Tag: Cut

by James Adam

How Landlords Can Cut Costs


Homes

Landlords invest in real estate for a lot of reasons, but they’re not doing it because they think it sounds like a fun way to volunteer. They’re doing it because they expect to make a profit and turn it into a career, even if it’s only a part-time job. Unfortunately, being a landlord comes with many hidden costs that you don’t always see until you’re knee-deep in higher taxes and property maintenance costs. There’s no way to avoid some of these expenses; it’s the price of doing business. There are ways to cut costs without hurting your tenants’ quality of life, though. Let’s look at three ways to save a little money when you’re a landlord.

Don’t pay for property management tools

We’re long past the days when you needed a gigantic filing cabinet and a full-time bookkeeper to keep track of your properties. In the year 2018, you can find a ton of ways to manage your property digitally. You should still print copies of certain forms so you have backups if you need them, but for the most part, you can save a few trees and a lot of time by going online and finding good property management software.

You do have to make sure you’re getting a good deal on that software. It’s not a good deal if you’re paying hundreds of dollars a month, especially if you can get some landlord software free. Make sure you’re working with a reputable company that has your best interests in mind. You may need to pay a little money for some things, but you shouldn’t have to pay much. If possible, talk to other landlords in the area and find out what kind of software they’re using.

Nurture your relationship with tenants

For the most part, a landlord can’t control why people move. A lot of people want to leave colder states in the Northeast to move to a warmer climate like Florida or Texas, and you can’t promise them the climate will get better if they just stay and renew their lease. That’s not within your control. You can hire an HVAC repair company to make sure indoor conditions are as comfortable as possible, but people will still leave if they’re ready to retire their winter coats and boots.

Once you realize there’s a lot you can’t control about when and how tenants leave, you can focus on what you can control, at least a bit. Every landlord can and should work to build a solid relationship with every tenant. It doesn’t matter if you have two tenants or 200 tenants; you should try to meet each person to learn a bit about them.

Think of tenants like employees. No, you’re not offering them health insurance, and they’re not clocking in and out every day, but good bosses want to hold onto good employees. Sure, you can turn over your apartment every year and charge a little more with every new lease. However, that increases your chances of renting to a problem tenant who will trash your property or refuse to pay their rent on time. Keeping a stable, reliable renter for five years at a slightly lower rent is better than going to court and filing eviction notices every few months.

Consult a lawyer

Speaking of eviction notices: If you don’t have a lawyer, that could very well end up costing you in the long run. It’s easy to misunderstand the eviction process and think you can tell someone to get out within, say, three days. In reality, it’s usually going to take longer. It may take a month or two depending on where you live.

States like Massachusetts are considered more tenant-friendly, which means you should expect the eviction process to be longer in many cases. If you’re managing property in a state like Texas, then you’re in a landlord-friendly locale. You need a real estate lawyer wherever you live. There’s no sense guessing about whether or not something is legal when you’re going through the eviction process. If you guess wrong, you risk financial ruin. Run your plan by a lawyer before you post an eviction notice on the door.


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by James Adam

5 Ways to Increase Productivity and Cut Costs From Your Cleaning Processes


Homes

Every business wants to find ways to cut operating costs and increase productivity. Unfortunately, many commercial businesses get so busy running their practices they simply don’t have the time to analyse ways to drop operating costs. However, decreasing expenditures can as good as increase productivity and profits, and is a factor not to be overlooked.

Granted, some methods might cost money to implement but the long-term profits can help reduce expenses substantially. So, we have come up with five ways you can cut costs from your cleaning processes.

  1. Use The Best Money Can Buy 

    If you think cheap cleaning products are as powerful as their more expensive counterparts, think again. Cleaning products feature in different concentrations with a variety of active ingredients and varying levels of performance. You might save a few dollars buying a huge bottle of cleaning spray but that will quickly disappear if it dilutes down to half of a slightly pricier product. Plus, its lack of performance could mean you require twice as much to achieve a good job, wasting not only your hard-earned cash but also the cleaner’s time.Providing cleaning staff with the best performing cleaning products and equipment will allow them to do the best job in the shortest amount of time. It is common knowledge that highly concentrated cleaning products are far more effective than their cheaper, more watery alternatives.

    Watch your cleaning staffs’ productivity improve when you put the higher quality ingredients to good use. They attack soil and dirt faster, providing quicker results without compromising the health and safety of your staff or surfaces.

    Don’t make the decision lightly. Research products, obtain referrals and even trial different products before you make the decision that’s right for your business.

  2. Take Advantage of Power And Innovative Tools 

    Cleaning machines may cost you more money at the outset but you will save money in the long-term. Commercial floor cleaners, vacuums, auto-scrubbers and carpet cleaners are available at varying prices, capacity levels and with maintenance service. Spending money on a warranty can save you money in the long-term if, or when, the machine conks out.When you do purchase machinery be sure to buy products that suit the size of your areas. Even conduct an evaluation of the building to get a clear picture of what’s involved. Machinery that is undersized or too low in capacity can take much longer to complete the task, in turn, slowing cleaning staff down. At the other end of the scale, using machinery with excess power can be wasted on small areas. It is important to do your research before you invest in commercial floor cleaners. Search for the most productive option for the size of your areas.

    Consider backpack vacuums too. Not only do they allow the cleaning staff to clean effectively but they minimise the long-term negative health effects that can result from often ineffective cheaper upright vacuums and repetitive motions of traditional cleaners.

    Some other simple but productive implements include microfibre cleaning tools and bucket-less mop systems that can increase efficiency substantially.

  3. Create A Master Plan 

    Cleaning is a labour-intensive process. Consider tracking cleaning operations, setting tasks out on a schedule and plotting them in order of priority with the amount of time required to complete them. You can prevent ‘double handling’ by cleaning from top to bottom and doing floors last.Draw up a procedure with the completion time mapped against each task and the order in which they should be done. Not all tasks need to be done daily. Having a schedule allows cyclic jobs to be tracked ensuring they are completed when required. Review the schedule and explore alternative options to see if they increase productivity and efficiency.

  4. Train Your Cleaning Staff

    The Australian cleaning industry has seen a reduction in career cleaners and an increase in casual workers. People no longer spend years in the industry perfecting their trade and cleaning is seen more as an entry-levelAn eagerness to work and experience cleaning at home does not always compare to competent professional commercial cleaners. Also, providing employees with quality products and a schedule does not ensure they are going to be efficient at the tasks. Cleaning staff should be shown the most productive and skilful ways to achieve the best results.

    If you provide new staff with on-the-job training it is important to clarify your expectations and give them worksheets outlining your desired standards and the expected time dedicated to each task. Perhaps assign them a cleaning buddy to work with the first few times. It might also prove useful to audit new staffs’ cleaning practices when they have been in the role for some time, ensuring they are completing the tasks efficiently.

 

  1. Motivate Your Cleaning Staff  

    It can prove quite a challenge to keep your cleaning staff motivated. Lack of motivation can have a huge impact on productivity. There are ways you can prevent it to ensure you get the most out of your cleaning staff.Consider focussing your attention generously praising staff when they do a good job. Perhaps run small competitions and hand out regular awards to staff performing well. Recognise their successes in front of other team members which will encourage other employees to be the next person acknowledged.

    Do things together outside of work and share business successes. Thank the staff for their contribution and inform them of the company goals. Transparency will build a company bond.

    The little things add up and help to motivate your staff, which will in turn decrease staff turnover while improving productivity.

Put these methods into practice and watch your business reduce its costs and increase productivity while you maintain quality and satisfaction in your cleaning practices without compromising the health and safety of your employees.