Cut Expenses and Save Money on Store Operations

With today’s struggling economy, which adversely affects sales, it’s up to you to find ways to save money so you can apply those savings to your own bottom line.  Below are a few tactics that others have used to cut their own expenses.

Go Florescent — ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.  Not only that, savings come to about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime. Consider using both inside and out.

Clean Your Equipment — Cleaning refrigeration coils in cold vaults and walk-in pantries will help keep your equipment operating more efficiently, saving on not only energy costs, but in lost sales due to spoilage or customer dissatisfaction in purchasing product that isn‘t cold enough.

Temperature Control — Consider putting a lock-box on your thermostat so you can maintain a consistent temperature throughout the store, discouraging employees from constantly changing levels to suit them.

One Breaker at a Time — If you have a power outage, be sure to turn your breakers on one at a time to avoid power surges that cause large spikes in your electric bill.

Push Proprietary Card Use — Proprietary, or branded, cards charge you only a transaction fee, rather than an additional percentage of the total dollar value of a transaction.  That alone can save you an average of 2% per month versus a regular credit card.

Car Wash Heads Up — Run floor heaters in in-bay carwashes only when the weather requires as it can be a constant energy drain.  Remember, though, that if they aren’t running when they need to be, something could freeze up, resulting in repair costs.

Web-Based Forms — Having forms at the touch of a button ensures they‘re up-to-date and can save money on printing and mailing costs.  Consider providing the following on an intranet website:  business forms, car wash incident reports, inventory order sheets, training manuals, etc.

I want to hear from you! What methods have you employed to save money at your own location? Send your comments at amber.battle@carterenergy.com.

Comments

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