital copies of each fax.

One other thing I'd like to add that we use is eVoice Receptionist. It gives you an answering system with a professionally recorded voice, directory lookup, hold music, and multiple extensions. You can set it up to ring any phone when the extension is dialed, even if it is different phone number. So if you're on the go a lot, customers can call the toll free number, dial your extension, and eVoice will ring your cell phone. It's perfect for your expanding small business. The cost here is just $29.95.

One last thing to note is none of this requires the purchase any equipment. Vonage requires a phone adapter, but it's free with a new account. Both efax and eVoice work without any equipment. Plus, beyond the cost savings, what makes these services great is the cost is fixed. As your business grows, your costs do not!

Posted by Sok on August 24, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center

Use credit cards to your advantage. Credit cards like American Express offer some fabulous small business benefits with their OPEN Savings program.

The greatest savings are for everyday purchases. Take for example online advertising. Earlier this year Yahoo partnered with American Express to offer an exclusive 5% discount for Yahoo services like web site hosting, e-commerce, business e-mail, domain name registration, and advertising. We use Yahoo Search Marketing and pay with our American Express card so at the end of each month we get a 5% credit for all our advertising expenses. Plus we double dipped on savings by entering the coupon code "USCJ11" into the shopping cart when initially creating the account. How cool is that?

If you are a retailer, American Express has FedEx shipping discounts available too. Like Yahoo, you get a 5% refund on all FedEx expenses. Plus enrolling in the FedEx discount program can save you an additional 21%.

Now aside from the merchant side discounts, you can also get credit side discounts by choosing a rewards card with OPEN Savings benefits. (Click HERE to see available cards)

Depending on your preference, you can get cash back rewards, merchandise rewards, or travel rewards. I've found that the travel benefits far outweigh the other rewards. Travel related partners are much more flexible on price than retail partners. So if you do any kind of traveling (or plan to ever take a vacation, which I hop you do) then I would highly recommend choosing this option.

So to recap. If you can get your hands on an American Express card (or any other rewards type credit card) and pay your normal monthly expenses with it, you will get rewarded by everyone. It is important though that it be used for NORMAL monthly expenses because you do need to be able to pay it off at the end of each month!

Posted by Sok on August 17, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center

Starting a new business is risky and often difficult, but the rewards can be tremendous. In normal economic times this can be a very daunting task, which makes starting one today even more daunting. With that said, if you have a great idea and have great determination nothing should stop you from creating that dream.

So if you are starting a new business (or even an existing one) here are some ways to save money from the ground up. First and foremost is the business structure. The easiest is an LLC, but as you grow larger, the self employment tax of 15.3% starts to hurt you. That's because every bit of income, regardless of whether you pay yourself of keep it in the business is subject to self employment tax.

If you see that you are losing too much money due to the self employment tax then the next option is to incorporate. There are pros and cons to each type of corporation. I suggest checking the IRS website for more information.

Now if you are experienced and understand fully the entire process of incorporation, then the cheapest way is to print out the IRS forms and mail them in. If you are new to this, which most small business entrepreneurs are, then I really suggest using a third party company like MyCorporation (an Intuit company) to help guide you through the process. This is much cheaper then hiring a lawyer and just as effective. They take you through the whole process from obtaining an EIN to articles of incorporation.

Posted by Sok on August 17, 2009    Tags: Small Business Savings Center