Keeping Your Costs Down

This article was written by Brad Sugars of Entrepreneur.com. Brad is Entrepreneur.com's Start-up Basics columnist and the founder of Action International, a business coaching franchise.

There's a fine line between starting your business on a shoestring and letting it fail due to a lack of resources. You don't want to shell out big bucks just to get going, yet you want to look professional in the eyes of your customers.

The paradox and the challenge is to maintain the image of a solid, successful company without letting your expenses lead to uncompetitive pricing.

The trick is to determine the point at which your business runs both effectively and efficiently. This is a key issue for any start-up that can determine whether you'll be able to survive. The good news is, if you master the art of trimming expenses early in the game, you'll develop good habits that'll serve you well as your company grows.

The first thing to do is cut your initial budget to the bare minimum. Chances are your business will start slow, so doing things for a dime that would otherwise cost a dollar is a great discipline. Here are some tips to keep early costs under control.

Workspace

Where you work often determines how well you work, but you can probably rough it a bit while still getting things done. For instance, you need a desk. Why not buy a good, secondhand desk from an office furniture rental company?

Discount stores have great buys as well. Or get to know some of the bigger companies in your area that are upgrading their computers and are prepared to cut a deal to get rid of their older items.

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