For the first time in living memory, the entire global economy ground to a standstill. Austerity is an understatement when describing economic conditions, and businesses need to be more efficient than ever in controlling and reducing expenses. Some services streamline some of the monumental tasks of cutting costs. Realistically lowering costs is one of the best ways to implement business growth.

From modular staffing services to the cost-effective Corporate Housing Toronto for those travelling on business, like the corporate housing Toronto has on offer. Costs can be minimized if you know where to start. That said there are critical facets of any business that always require a bespoke approach.

Streamline Workflow
The terminology may scream 'buzzwords' but the practice is sound. There is a standard level of operational workflow management that any business will naturally have at a foundational level. Further measures would have been put in place by management, leading to systemic productivity, unfortunately, for many small businesses that are as far as it goes. There is a much deeper level of workflow or project management that you will need to incorporate to ensure optimal levels of productivity throughout your company.

A subject that could, and does span volumes of literature, now is the time to familiarise yourself with in-depth project management practises. It may seem invasive to say that you need to be aware of how every member of your team spends every minute, but every minute is an expense that needs justification. There exist within modern project management solutions all the tools you need to achieve this level of oversight and control.

Minimize Secondary Offerings
This is a crucial part of reducing costs during a financial crisis. There is a tried and trusted methodology in ensuring profits; positive variable contribution. This is the practice of providing that any product sold or service rendered covers the incremental cost of the next unit. It is also a fantastic yardstick to determine which products or services to focus on to minimize expenses further. If a product or service does not meet this criterion, it is not an economically feasible revenue source.

Should you find that out of an array of products offered by your company, only one or two meet this criterion; it is more than likely that they already form the core operations of your business. If not, change your business. You will focus on the small subset of offerings that offer a feasible revenue stream and either scale down or entirely scrap the 'extras'.

Strategic Market Delivery Partnerships
The current crisis lends itself to unlikely partnerships. You may find yourself contemplating alliances with former rivals in mutual bids to cut operational costs. Let's say that in stable market conditions you and a competitor were both bringing a similar product to market. The conditions existed to make this economically feasible and left enough elbow room for both parties to incur some cost in delivering the said product to market. What if you now find yourself in a position where you and a competitor face complimentary financial inefficiency in the process?

To explain by way of example, let's say that you sell air conditioners. You make up most of your profit from favourable production channels, and a competitor faces higher manufacturing costs made up for by established delivery channels. The strategic advantage of partnerships in a time of do-or-die is quite clear.