News that the economy is far from making a complete recovery means that small business owners are guaranteed a few more years of uncertainty. In the meantime, those with lackluster profits and pessimistic projections are forced to continue to come up with creative ways to reduce costs and maximize income. While it doesn’t take advanced business analytics to know where the money is being spent and where money can be saved, there are important factors about the modern workforce and work environment you should be aware of that could mean big savings for your company. Consider the following when coming up with ideas on how to save a buck or two for your business:

Printers Eat Up Paper

Getting rid of a printer or series of printers might mean that the only other alternative is to buy some pricy tablet computers. Even if that’s the case, over time you’re sure to save an unprecedented amount of money if you cease printing on paper. Ink and pulp are only increasing in price as the resources to make both dwindle and the costs to ship the products increases. Become a 21st century business and ban paper printing. It’ll attract eco-friendly consumers and save you hundreds and even thousands over time.

Most Business-Centered Software Has Free Open Source Alternatives

Whether it’s a word processor, presentation creator, or even something a little more sophisticated like a high-end video editor, virtually any program you’d need for your business is offered in a free open source version. If you plan to utilize such software for moneymaking purposes, it’s polite to send the creators a donation, but it’d be at worst a fraction of the cost of updating your brand-name software. So long as files can be successfully converted into the types necessary to be opened in more “legitimate” applications, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t stick with free business software.

Most Office Tasks Can be Accomplished Virtually

It can make you recall memories of old science fiction television, but we’ve legitimately arrived in the era where the virtual business can succeed. The things that made the office environment necessary are dwindling; a need to have a place to store data, tools and technology for workers, an existential showcasing of your business, are all becoming obsolete in the face of the remote-based method of managing these responsibilities. Data can be stored in cloud servers, operations can be executed via an online company network connected to a remote server, and people are caring less and less about real world establishment in favor of a properly demonstrated online presence when deciding on who they do business with.

Employees Work Harder from Home and Can be Paid Less

Part of a worker’s salary can be valued as compensation for the cost of commuting. If your workers could perform their tasks from home, then you could justify lowered pay. But there’s more reward than just saving money on payroll. Studies and surveys are constantly showing that workers generally do more work when they aren’t in an office environment. By keeping workers home you can pay less and get more productivity.

Not Every Cut Helps and Not Every Expense is Frivolous

It’s fundamentally important to take the time to weigh every cut you consider before doing so. Something seemingly unnecessary like a water cooler could secretly be what’s holding your underpaid and fed up workforce together. It’s easy for small business owners to strip away perceived “perks,” but sometimes it can do more harm than good. Always stop and second-guess any gut instinct to get rid of an expenditure. Unless there’s a way to do it without losing an asset, asking more of workers, or paying them less, weigh the consequences before proceeding. You don’t want to see all of your workers walk out especially if it was for no good reason.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. But don’t immediately go for the most extreme options before first looking to see what you can do to make your budget a little leaner without cutting off necessary or important components. Sometimes it just takes some poor-man’s business analysis to realize all you need to do is adjust some minor practices to boost profit and productivity.

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