When you turn on the news these days, you hear about companies cutting jobs to save money. In fact, the government just reported that the unemployment rate hit 7.6% last month. For once, I would like to hear about companies cutting costs to save jobs.
Not all companies can cut enough costs to save a lot of jobs, but it doesn’t hurt to suggest it. Talk with your boss or schedule a meeting with management to see what you and your fellow co-workers can do to help your company cut back on spending to save jobs. To help you get started, here are four ways to help your company save some extra cash.
Cut back on electricity. Whether you work in an office or in a factory, turning off lights and computers when not in use can save companies money on their electricity bills.
Clean up your own space. Instead of having cleaning crews come in to clean up around the office, offer to do it yourself. If everyone pitches in, you can save the company from having to hire an outside cleaning crew to clean up after you.
Take a cut in benefits. This is a hard one to swallow, but if you aren’t employed, then having benefits is the last thing on your mind. Offer to suspend some of your benefits for a predetermined amount of time until the company starts increasing their profit margin. Prioritize to keep the benefits that really matter – like insurance – and realize the rest may be optional for a time.
Reduce waste. Ordering office supplies can cost companies thousands of dollars every quarter, so to help your employer save money by reducing the amount of supplies you need, or combine departments and order in bulk. If applicable, bring items from home such as pens, paper, or other materials.
Finding ways to save your company money could possibly help save jobs. And even though it doesn’t seem like a lot, it all adds up. So, find out from your supervisor what ways you can contribute to help your company get through this recession without job loss.
Have other ideas that can save companies money? List them in the comment section below.
Comments
If you have an answering service, ask them for a rate reduction due to decrease in call volume. It worked for us. Make sure your company cell phone bill is minimized by taking advantage of any deals being offered. Tell the phone company you are thinking of switching, many times they will cut your bill. Just don’t sign any long term contracts with them to get these discounts.
If companies are smaller, I recommend they cut long distance phone bills to almost nothing in comparison to the high phone bills necessary for contacting your customers. Our company uses Skype, an online phone service for $30.00 a year per person/account. The $30.00 allows you to call anywhere in the US and territories.
Skype also offers international rates for next to nothing. Text messaging to other Skype users is free. (It’s really great for internal communications and cuts down on email traffic.)We use Skype internally to communicate with our colleagues overseas via text message, and it creates a record of every communication in case you need it for future reference.
Skype is best used as an outbound call service for calling landlines and cell phone numbers. We save thousands of dollars in calls every year by using this service instead of the traditional phone line for outbound calls.
There are some drawbacks. The first is that Skype cannot be used for 911 calls. It is done through the computer only. The second is Skype cannot be monitored by your company because all communications are encrypted to protect the user. (I think this is a Plus!) The third is that each Skype user must use their own personal credit card or bank account to sign up. (Our company simply reimburses the charges for our employees.) The fourth is that sometimes there may not be the best connection to cell phone numbers. This drawback may require a re-dial until you get the clear line you need. (But it doesn’t happen very often.)
Depending on your company, Skype may or may not be the right solution for your communication needs. However, it works perfectly for ours!
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Interesting blog about the things you can do to help your company to save money. Using the electricity wisely is one of the best way to conserve energy and to minimizes electric bills.