These 3 DIY jobs will save your business money

Running a business can be capital intensive. Costs can range from paying rent for space you’re operating from, to the maintenance of the space as well. In-between, it is likely that you’ll have to think about managing staff, paying lawyers and handling payroll.  The last thing you might want to think about when taking that into consideration is having to pay for things that you can do yourself. If you’re in the beginning stages of your business especially, it is a good idea to try and save as much as you can. That is why this article has listed three DIY jobs that you could consider doing in your office to save money.

Decorating

One of the first things you may want to do when you get your new office is to decorate it so that it looks presentable. This is certainly a good idea seeing as first impressions are important, especially for clients and customers. However, hiring an interior designer can cost you a couple of thousand pounds. Instead of hiring one, you could consider designing on your own and looking for concepts on interior design websites. Once you’ve chosen a design, you could go even further to paint over some of the walls if you happen to want to change the present colour. Remember, when buying new furniture pieces and wall art, try and check in major sales so you can get them at discounted prices.

Plumbing

As of 2017, plumbers in the UK were said to be earning at least £2,000 every week. If you learn how to fix basic plumbing issues such a clogged toilets or tap leaks, however, you could save a great amount of money. If you had a clogged toilet, you could simply buy a toilet plunger. Apparently, ninety percent of clogged toilets can be fixed using this inexpensive tool. If this doesn’t work, however, you could try using a toilet snake. On the other hand, if you had a sink leak, you could try tightening the faucet, scraping away the caulk and tightening the clips under the sink rim. The average hourly rate for plumbers in the UK is apparently between £20-40, plus the cost of the work you’re having done. This means by learning to do these things yourself, you’ll keep much more in your pockets and out of the plumbers’. 

Cleaning

Keeping the office tidy is essential as presentation is key. In order to keep it tidy, the normal thing to do would be to get a cleaner to come to the office once or twice a week. However, you could reduce the frequency of them coming if you and your staff picked up some of the tidyings. You could do this by creating a roster and rotating the hoovering between staff, for instance. Another way to maintain the office and keep it neat is to set ground rules for keeping the space tidy.  Depending on the nature of your business, doing this could also be fun and help with team building skills. 

DIY projects that need a professional

There are certain things that you shouldn’t DIY such as electrical jobs or building an extension. For one, building an extension will require a professional to measure and design the space being extended, as well as a builder. As for electrical jobs, you should note that sometimes you need to safely certificate the DIY electrical jobs you do in accordance with certain wiring regulations and register it with Part P building control for compliance. To save yourself going through that process, and because these jobs are so technical, a professional may be a better alternative.

Outsourcing is often necessary, however, there are many things you can do yourself if you set aside a little bit of time to get them done. It may seem burdensome depending on your workload, but you will save you money that could be used in other aspects of your business. Realistically, a time will come when productivity will be more important than saving on maintenance and design. However, while you’re at the beginning stages, it could go a long way.