Trimming the (Business) Fat in 2020

As we conclude our month-long 2020 resolution blog series, a popular and important resolution is looking at how you can “trim the fat” in the workplace.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not talking about putting your employees on a strict diet and exercise regimen. What I’m referring to is how you can cut costs in your business. If your resolution this year was to increase your profits, obviously selling more pest control services is one way to do it. But an easier way to do this is to decrease unnecessary spending.

Reduce Your Reliance on Paper

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – paper is not only bad for the environment, but it’s bad for business. You’re spending money to store it, you’re spending money to mail it, and you’re spending money to have someone keep it all organized. You’re also spending valuable time looking for that invoice when it gets lost. A recent blog cited that a 2013 report by Esselte estimated that executives spend an average of six weeks each year looking for lost documents. In the end, it’s much easier to manage your pest control business with software, not paper.

Stop Manually Planning Routes

If you’re not using route optimization software, then that means you’re paying for someone to manually create your technicians’ routes every week. It takes a lot of time and effort to do this manually, especially when it can be done in minutes with the right software solution. Think of all the other things you or your employee could do with that extra time. Route optimization software also reduces gas, reduces mileage, and increases customer service satisfaction. All of these things combined means more profits for your business.

Automate Your Billing and Collections

Speaking of increased profits, if your billing system isn’t automated, then you’re not making it easy for your clients to pay. This means they’re not paying you as quickly as they could. Automated billing software decreases errors, standardizes your invoices, reduces your administration costs, and provides in-depth reporting so you can quickly see who has paid and, most importantly, who hasn’t.

Reduce Unnecessary Meetings

You might be wondering, “How is this going to save me money?” Well, when your employees are stuck in meetings all day, they can’t do their real work. When it comes to having a meeting, consider these options. Could this information be handled over an email? Does everyone have to be there? Sometimes there’s just no way to get out of meetings. If that’s the case, you can at least reduce the time spent by creating an agenda so that your team is prepared.

In the end, when you trim your office fat, your business will not only run smoother, but it will be more profitable too.

Want more tips? Find out how you can benefit from adding customers, increasing sales, streamlining your business, and more with our guide to Growing Your Pest Control Revenue in 2020.