- English proverb
The increase of Canadian personal and business bankruptcies shows that even pinching pennies doesn't always work.
Or, perhaps, those new insolvents weren't taking advantage of all the money-saving tools technology is now offering. To help you avoid joining the ranks of the penniless, here are some practical tips.
* Stop calling 411 unless you enjoy giving away your money to a phone company. Telus charges 88 cents per call in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec (and more in their home province of B.C.) for the privilege of dealing with an automated voice response system. It's even worse if you want an overseas listing. That's $6.95 for Telus long-distance customers, $2 more if you're not.
Ah, but your time is valuable and you need that number now. Most reputable companies have pretty detailed phone listings on their webpage. You might even get to the right person instead of some general number. The phone directory website canada411.com is convenient, free and up to date.
Then there's Google's new free 411 service, which at this point covers business listings in the U.S. and Canada. You simply dial 1-800-GOOG-411 say, for example, "Calgary, Alberta, Business Edge" and you're directly connected to the number of the business.
Yes, the call is free. No long-distance charges apply, and it works pretty well across North America. You can also say a business category, such as "pizza delivery" which is of course what Google shows in its demo video.
If you say "details" a synthesized voice will read you the phone number and physical address. If you're on a mobile phone they claim you can say "text message" or "map it" and receive information on your mobile device. I tried this and never received either, so maybe that part of the service is still being rolled out to Canada.
You need to know that Google is recording your voice commands (though not your call once you're connected) and analysing it robotically. They claim they're doing this to improve their understanding of how people speak.
* Another telecom-related idea is to put your (home or office-based) small business on the new national do not call list (DNCL.) Unless you're interested in sitting through a timeshare presentation or investing in Arizona real estate that pays a guaranteed 30 percent per annum, you don't need all those extra calls.
An additional bonus is that the idiot who just interrupted your train of thought may be liable for a Canadian government fine of $1,500 (up to $15,000 for businesses). It would be nice if you could do the same to people who send you those junk faxes. Of course you can list that number on the DNCL or, if they're careless enough to provide you with their fax number, you can fax them a stack of blank paper.
This won't always work, but it may help lower your blood pressure.
* For that matter, why do you need a fax machine at all? An inexpensive scanner will probably do the job for outgoing faxes, and there are low-cost "net fax" services that allow you to send and receive faxes directly from your email account.
One, Los Angeles-based eFax, offers a free incoming fax service with your own dedicated number, which will probably be somewhere in the U.S.
If you want outgoing service and a local number, you can get that for US$12.95/month. It may be worth it to never worry about paper jams or missing an important fax because you ran out of toner in your machine.
While the telecom area is brimming with money-saving tips, there are other places to save money around the office too:
* Reduce energy consumption by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs (you'll have to anyway, at some point), unplugging chargers that are not connected to anything but still drawing power, and turning off your computer after hours.
Yes, it's a pain, but it may also help protect it from being used as a "zombie computer" on a botnet run by some 15-year-old in Romania.
* Practise the fine art of barter. No matter what you do or sell, somebody probably wants it and may have something you need. There are even business-to-business trading networks, like Calgary-based SabreTEC, which can facilitate this progress.
"We do get some business from it, maybe a few thousand dollars a year," says Matthew Page-Hanify, marketing manager of Dale Carnegie Training in Calgary, one of the 500 or so businesses on SabreTEC.
Page-Hanify says they use the credits they earn for things such as buying flowers and having lunches catered. But be forewarned that Revenue Canada takes a keen interest in barter transactions.
* Buy used or reconditioned gear. Governments and big institutions like universities often sell off perfectly good gear at fire-sale prices. For example, solid metal filing cabinets are now going for as little as $10 each at the University of Calgary's weekly surplus sales.
* Get free publicity, and do well by doing good. Media outlets are always looking for good story ideas, especially about locally produced products and services. Send free samples to reporters, and consider donating to charity auctions. Not only will you feel good, a lot of people will see what you have to offer, and this might turn into sales.
If all else fails, and you have, as someone I know does, a garage full of bowling shoes that he believed were going to be the latest fashion craze, the liquidators such as Liquidation World and Bianca Amor are willing to take them off your hands at a few cents on the dollar.
Hey, at least it's a few pennies.
(Tom Keenan is a professor at the University of Calgary and an expert on technology and its social implications. He can be reached at keenan@businessedge.ca)
