Did you know that small businesses waste money on all kinds of unnecessary things? From too many assistants to too much office space, it’s important to cut costs when possible. That way, your business will not only survive but also thrive.

Accounting is one aspect of business that can create a lot of wasted time, money, and effort. Are you wondering what you can do about it? Keep reading to learn about 5 cost-saving ways an organization can simplify accounting.

1. Hire an Expert

The old saying that you have to spend money to make money is still true. While you may think you can save money by doing accounting yourself, it will only get more complicated as your business grows. Even a small accounting mistake can end up costing you more money.

To keep things simple, you should hire a pro to handle it. When you have these professional employer services helping to make your business run smoothly, you’ll end up saving money over time.

2. Rely on Technology

To simplify payroll, don’t forget to use the right technology. While software that’s out of date can make things worse, you can save time and money by using state-of-the-art programs.

There is a range of helpful document management programs you can use depending on the size of your business. From invoices to manager signatures, the right accounting software can streamline the whole process of payroll service.

3. Don’t Mix Expenses

Every now and then, you may find it convenient to charge your business credit card on something that isn’t business-related, such as a new pair of sneakers. However, this so-called convenience can quickly become a big pain once it’s time to do accounting.

The accounting department and your professional employer organization can be much more simple if you are diligent about keeping business expenses and personal expenses separate.

4. Keep Track of Everything

Aside from keeping expenses separate, it’s also important to keep track of all factors related to business expenses in general.

It can be all too easy to lose track of employee expenses, for instance. However, if you’re going to make sure you’re putting your resources to good use, you can’t cut corners.

5. Go Green

Not only will going virtual save you money, but it will also save you time. Cabinets upon cabinets of files can only stay organized for so long until it becomes a mountain-sized headache.

By making everything electronic and computerized, documents can be accounted for with a simple search. By offering employer service training now, you can reap all the benefits of a more streamlined and state-of-the-art business later.

Are You Ready to Simplify Accounting?

Now that you’ve learned about the 5 cost-saving ways an organization can simplify accounting, your business is ready to boost productivity and more. After all, there’s always room for improvement.

The world of business can be dog-eat-dog. With so much competition out there, you can’t afford to ignore the latest tips and tricks for success. You can stay up to date on business topics by clicking around our site.

Going “green” is something that more and more customers are prioritizing. Last year, nearly 60% of consumers reported they’d be willing to change how they shop to limit environmental impact. In the same study, 80% reported that sustainability is a priority for them.

But becoming a green business shouldn’t only be about public image. It should be about doing your part to help the planet heal and last. And it doesn’t take much.

We’ve put together a comprehensive list of the simplest ways to make your business more environmentally friendly. Start with one or two and work up to incorporating as many as you can.

Brainstorm Your Options

A great place to start is by brainstorming with your team. Some of your employees are likely familiar with environmentally-friendly habits. Maybe they’ve already researched how to lead green lifestyles.

Bringing your employees into the conversation shows that you value their opinions. It also helps them take some ownership over the process. They’ll feel more engaged and therefore more willing to follow through.

Your employees may also contribute ideas you hadn’t thought of. There are many benefits to brainstorming. If you start off getting your entire team involved in going green, you’re likely to have more tools to work with.

Sell or Donate Used Electronics

A simple way to become a greener workplace is by selling or donating your used electronics. Many people don’t think about how their old electronics end up in the landfill. But over time, they corrode, leaking harmful chemicals into the earth.

By selling old electronics, not only are you recycling in a sense, but you’re also getting a bit of your money back. You can reinvest that money can into the company or use it to buy something else you need.

If you donate your old electronics, you’re also saving them from ending up in the landfill. Not only that, but you’re offering them to people who may use them for years to come.

Another way to get rid of your electronics is to recycle them. Check online for drop-off locations near you. Or, call your local office supply store and see if they offer recycling services for electronics.

Allow Your Employees to Work Remotely

If most of your company’s work is done online, why not get your employees set up to work remotely?

One benefit of remote work is how it positively affects your employees. Working remotely gives them more flexibility. This can reduce stress and improve their sense of work-life balance.

Employees that are less stressed are less likely to become sick, miss days, or be unproductive. It’s also better for the environment. Every car that stays off the road keeps copious amounts of carbon dioxide out of the air.

It also means your company saves money on all those items it has to keep stocked. You may even be able to cut costs around heating, cooling, and lighting, too.

Offer Commuter Benefits

If remote work isn’t possible, offer benefits to those who opt to commute via public transit. Buses, trains, and subways are some of the greenest methods of transportation.

Companies can offer benefits like transit pass reimbursement or discounts. You may be able to partner with city transit companies to offer monthly or yearly passes at a lower rate.

Reduce Packaging

Reducing your packaging isn’t as hard as it may seem. As a first step, try not to add non-recyclable fillers to your mailing.

In particular, styrofoam damages the environment. And plastic cannot break down once it’s in a landfill.

So try using shredded paper as a filler instead. It cushions your items without adding too much extra weight. Best of all, it can be recycled!

Increase Recycling

Speaking of recycling, encourage your employees to do so. Place recycling bins all over the office.

For ease of access, there should be a bin everywhere recyclable products are used. Think by the printer, in the kitchen, the mailroom, and in meeting rooms.

Each desk should have both a garbage can and a small recycling bin. If you’re working with a cleaning crew read this resource and hire a team that is committed to recycling.

Use Sustainable Materials

Check the labels on your items to see if they’re sourced from sustainable materials. Dishes and utensils made from recycled materials are a great starting point. Additionally, eco-friendly toilet paper or paper towel products are helpful, too.

Another place to reduce your environmental footprint is in your cleaning supplies. Many include chemicals that, when flushed, end up damaging natural bodies of water. Additionally, they’re typically packaged in plastic.

Check for natural cleaning agents that come in recyclable containers. Encourage your employees to use these instead of the chemically-based ones.

Source Secondhand Items

When you’re considering new furniture or electronics, look for secondhand offerings. You’ll likely save money this way. And, you’ll be engaging in a form of recycling; you’ll be reusing products with life left in them instead of opting for something brand-new.

Secondhand doesn’t have to mean lower quality. A lot of times, people offer their used goods for sale because they don’t need them anymore or have never used them. You might be surprised by what you’re able to find!

Upgrade Your Energy-Efficiency

This is as easy as changing a lightbulb. Literally!

If you haven’t made the switch to LED lightbulbs, you should. They save your company money by using less electricity to run and they last much longer.  In fact, LEDs can last up to 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Opt for blue-hued bulbs that will keep your employees feeling alert and productive.

Encourage Green Behavior

A key part of going green is getting your team on board. The initial brainstorm may have sparked interest at first. But if enthusiasm is waning, encourage your employees with incentive programs.

Celebrate employees who bring their own lunch to work. Encourage employees to use reusable dishware in the kitchen instead of disposable products. The little things your employees do each day will contribute in large ways.

Reduce Paper Usage

Many businesses going green are opting to cut down on their paper usage. It’s all about reducing waste. The less paper you use (and throw away), the less garbage there is in landfills.

This is especially true if you’re not recycling all that paper. Try cutting back on how much you print.

For starters, don’t hand out hard copies of your meeting agendas; display them digitally. Instead of printing out task lists for your employees, use an online management tool. And if you’re in retail, ask your customers if they want their receipt before printing one.

Green Your Bathrooms

There are two areas in any office that produce the most waste: the bathrooms and the kitchens. But you can green up both of them!

Start by using recycled paper towels in the bathrooms with spaces to recycle them in. If you want to go a step further, install hand-dryers instead.

Alternatively, you can bring hand towels instead. Just make sure you’re able to have them laundered regularly. Low-flow or motion-sensor faucets can help reduce the amount of water used, too.

Green Your Kitchen

To green your kitchen, consider how much people are throwing away each day. Are there ways you can reduce this? Try starting with not having any disposable cutlery, dishware, or cups in the kitchen.

If you have a coffee machine, try to avoid the ones that use small, plastic coffee pods. You can also turn off the machine in the afternoon to avoid using excess power.

Encourage your employees to recycle any paper or plastic wrappings they bring in. Use environmentally-friendly dish soaps and sponges.

Bring in Plants

A fun way to literally green up your office is by bringing in live plants. But what do plants have to do with sustainability? It turns out, live plants can improve employee productivity by 15%.

While you’re at it, bring in art, too. And encourage employees to take their morning coffee break or connect at lunch.

These little gestures can help employees feel less stressed and more focused at work. This improves their productivity, helping your business run more efficiently.

Become a Green Business

Turning your business into a green business takes time and effort, but is well worth it. You don’t have to overhaul your entire company structure overnight. Start with one item on this list and work up from there.

Before you know it, your company will be working more efficiently. And it’ll be doing its part to help the environment.

For more on office place best-practices, visit our business section.

Wearable devices have lots of potentiality for the average customers including mobile notifications, health, and fitness tracking, as well as other cool features.

However, this technology likewise depicts plenty of promise in the business world. One notable example is healthcare where wearables are used for collecting information regarding hospital patients.

All these tools have found a place in the manufacturing industry, particularly with the advent of IoT and related machinery. In the subsequent paragraphs, we have highlighted some notable ways in which wearable technology & IoT are transforming the manufacturing industry these days.

1. Enhanced productivity and process efficiency

Workers will be able to make use of wearable technology for improving existing functions and processes within commercial and industrial settings.

For example, on the production line, this technology can be used by staff members for staying focused on what is being done by them, obtaining additional information, or delivering remote orders.

Wearable technologies are capable of speeding up operations in warehouse settings as well with the implementation of modern tools such as JD Edwards ERP software.

The Dutch company Active Ants made use of an innovative technology named Google Glass for helping workers select and prepare custom-designed items. The result was that there was a 15% enhancement in speed while errors dropped by 12%.

2. Situational awareness

Although this is particularly true of development and construction, it also applies to manufacturing as well. The setting is changing at all times to accommodate more work and updated projects.

However, it is somewhat different as compared to general safety since it is quite difficult to stay aware of the hardware or equipment which is always moving throughout an area or space. With the help of IoT, body-worn wearable tech, and connected sensors, it will be possible for the workers to be more careful of what is taking place around them.

For instance, suppose somebody is walking through a narrow pathway which is blocked on every side by tall and packed shelving.

It is not possible for them to visualize what is there on the other site and they will also not be able to comprehend what is waiting for them once they depart from that area. Smart wearables such as connected eyewear or helmets will be able to pinpoint exactly where equipment and objects are positioned. This will enable the workers to avoid walking out in front of a forklift or top-loader which is moving.

This type of setup will also notify the workers once something has changed within a plant. For example, in case there is a hazardous spill somewhere, the managers will be able to inform everybody to avoid that particular area of the property.

3. Opportunities for remote management

It is a fact that connected sensors and IoT, particularly in a manufacturing plant, will allow the managers to visualize how all things are operating remotely. Almost all the things are synced back to a central system or hub that allows administrators to review status information, make alterations, or even plan actions for the future.

However, the personnel will also be able to experience the same thing in case they have wearable technology as well. Managers will be able to visualize where everybody is, what is being done by them, how efficient they are, and also the potential problems or bottlenecks.

While 2 employees are walking in different directions, it is possible for them to collide. The actual allure will be the option of delivering requests and commands irrespective of the location of the managers or what is being done by them.

4. Security planning and authentication

In specific industrial and manufacturing settings, it is important to maintain appropriate security protocols and also authenticate 3rd parties or workers before accessing specific areas of any property. For instance, the management might not like an equipment vendor to gain access to any area of the plant with unannounced items or products.

Wearable technology has the ability to monitor, block, and allow certain movements of the workers. It is feasible to authorize their headset, mobile device, or wristband for letting them in.

Once the assignment has been completed by them, the area can be locked down once again. In case you have identified somebody not sticking to the proper protocols, it would be possible to prevent them from accessing the equipment in the future so as to prevent any further harm or injury.

Conclusion

Modern wearable technology is presenting lots of innovative possibilities for enhancing the way things function. Human workers as well as the equipment used by them can be modified for enhancing productivity, efficiency, and safety.