Home Business - Save on Your Monthly Costs

With the price of everything including energy going through the roof, no pun intended, now is a good time to take a look at some of your home business monthly costs and see where you might be able to save some of your money.

First look at the type of heat your are using for your home office. You might be able to save some on your heating bill by switching from a conventional system, a furnace, to an alternative method, a wood burning stove. If you use oil or propane for your primary heat source, shop around and compare prices between the different suppliers. Explain that you work from home and ask about a business discount or rate. Make sure the business rate they offer is lower than the residential rate.

You could possibly receive tax credits by installing solar water heaters, putting in a geothermal heating system, installing central fan systems and adding insulation to reduce heat loss. To save on your lighting, switch your incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent and halogen bulbs. They use less energy which in turn will save you money on your monthly costs for your home business. We will also want to check and make sure your office equipment displays the Energy Star logo. This type of equipment can cut your electric usage by as much as 50 percent.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is becoming extremely popular. Services like Skype, iConnectHere, Net2Phone and DialPad are alternatives that could save you money in your home business. Also check around and make sure you are getting the best deal with your cell phone provider. Providers are always competing with each other by offering lower prices. Check and see if you can save on your monthly cost by bundling your services such as phone and Internet.