Managing Costs


Recent Managing Costs Articles

How to Save On Business Travel 

Six tips from Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, and Matt Mickiewicz, co-founder of 99designs.  Watch video

Should You Track Economic Value Added?

It's a complicated formula that provides excellent insight into performance... but does it matter for your business?  Read more

How to Cut Costs 

Here's five ways you can reduce your business expenses including the negotiation tactic Siamak Taghaddos, CEO of Grasshopper, used to launch for less.  Watch video

A Lesson on Cost From American Airlines

How your costs compare to your competitors can have a significant impact on profitability. Just ask American Airlines.  Read more

Don’t Grow Your Business into a Corner

Even well-run companies can fail if you don’t manage the business's financing properly. These five questions can help you minimize the risk.  Read more

Survive the Brink of Disaster 

How Colleen Molter, founder of QED National, an IT staffing firm, survived the dot-com bubble and Sept. 11th, and other lessons.  Watch video

Want a Discount? Just Ask.

If you want to reduce your business expenses in 2012 you must teach yourself one simple skill.  Read more

Start a Killer Restaurant: 6 Tips

Advice from a white guy in Texas who became an award-winning sushi chef and restaurant owner.  Read more

Post Office Delays: How to Avoid a Cash Flow Crunch

Changes coming soon to the U.S. Postal Service will slow payments from your clients. Take steps to minimize the impact now.  Read more

4 Business Metrics You Can’t Afford to Ignore

Profit and revenue tell you a lot--but they don't tell you everything about the health of your business.  Read more

Save Money With Alternative Energy

Alternative energy can provide financial rewards and make a statement about your green stance, but it’s important to evaluate all your options.  Read more

World's Coolest Offices: Best Small Offices

There's a car dealership shaped like a helmet, and a serene dentist's office. These offices pack such a design punch, one might never notice they're short on...  View slideshow

5 Tips for Trimming Your Fuel Costs

Whether you have a few company cars or a fleet of several dozen trucks, you can save money on fuel by making minor changes to your operations and driving.  Read more

Why Small Businesses Overpay for Health Insurance

And what you can do about it.  Read more

How to Get Your Managers to Think Like Owners

Cash flow is like oxygen. If it runs out, nothing else matters. Here's how to encourage your managers to stretch every dollar. Hint: Make sure their jobs dep...  Read more

The Best Money I Ever Spent: Campbell McKellar, Founder of Loosecubes

What made the difference? Inc.com asks savvy entrepreneurs to reveal the one thing their business couldn't have lived without, and how much it cost.  Read more

Case Study: Paying Employee Health Claims Out-of-Pocket

John Schmitt opted to self-fund his employees' medical claims, and saw his company health insurance costs drop 20 percent.  Read more

5 Tips for Managing a Global Supply Chain

Here are tips for streamlining and maintaining an efficient international supply chain as a small business owner.  Read more

Enloop: The Turbo Tax of Business Plans

For businesses just starting out (and even for businesses that are already established), writing a business plan that bankers and investors can understand...  Read more

Best Business Deals

A bootstrapper's guide to saving money on office furniture, phone service, computers, business travel, and more.  Read more

Focusing on What Works

How the founder of Dogswell got his business back on track by cutting costs and focusing on his new product: dog food  Read more

How to Pay Employees When You Can't Make Payroll

There may come a time when circumstances prevent you from being able to pay your employees. Here's how to make it though this trying time.  Read more

Are Your Credit Card Bills Out of Control?

In order to build a viable business, you need to exercise sound inventory control.  Read more

Clothing Start-ups Seek Solutions as Cotton Prices Climb

Soaring cotton prices continue to present retailers with tough decisions: cut margins and risk profitability, or raise prices and risk sales?  Read more

7 Easy Steps to Bootstrapping Success

A guide on how to launch a start-up on the cheap.  Read more

Fighting the Sales Slump

Fresh data shows small businesses have managed to stretch their net profit margins this year. But that's not necessarily good news.  Read more

Avoid These Cash Draining Start-up Mistakes

Because stretching your start-up dollars is so important, it’s critical that you avoid cash-draining mistakes.  Read more

How to Switch to a Paperless Office

There are plenty of reasons to reduce your use of paper, including cost, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. Here's how to do it.  Read more

How to Finance a Business With Your 401(k)

A bad lending environment and provisions in the tax code make tapping retirement funds a tempting start-up financing option. Here's what you need to know.  Read more

How to Cut Costs With Green IT

A look at how virtualization, power management, and other green technologies can help you save money  Read more

How to Price Business Services

Advice for small businesses on how to manage pricing strategies by calculating costs, considering different pricing models, and evaluating customer and compe...  Read more

9 Ways to Cut Energy Costs

Energy costs have been rising in recent years and new taxes are on the horizon, so every business has a reason to become more efficient. Here's how.  View slideshow

Two Entrepreneurs Plan for Higher Energy Costs

Manufacturers Bill Latham and Arthur Pascuzzi, both hit hard by previous spikes in energy costs, have permanently incorporated energy-saving strategies into ...  Read more

How to Lower Your Company's Energy Bills

How to use less energy and lower your business's utility bills  Read more

How to Get a Good Deal on a Lease

What it takes to negotiate a commercial lease in a renter's market  Read more