Running a small business is time-consuming, everyone knows that, but it’s the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities that nobody thinks of which can really chew away valuable hours.

Here are some top tips for how small business owners can make a few simple changes within their businesses to save their time and their money

1. Don’t forget the basics

It’s easy to forget small business owners have to think about the simple basics, especially when running an office. Is there toilet roll in the bathroom? Or have we run out of teabags? Making use of programs such as the newly launched Amazon Subscribe and Save business owners can create bespoke shopping lists which contain all the essentials they need, delivered to the office at a frequency that suits them. With free delivery and 10% off the order, not only are the savings apparent but crucially, precious time is saved.

2. Use comparison websites for utilities

When it comes to utilities, it can be difficult to determine who can offer you the best deal to match exactly what you need. Using comparison websites that automatically fish out the best deals across energy, fuel, travel and insurance doesn’t just save you hours of hunting for the best deal, but potentially serious money savings too.

3. Second-hand is not to be sniffed at

In today’s world, many of us not only sell unwanted items, but look to equip our homes with pre-loved products. SMEs looking to follow suit could enjoy big savings when it comes to expensive office equipment such as laptops, computers and even phones. Program’s like Amazon Rebewed recently launched in Australia, allows business owners to buy secondhand equipment which has been quality-tested and comes with a six-month warranty. In addition, delivery to the front door means valuable time saved in your day.

4. Do you really need a meeting for that?

Meetings dominate most of our weeks, and we’d all like to be in them less, but making a conscious effort to cut down meetings cannot just give us valuable time back, but actually save SMEs money. Face-to-face meetings have associated costs such as travel, food and sometimes even overnight stays. Taking a pragmatic approach as to whether meetings always warrant a face-to-face chat, or whether it can be done via conference call, is another way that SMEs can see some serious savings.

5. Skill up

With the online world well and truly booming, we’re all given the chance to learn new skills across any industry they’re working in. Gone is the age where someone was employed with the expectation that they only specialise in a sole area. Online programs enable people to skill up in a myriad of areas such as excel, basic finance and English grammar, for free. Encouraging employees to learn new skills across free programs is not only beneficial to them as individuals, but in the longer term for the business.