1. Outsourcing Networks
Small business owners may be surprised to find out that they can outsource many of the tasks of their business such as administrative work and even sales work. There are many opportunities for Australian small business owners to outsource work to other nations that have a significantly lower traditional pay scale than Australia. These are skilled workers that come with many of the qualifications that local staff members would and are sometimes even better qualified. Large companies have already learned that outsourcing is a great way to cut costs.
2. Virtual Offices
Maintaining a virtual office space rather than physical office space is one of the best ways for a small business owner to reduce their overhead. Virtual office space allows employees to connect to the documents they need from anywhere in the world. Time can be tracked through telecommuting software suites so that the business owner doesn’t need to worry about their employees not getting their work done. Virtual office space cuts down on rent costs, utilities, equipment and furniture. Some virtual office service providers can even offer you important tools like a phone number, dedicated receptionist, and mailing address.
3. Social Media
Social media advertising can cost nothing to a business and is one of the most effective ways that small and large corporations alike are reaching out directly to their customers. Social media experts can help a small business develop a comprehensive social media campaign that can increase their revenue and exposure. Using social media is also a great step in developing an overall web presence which can help a business grow on an international level. Social media campaigns can be managed directly by a small business owner to save on costs and keep the business owner in touch with their clients.
4. Mobile Card Readers
Many online payment processors are offering mobile card readers for the fast and accessible receiving of payments. Mobile card readers operate much like traditional credit card readers but they can be attached to tablets or smartphones so that payments can be received anywhere. Mobile card readers allow a small business to take payments through many methods instantaneously and this can help close a sale fast. Many merchants that offer this service also offer very competitive rates and can deposit directly into the business’s account at the end of each day to make sure that the business has consistent cash flow.
5. Paperless Offices
Many large businesses are switching to paperless offices and small business owners can reap some of the advances of these systems as well. Paperless offices save on administrative time by retaining an automatic filling system accessible from anywhere. Paperless offices also don’t need to invest in equipment like filing cabinets and complex printing systems and they don’t need to pay money for extra storage space or filing rooms. Paper itself can be a significant cost for a small business and can easily be avoided by keeping all documents in any easy to use digital format.
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Written by Jenna Davis. Jenna is a PR, Marketing, and SEO consultant who runs her own successful business with the use the Servcorp virtual office.