Making Easy Money at Your Desk
by Terry Nicholson
May 6, 2010
It’s a slow day in your company. Everyone is dragging as that empty callboard stares you in the face. It’s getting close to quitting time, and everyone is just ready to put this sales-killing day behind them.
Suddenly, your best technician walks through the door. He has a hint of a smile on his face like he knows something you don’t. He walks right over to your desk and puts a piece of paper down on the desk.
You pick it up slowly, expecting a resignation letter after such a slow day, when you realize it’s an invoice. And not just any invoice. It’s a $10,000 day-saving invoice!
Your technician just made a $10,000 sale! You jump out of your chair and give the man a huge bear hug. Everyone cheers! The day is saved by the $10,000 sale!
And, it is great, but just how great is it really?
If you’re like the average contractor, you’re operating at a 3 to 4 percent profit margin. In that case, that $10,000 monster sale netted you a whopping $300 to $400. Not so exciting now, is it?
But here is what’s exciting. You can gain that $300 — the profit equivalent of a $10,000 sale — and more just by making some simple tweaks from the comfort of your desk. These profit-minded tweaks don’t require you to step foot in a truck, put in any extra hours, or even take on an additional headache.
These are stress-free dollars that drop right to the bottom line. To get them, you just have to start buying right, and here are four simple ways to change your buying behavior so that you’re earning $300 to $400 in savings without lifting a finger:
1. Grab the discount
The easiest way to grab those savings is to pay your bills in time to grab any early pay discounts your suppliers might offer you. If you have this option, take it! Even if it requires some extra cash flow management, it’s worth it.
2. Work with low levels
The second strategy is to keep your stock and inventory at a low level. This saves you the expense of the space needed to house that inventory, lessens the chance that those parts become obsolete, and limits your exposure to shrinkage. Bottom line — it saves you money.
3. Pass the hassle, keep the savings
The best option is to have someone else manage your inventory altogether. If you can work with your supplier or manufacturer, you may be able to get involved in a virtual inventory management program where they manage your inventory and you only pay for parts as you use them.
4. Buy smarter with a little help from your friends
This one is huge. The biggest impact you can have on your bottom line is by buying smarter at the lowest prices possible. Even if you’re a $1 million company, you can buy lower. Chances are there is a $5 million guy buying at even lower prices. And even if you’re a $20, $30 or $40 million dollar operation, there are $400 and $500 million dollar companies getting deals you wouldn’t believe. It all comes down to the power of numbers.
The only way for the independent contractor to get that same power of numbers is to band together, and there is a huge opportunity coming your way to do just that. No matter what size your company is today — small, medium, and large contracting companies will now have the power of the $400 and $500 million dollar big boys.
This opportunity is an event called Focus on Your Future, and one of the main topics covered will be buying right. Not only will you learn more advanced strategies for buying right, but a new alliance will be unveiled that will give you the same buying power that other powerful industries enjoy. Today, industries as diverse as hospitals and food service suppliers, to industries as close to home for contractors as home builders and welders have buying groups that give them buying power and advantages.
Now it’s your turn.
To make easy money at your desk, pick up the phone now and dial 800-724-1992 and tell the Focus on Your Future hotline operators that you want to start saving money.
When you can consistently save $300, $400 or more by buying right in your business, you’ll feel like you are tripping over $10,000 sales every day because those savings will drop right to your bottom line every time you make a smart buying move.
Start buying smart and start earning the extra profits you deserve. Start at Focus on Your Future!
Terry Nicholson
