I'm being careful about my business expenses and especially travel. Fuel, tolls, wear and tear can really add up!
I fax a lot rather than second day mail or overnight. Saves money in postage.
Having a home office makes things a little easier because I can get dual use out of my home/office line. I have Verizon FiOS so my connection speed is great, almost as if I were in an office.
I am using equipment longer too. Normall I would buy a mid-price laptop and get a few years' use out of it, but I'm going on year 4 with the one I have right now. I have to be careful to make sure I'm not using outdated equipment. When I do buy something major, I look for discounts online, check my business credit cards to see who offers an extended warranty, and who offers cash back on purchased. There are almost always ways to save $$.
I think the key is just watching what I spend, being smart about where I can save, and looking for great deals and discounts. I always use sites like ebates if I shop for office supplies online because I get cash back. Usually office supply stores have coupons online and they also ship orders free with a minimum purchase. Added bonus: saving money on fuel!
Another thing I did was change health insurance companies, being a small business owner I have to foot the entire premium and I don't get the benefits the big corporations do. Through ehealthinsurance.com I was able to compare plans and policies and get a decent policy for about the same price as I was paying for my prior policy, only this policy has much better coverage and a lot lower deductible.
Lastly, I use a good CPA. I can't tell you how much I save in taxes!
Kris
