Alliance Cost

2011 in review

1/9/2012 7:00:00 AM

2011 In Review

What a year! We saw major World events that affected the pockets of nearly everyone in the United States, the uprising of the Occupy movement and a few too many close calls when it comes to the U.S. government budget. 2011 had its share of ups and downs for sure, especially when it comes to finance. The recurring theme that we saw in last year's top news stories was "Let's get America back to work and get the ecoonomy back on track." Here's a month-by-month look at some of the biggest news topics of the year (as reported by major news stations.)

December: Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street claims to be a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. The movement was inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and aims to fight back against the richest 1% of people that are writing the rules of today's global economy.

>Read More about a Possible Solution for "Occupy"

November: Unemployment Rates down to 8.6%

The unemployment rate, that had stuck stubbornly at or above 9% for the past two years, dipped unexpectedly to 8.6%, the lowest since March 2009. That's a good headline number, but if you dig beneath the surface, there is less reason for enthusiasm. The fall in the unemployment rate coincided with a drop in the overall labor force of 315,000, which is the most since January of this year.

>Read More at CBS

October: Obama’s Jobs Plan Falls Through

The hotly anticipated jobs plan created by President Obama was shot down by the Senate after it received too few votes. The jobs plan, officially known as the American Jobs Act, was a $447 billion plan that proposed a number of tax cuts and spending adjustments to reduce the national deficit, boost hiring and push the stalled economy into motion.

>Read More at The Whitehouse

September: 9/11 Ten Year Anniversary.

Ten years after two planes struck the twin towers in an attack that killed nearly 3,000 people, New York marked a decade of both pain and healing with the ritual reading of the names at a new memorial to the lost. The ground zero ceremony paused for the moments exactly 10 years ago that the hijacked planes hit the towers and when they collapsed. The times that the other planes hit the Pentagon and crashed in Pennsylvania were also observed with silence.

>Read More at Time Magazine

August: U.S. Credit Downgraded

After members of the U.S. government put other agendas ahead of the well being of the nation, Standard and Poor’s decided to downgrade the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+, which marked the first U.S. credit downgrade in history. This downgrade effected everything from stock prices to interest rates, though the long-term consequences are yet to be seen.

>Read More at Fox News

July: Gov’t Comes Close to Defaulting on U.S. Debt

After the U.S. debt ceiling was reached in May, the government was forced to come up with a solution (i.e., raise the debt ceiling) or else risk default on August 2. Though the government had over 11 weeks to come to an agreement about how the debt situation would be handled, things came down to the wire as Congress argued over solutions and almost put Social Security benefits and Medicare on the chopping block.

>Read about Reducing Debt ceilings in the Private Sector

June: The Global Economy continues to expand!

The global economy expanded; Inflation rose; financial volatility increased and commodity prices stabilized (accordingl to the IMF). The IMF warned that growth will slow temporarily but with increasing downside risks. Warnings of greater-than-anticipated weakness in U.S. activity and renewed financial volatility from concerns about the depth of fiscal challenges in the euro area periphery were not heded.

>Read More at The IMF

May: Osama Bin Laden Death Rallies Markets

Another major world event rocked markets in May, this time positively. Following the the killing of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. forces in Abbottabad, the stock market opened significantly higher that Monday. Obama called his death "the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.” The Dow Jones industrial average rose 56 points (0.5 percent), the S&P 500 climbed 5 points (0.4 percent) and the Nasdaq Composite gained 8 points (0.3 percent).

>Read More at MarketWatch

April: Government Budget Problems Almost Result in Shutdown

Though we were well into April, the 2011 budget had never been approved by Congress. Instead, lawmakers passed six short-term spending bills, known as "continuous resolutions,” through March. The final extension was set to expire in April, leaving Congress hours to come to a budget agreement or else face a total government shutdown. Had the shutdown occurred, Americans would have faced a number of disastrous consequences–federal employees and members of the military would not have been paid, the FHA would have stopped operating and tax returns would not be mailed out.

>Read More at AboutUs

March: Japan Quake Rocks Markets

The devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that hit Japan in March also hit global markets hard. The Japan Earthquakes sent the Nikkei Index on a downward spiral, and the U.S. stock market soon followed. Additionally, the auto industry lost ground as Japanese auto manufactures were forced to come to a halt due to power outages.

>Read More at Wikipedia

February: The Egyptian Revolution.

Millions of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Despite being predominantly peaceful in nature, the revolution was not without violent clashes between security forces and protesters, with at least 846 people killed and 6,000 injured. The uprising took place in Cairo, Alexandria, and in other cities in Egypt, following the Tunisian revolution that resulted in the overthrow of the long-time Tunisian president. Following weeks of determined popular protest and pressure, Mubarak resigned from office.

>Read More at the Economist.

January: Arizona Shooting

On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen other people were shot during a public meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, near Tucson, Arizona. Six of those shot died, including Arizona District Court Chief Judge John Roll, one of Rep. Giffords' staffers, and a nine-year-old child. Giffords was holding a constituent meeting called "Congress on Your Corner" in the parking lot of a Safeway store when Jared Lee Loughner drew a pistol and shot her in the head, subsequently firing on other people.

>Read More at Huffington Post

In a "flat" world, commerce increasingly competes on a global basis. Yet economic development and business opportunities vary widely, as some countries struggle and others boom. How long will today's uneven and volatile economic conditions persist? What should be deployed to balance risk and return if market conditions continue to vary widely from country to country - and from day to day? The answer to these questions seem to vary as much as the S&P 500 did throughout last year.

Throughout this first couple of weeks of 2012 nearly every Board Room across the United States is asking the same question: "How do we increase profits?" The answer is nearly always the same - increase sales and/or decrease overhead costs. Alliance Cost Containment, celebrating 20 years in business has a solution that has helped over 1,000 businesses across the United States.

Because Alliance Cost Containment typically works entirely on a contingency basis they are able to offer their clients a guarantee - NO SAVINGS = NO FEES (If they fail to find savings then you pay no fees!). This makes this business model very attractive for clients - especially during these difficult economic times.

>Would you would like to make your business or organization more efficient and more more profitable? If so please click here:

Scraping the Ceiling

8/17/2011 10:45:00 AM

Scraping the Ceiling:

Alliance Cost Containment Discusses Reducing Debt Ceilings in the Private Sector.

The national deficit has been a hot button topic for months, and since increasing the United States’ debt ceiling, global economies worldwide have been on a rollercoaster, leaving many people’s 401Ks in the balance. While our country’s debt is sure to be a mainstay in the media through next year’s presidential election, it has brought to light another important topic that isn't getting much coverage: the decreasing debt ceilings held by businesses in the private sector.

According to Miles Lee, president of Alliance Cost Containment, a leading cost reduction and financial analysis firm headquartered in Louisville, KY, "Bankers reduce the amount of capital available in direct relationship to risk. For a business, in order to increase their access to money, their top priorities should be expense reduction and shrinking their operating budget. This would open up cash flow to reinvest in the growth of the business.”

"The recent recession, coupled with the current national debt debate, has brought more visibility to the importance of business owners being cognizant of where and how they’re spending their money.” While debt in business is virtually impossible to avoid, understanding when, where and why to incur debt can be critical to the long-term viability of any company, small or large.

Miles Lee explains that there are some import factors to take into account when a company is addressing their debt ceiling, including:

Why Debt?: "Since the recession, many banks have made it much more difficult for businesses to receive funding,” said Lee. For those looking for capital, it’s important to understand the motive, whether that’s expanding your current business or buying a new company. "It’s also key that the decision maker understands what ways they’re looking to grow their business and what their action plan is for recouping the debt incurred from expansion.”

Red vs. Black Debt: As mentioned above, there are several reasons for incurring debt, none of which should be for operational expenses, aka red debt. "Many business owners can find additional capital by looking at their current operational expenses and determining where they can reduce these overhead costs,” said Lee. "In some instances better negotiated rates with vendors can produce savings that can be reinvested in one’s business.” Another avenue to reduce red debt and clear up cash flow is to look for redundancies and inefficiencies in your human capital and determining the best way to consolidate jobs. "By doing this, many business owners may be able to find adequate funding that can be allocated to growing their current or new business. If additional funding is needed for these types of expansions – improving customer service, investing in new technology, etc (aka black debt). – then there are many avenues to help support these types of good debt.”

Funding Sources: Once the above information has been ironed out, and assuming that one is unable to reduce operational expenses further, it may be necessary to look for alternate options for raising capital. For businesses unable to provide collateral there are several options including tax incentives from the government that can help offset against borrowing risks and bringing in outside investors. If the latter route is chosen, business owners should be prepared to give up a minority share in their business and be mindful that they’re not handing over the majority as a result of engaging private equity. In the event that capital is still required from banks, and you’re able to secure such loans, be prepared to carry part of the costs. "Based on your risk level, you should expect to carry 10-30 percent if you’re low risk, 40-60 percent for medium and upwards of 90 percent for high risk.” The key here is, look at operational expenses first to determine if there are other areas where money is hiding as to not incur any volatile debt.

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Packaging Supply Prices Surge

7/12/2011 6:30:00 AM

Packaging Supply Prices Surge

Over the past year or so Linerboard – used in corrugated boxes, resin used in film products, and steel have all seen significant cost increases. Of course the oil companies (Petroleum) and the global economy play a role in these increases – but so does Supply and Demand.

Demand has increased as suppliers have moved to reduce inventory levels – resulting in an upward pressure on finished goods pricing. Of course, some of these increases are justified - based on reduced inventory levels and an upward trend in the cost of raw materials – but it does beg the question of

"How do you know when price changes are legitimate?"

Most buyers believe that their suppliers are looking out for their best interests. They have enjoyed relationships with their supplies for years – and, don’t get me wrong, this is often the case; however, the more we know about the market, the better off we are in the negotiating process. This seems more than just common sense – it seems like every business should have a sound understanding of their supplier’s markets.

Ask yourself these Questions:

How do you know if a price increase from a Packaging supplier is justified or not?
What methods do you have in place to protect your business from unjustified price increases?
If you have not experienced Packaging price increases this year, what does that mean?
Do you have someone in house who has the expertise and who has access to industry pricing indices so that your suppliers may be held accountable for their pricing practices?

As a leader in the Cost Containment industry we would like to offer our perspective:

The only way to know if a price increase is justified is to continually monitor what the Packaging industry is doing as a whole as well as on an individual category basis. Industry indices exist to provide guidance regarding raw material costs, inventory levels, and demand. Your specific categories, expenditure levels and pricing should be cross checked with the indices.
In order to ensure protection from unjustified price increases you might be able to tie your product pricing to recognized industry indices. Using this approach, all changes are based solely on changes in the index, and there is no room for "unnecessary margin bloatingt” or exorbitant unilateral price changes by any one supplier. With the right expertise and monitoring, buyers will also see index decreases, which should result in lower market prices.
Where a company has not experienced Packaging price increases this year, it is likely that a supplier had been enjoying substantial margins – enough to absorb industry increases and still maintain profitability. This is worrisome because eventually – and most likely sooner rather than later - margins will shrink to the point that prices will go up – but not by a small amount!
Having a staff member with specific Packaging expertise and access to industry pricing indices was traditionally seen as a luxury and one that is only available for the largest of companies – but other options are available for the small and mid-sized organizations; however, without such knowledge, we just can never be sure if current prices are reasonable.

It is difficult to forecast the future costs of materials and some experts think costs have peaked for the time being, while others see another 6-12 months of cost escalation.

Which ever expert turns out to be correct, taking a proactive position in regard to price management will put any company in a better position to maximize their cost control and, at the same time minimize their exposure to unjustified cost increases.

Five Steps for Small Business Owners to Reduce Operating Expenses

7/1/2011 6:00:00 AM

LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 30 2011

Five Steps for Small Business Owners to Reduce Operating Expenses

Running a small business is challenging in even the best economic climate, and in the aftermath of the Great Recession, every dollar counts. While figures indicate that the U.S. economy is on the rebound since the dark days of 2008, small-business employment growth has been weakening in recent months. According to USA Today, small businesses have added only 27,000 jobs, a sharp drop from more than 100,000 during December and January.

As small businesses scramble to secure additional sources of revenue, that extra capital may be right under your nose: within your current operational expenditures. Terry McElfresh, Chief Operating Officer of Alliance Cost Containment, a leading cost reduction and financial analysis firm, recommends that small business owners take the following five steps when tackling their annual operations budgets to maximize savings.

1. Challenge your vendors to produce year-over-year cost savings.

"Small business owners often think they have a great deal with their current vendors,” McElfresh said. "And while rates are locked in with suppliers on the basis of initial value, many small business owners don’t realize that after a few years or even months, it’s often not a good deal anymore.”

Operational needs fluctuate naturally, and many contracts maximize value during the first year alone and do not produce year-over-year cost savings. Three years is the general timeframe for when it’s best to begin reexamining contracts, and when it’s time for your next renegotiation, challenge your vendors to produce contracts that demonstrate year-over-year fiscal incentives to maximize the value of your relationship.

2. Closely audit any recovery inaccuracies in your contractual agreements

Some companies turn a serious profit on vendor contract abuse, and it’s often in the most seemingly innocuous areas within a contract.

"In very large percent of legal agreements, there are inaccuracies with billings and price changes with any vendor,” McElfresh said. "It takes time and often expertise to compare and contrast statements line-by-line with contractually-outlined rates and services.” In a nutshell: monitor your billing statements like a hawk.

3. Turn your accounts payables in to a miniature profit center for your business

There’s money to be made from smart handling of your accounts payables with certain vendors.

"What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are services out there that not only expedite the auto-billing process, but can also secure additional savings for simply paying invoicing with a merchant card ,” McElfresh said. Discuss potential incentives with your vendors, like early payment which may yield savings each billing cycle along with fees collected with a merchant card.

4. Review your non-medical insurance policies and ensure that you’re getting the best rate.

From workers’ compensation to property and casualty to liability, small business owners pay a fortune in insuring their businesses from hazardous situations. But it’s important to remember that insurance providers are also trying to turn a profit and won’t offer you the best possible rate for your needs without prompting.

"The non-medical insurance industry still works at 40 to 60 percent gross margin, and on average, there’s a 15 to 20 percent overpayment by subscribers,” while staying with the same coverage as well as broker,McElfresh said.

5. Hire a professional third-party cost reduction firm.

Many small business owners are aware of the measures that can be taken to ensure operational cost savings, but simply lack the time and resources to commit to steady self-monitoring, analysis, and renegotiating.

"Hiring a third-party cost reduction firm often solves these issues while paying dividends over time,” McElfresh said. If you’re concerned about the cost of hiring a team of third-party experts, remember to look for a firm that only profits when you profit – i.e. a firm with a fee contingent on securing the savings that you’ve hired them to find. Additionally, look for a firm that can leverage their own considerable buying power in your favor by establishing contracts with vendors at significantly better rate than you’d be able to achieve on your own. It’s a win-win relationship.

For more information on Alliance Cost Containment go to "request more information" from the menu bar or click here

Embracing Environmental Sustainability

6/8/2011 7:00:00 AM

Organizations Embracing Environmental Sustainability in the Office.

As more organizations embrace corporate sustainability goals, they’re increasingly looking for suppliers to help "green” their organization’s purchasing behavior. As a result, we’re seeing growing demand for eco-conscious products as well as for value-added solutions, such as reporting that tracks environmental spend.

Top 20 Ways to Go Green at Work (and Save Money!)

1. Go for "Greener Options" in the products you buy.

There are a wide range of high-quality products that are equal in performance to traditional products, but can result in lower waste, fewer chemicals, lower energy use and less material use. Green options also can save you money. For example, remanufactured ink and toner cartridges are less expensive than new cartridges; and Energy Star qualified office equipment can save up to 75% in electricity use.

2. Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges.

Remanufactured ink and toner cartridges cost an average of 15% less than national brands and come with a 100% money back quality guarantee. One returned cartridge keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills. Remanufacturing one toner cartridge also conserves about a half gallon of oil.

3. Buy high Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCR) paper.

In the past, recycled paper may have been of poorer quality than non-recycled. But now, it is just as bright and works just as well in printers and copiers as our non-recycled papers. According to Conservatree, in 2004, over 90% of all printing paper contained no recycled content. By buying recycled paper, you are leading the way.

4. Develop a green purchasing policy.

The policy doesn't have to be extensive or complex - just purchasing only recycled paper is an excellent start. Using 35% post consumer recycled paper as the default paper in all standard black and white printing applications enabling us to reach an average of nearly 30% post consumer recycled paper across all the cut-sheet paper we use.

5. Buy from companies whose supply chain gives you confidence.

Alliance Cost Containment can help source and implement - and offer green office products from household names.

6. Use Digital Storage Solutions to cut paper and reduce clutter.

One 4GB flash drive can store the contents of forty four-drawer filing cabinets! and one CD-ROM can hold nearly a roomful of paper! It is also more convenient to store disks and CD-ROMs than roomfuls of paper.

7. Buy Energy Star qualified electronic products.

Energy Star computers, printers and other business machines power down when not in use. They can help you conserve up to 75% of your electricity compared to standard models. By automatically switching equipment to "sleep mode" when not in use, Energy Star products save Americans more than $3.5 Billion in energy costs!

8. Use compact fluorescent bulbs.

Switching from incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescents delivers outstanding efficiency -- up to 75% energy savings for Energy Star qualified lights. That translates into significant cost savings as well as waste avoidance since compact fluorescents can last over 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. These bulbs fit standard fixtures and deliver excellent natural light.

9. Invest in modular furniture.

Modular components form the core of an environmentally efficient office design. Buying modular furniture helps you mix, match and grow without the need to reinvest in an entirely new look simplifying future purchasing decisions and reducing waste.

10. Use power strips to turn technology off when not in use.

Up to 75% of the electricity used to power office equipment may be consumed while the products are turned off! The simplest way to avoid this waste is to plug office equipment into a power strip that can be shut off each day.

11. Recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges.

In 2005, over 50% of all ink and toner cartridges were sent to landfills in the U.S. But it's simple to recycle. You may get money back on certain eligible cartridges or some suppliers will send FREE ink jet and toner cartridge recycling boxes to individual or organizations.

12. Recycle your office paper.

Only about 50% of all the paper used in North America is recycled. And there is a growing shortage of paper available for recycled products as Asian countries demand more recovered fiber. Consider starting a paper recycling program at your office.

13. Recycle other materials in your office.

A high proportion of materials sent to landfills from most offices can easily be reused or recycled. Recycle plastic and glass bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard, computers and cell phones.

14. Donate unwanted products and furniture.

For major businesses, signing up with Gifts In Kind is straightforward and helps you reduce waste and help your community! Visit Gifts In Kind International's web site to find a better use for your end-of-life products. If a formal program with Gifts In Kind isn't feasible for you, check with local charities. Many will be only too happy to take products that you can no longer use.

15. Use daylight rather than office lighting whenever feasible.

Artificial lighting consumes some 40% of electricity in a typical office building, and close to one-fourth of all electricity generation in the U.S. In fact, lighting consumes the equivalent of nearly half of all coal burned in the U.S., or the equivalent of all the hydroelectric power in the country! The simple act of moving your desk towards a window helps cut down electricity use -- saving money and the environment. If natural light is not an option, consider buying compact fluorescent light bulbs to reduce energy use.

16. Turn lights off when leaving your office or conference room.

Walk around any office building and you are almost guaranteed to see lights left on in empty offices.. One 100 watt light bulb left on for one hour every day consumes 36.5 kilowatt hours of energy per year. Multiply that by the millions of lights left on every day, and it's obvious that a simple way to reduce energy dependency is to simply turn lights off when they are not needed!

17. Buy Renewable Energy Credits to "offset" your energy use.

Global warming or "climate change" is one of the most significant environmental issues today and in the future. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are emitted when fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, oil, gasoline and kerosene are burned. Energy generated from renewable sources (such as wind, solar or geothermal) has much lower greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. By buying Renewable Energy Credits, you can effectively offset some or all of the carbon dioxide your organization emits. Speak to your local utility or energy management company to find out how to offset your company's carbon dioxide emissions. You also can click here to learn about Terrapass, one of North America's leaders in carbon offsetting. Terrapass is just one of many organizations, such as Conservation International, that also allow individuals to calculate and offset their personal emissions.

18. Help customers identify the environmentally preferable options across your product range.

Most companies that sell products tend to have a green continuum, i.e., some products that are greener than others. In many cases, a lack of information prevents customers from choosing green options vs. traditional products. Identifying the greener options in your product range can help you win loyalty among your customer base, find new green customers, and help reduce your organization's environmental impact.

19. Give reusable mugs instead of other promotional items to customers and prospects.

If one of your customers or prospects buys three cups of coffee every workday for one year - that represents over 600 coffee cups that have ended up in the trash! Help replace that waste by choosing reusable coffee mugs for your promotional giveaways. Mugs also tend to be kept and used regularly by recipients.

20. Remember, it all starts with you. Please spread the word.

If more people "Go for the Green Option" in their daily worklife, the positive benefits will multiply. Start by making more personal decisions with the environment in mind. Then help increase awareness by spreading the word to your colleagues, teams, bosses, suppliers and customers. It all adds up!

Alliance Cost Containment offers select Vendor [deeply] discounted contracts whereby, for example, a supplier develops innovative eco-conscious products, such as a line of paper and notebooks made from sugar cane waste and our Sustainable Earth brand of cleaning supplies. We also continue to invest in our reporting systems, which can measure environmental purchases, as well as our e-commerce ordering system, which makes it easy to find recycled and other green products. Through collaboration with our suppliers we can conduct campaigns to help drive more end user purchasing towards green products and also make it easy for them to recycle consumables such as ink and toner cartridges.

America's Businesses are over paying

6/7/2011 1:30:00 PM

America’s Businesses are Over Paying.

$2,124.80.That’s how much I’ve spent at Starbucks since I started tracking my expenditures two years ago. That works out to over $88 per month. Even that underestimates my consumption, because it excludes purchases at Heine Bros. and Jackson’s Coffee.

That’s a lot of coffee. And a lot of unnecessary spending. I know I spend a lot on coffee, but I never would have guessed it adds up to thousands of dollars. I consider myself a decent money manager. I max out my 401(k). I put aside a little each month for my kids’ college educations. I don’t have (too) many expensive hobbies. But it pains me to think that had I just been a little more frugal – made my own coffee, used coupons, ordered a tall latte instead of a venti – I could have saved maybe half that $2,124.80 and put it to other uses. Maybe a weekend getaway, a rainy day fund, donations to charity. I’m clearly not as smart about my own spending as I thought myself to be. Turns out I burned a pretty big hole in my pocket, and a lot of loose change falls out.

Most of us have a good beat on paying our mortgage, car payments, student loans and other "big” items; but are very much in the dark on the "little” things. Maybe we just don’t think about it.

I am not suggesting that my spending that amount of money at Starbucks was unnecessary or that I shouldn’t have spent that amount of money but rather those loose change purchases add up.

Turns out businesses are in the dark on the "little” things too. And by little, I mean those purchases that may be too small on their own to garner their attention but which collectively add up to significant dollars. Granted, we need people to wash the windows and clean the office, we need temp labor to get through peak times, we need to advertise to drive demand, we need desks, chairs, computer, whiteboards, post-it-notes, pens, paper and more for our people. All are necessary expenditures. But research shows that business spends a lot more on those items and services than they might realize. A lot more!

Using research from Aberdeen Group on how small and mid-sized business miss out on cost-savings [due to a lack of buying power and expertise] we looked at some common purchasing sectors, and figured out what $130billion means. Even the number is hard to read: $130,000,000,000.00….. so we translated those numbers into slightly more tangible equivalents that will be easier to relate to. The results are staggering:

I could buy nearly 62 billion more cups of coffee – each year! Where would I park my 4 million + new cars? I could purchase a new home every minute of every day throughout the entire year – and still have enough money to buy nearly 100,000 more homes with this amount of cash. If I spent all this money on reams of paper and stacked these reams of paper on top of each other then it would go around the Earth 30 times!

All of which begs the questions:

1. Can businesses do anything to change the amount that they spend on these types of expenditures?
2. Is it even worth the effort?

The answer to both is a resounding "YES!” and I’ll explain how in the next post in this series.

But first, I need your help. If you’re reading this now, and it’s got you thinking about how your organization might be over spending on the little things, share an example in the comments section on this post, or follow @AllianceCost and share it via twitter with a #Alliancecost hashtag. We will send you an OfficeMax Retail Connect card (a card that gives you noticeable discounts on office supplies and print services) to everyone who plays along, and then I will use those examples as the foundation for the next post.