One of the most challenging aspects of starting your own company is the cost involved in running it – especially if you need to rent an office or workshop space. If you’re not careful, your overhead costs will quickly start piling up and you will find yourself overwhelmed by the flood of monthly bills littering your mailbox. One way to minimize overhead costs, is by opting for a Coworking space rather than renting your own office. However, this isn’t always practical for companies who need to host clients on a regular basis or sell physical products. Fashion designers often invite clients in for a sneak-preview of their new collection and, depending on the client, doing so in a Coworking space, might not be the right setting. Fortunately for those who are renting their own office space, there are ways in which you can reduce your company’s overhead costs – here are three helpful tips.

Stick to Free Communication Services

You may have noticed already, but landlines are becoming somewhat obsolete and there’s good reasons for it – most notably, the mobile phone. Smartphones come with a lot of great advantages such as direct access to Skype and Whatsapp, meaning you can take business calls on the go and not just from the office. Make sure that your employees are using Skype, Google Voice or similar programs as well, as a lot of them will allow you to make calls for free, or, at the very least, at a cheaper cost. On top of that, there is no monthly charge for their services which will reduce your communication costs by a lot.

Cost-Effective Travelling

If you’re lucky enough to live at a short distance from your office, take advantage of this fact. Don’t drive to work when you could easily be cycling or walking instead – it will reduce your monthly travelling costs and, as an added bonus, it will work wonders on your health and overall well-being. If you need to travel further afield to attend business meetings or seminars, research the cheapest accommodation and travel options in advance to keep costs at a low, but wherever possible, opt for online seminars and teleconferences instead.

Reduce Staff Overheads

Modern technology offers many advantages and one of them is being able to work from home. By allowing your staff to work from home, you can keep your office small and will save on costs such as electricity, water, etc. Plan in weekly meetings at the office to ensure everyone is on the same page and you can rest assured that everything will run smoothly, even if you’re not all in the same room together on a daily basis.