Smart ways to get more from less in your workplace

Times are tough for those in business, and there are many of us in business. According to the last census, there were 330,000 businesses in New Zealand - 87 per cent with five or fewer employees.
Here are some of the many ideas oily-raggers have come up with to help you run a business off the smell of an oily rag.
Can you relocate your office into your home or workshop into a garage? If you have too much space, try renting out a room or part of your workshop. If you need an office, what about sharing space with others and combining secretarial services?
Sell any work assets you no longer use - things like unused plant or office furniture. Assets sitting around lose value and take up space, which costs money.
Eliminate telephone costs by using Skype. A reader says: "Skype is free to download from www.skype.co.nz. The cost of the calls is: Skype to Skype: zero, anywhere in the world." Calls to landlines and cellphones do cost - see the Skype website for details.
C.K. from Christchurch: "If you have a computer and use the internet, check out how many hours a month you have used over the last year. You may be paying for too many. We were paying for 250 hours with one of the major ISPs and we now have gone to 150 and saved money."
P.P. from Auckland: "I bought a huge number of envelopes on Trade Me for $10.50 (including postage). The normal retail was $250. That means $240 added straight on to the bottom line."
If you are buying thank-you gifts in bulk for staff or contacts, find out what the wholesale price is and negotiate with your supplier.
Save on printer ink by using the "draft" print setting.
Recycle rubbish so you are paying less to dispose of general waste.
If you are being charged on a time basis (by lawyers, for example) don't waste their time and your money by talking about the weather or the All Blacks.
Make sure airpoints gained on business travel are used for business travel. Crediting them for private use creates an incentive for people to travel, at your expense, when the good old telephone or email would do.
If you or your staff regularly stay in motels, negotiate a corporate rate. One motel chain had a corporate rate of $125 compared to a "list" rate of $185.
If you have spare capacity in your business, try taking on new products to bring in a new income stream without adding cost.
Make someone within the organisation responsible for reviewing all costs. Have them keep a record of how much they have been able to save and reward them with a bonus if they do well.
Running a business off the smell of an oily rag is really about asking the question: can it be done cheaper with the same or better results?
This is good for everyone - you will increase your profits, your staff will continue to have work, and your customers will be able to buy your goods at a price cheaper than your competitors'.
Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.