1. 8 Day-to-Day
Business Activities on
a Budget
From Printing,
to Advertising,
to Eating.
Business Minimalism at its Finest
www.andreahowson.com
2. Need to be mobile with a document? Invest in a tablet or netbook.
Most documents can be viewed and edited on a tablet. The flexibility that comes
with digital documents will save a lot of printing costs.
Often, the printed documents just get thrown out anyways, meaning digital
documents are much more efficient and cost effective.
Ask yourself,
“Do I really need to print this?” No more:
Printing
3. Faxing involves one person printing something then paying to fax it to another
person who pays for printing that fax out on their machine. This is a very inefficient
and costly way to send and receive documents.
Why not try email scans or digital faxing? Digital signatures can be added to many
documents, a PDF being the most common. If you still need a fax number for certain
things, go with a website such as HelloFax, which redirects faxes to your email so
you don’t have to have a fax machine.
Faxing
No more:
4. Windows is an expensive operating system (OS) and comes with many expensive
software add-ons that often require regular updates and fees.
Ubuntu is a free, open-source OS and has a lot of add-on software that is free as
well. It’s secure, reliable and you will find your computer problems and costs are
eliminated almost 100% with Ubuntu.
Open source software is made available for anybody to use or modify. It allows everyone
worldwide to constantly improve the software.
versus
Tech Updates
versus
5. Can you tell whether someone is calling you through a landline, cell phone, or
through their computer?
Cell phone companies in Canada make it hard for consumers to find low calling
rates. Many people are using VOIP software (Voice Over Internet Protocol). For
example, Skype Calling and Google Voice offer the same features as regular phone
plans. With a good internet connection and a good headset, you are on your way to
using VOIP only, saving lots of $$!
Phone Calls
6. Business people tend to spend a lot of money on airlines, car rentals, gas, etc, to
attend meetings. Today, there are hundreds of ways to communicate effectively
through technology, saving everyone a lot of money. Join Me is a program that
allows people to see another person’s screen, and each member can join the audio by
internet or phone.
There are many other options available as well. For example, Skype has a screen
sharing feature for audio/video calls. Save the traveling for your vacation time!
Travel Expenses
7. There has always been lots of free publicity out there. Don’t forget about those
avenues. They are worth trying and doing some research on.
There is a growing number of internet marketing companies. For those that don’t
want to outsource their marketing, you can do your own marketing and research.
Free & Almost-Free Routes:
• Press Releases
• Kijiji
• Blog Writing/Comment Responding
• Articles for Newspapers
• Word of Mouth – make sure to have some awesome business cards! Try
VistaPrint or CanadaCopy for low prices and great quality
Advertising
8. Skip the daily coffee & doughnut runs.
Instead, make a smoothie at home to keep you energized, especially during the hot
summer weather. You will feel a lot more refreshed AND you will be less dependent
on caffeine.
Coffee Run
9. Make it part of your morning routine to pack a healthy lunch to keep you going
throughout the day. You’ll find you save money, feel better and look better.
Meal Time
10. I hope you enjoyed this
presentation and that
you have been inspired
to try a few new things
in your business!
Good Luck
www.andreahowson.com
