Cutting Costs as a Community Provider

When our members gather together at The Community Provider Association (CPA), we love to share business improvement tips to help each other out. We feel that the more we can support one other in our growth, the better services we can provide to our clients—which is a common goal for us all. 

business improvement tips

As most of us are aware, ever-increasing service and reporting mandates can put a strain on cash flow to operations. Right now, the COVID-19 pandemic is adding even greater pressure on organizational finances. CPA is always focused on helping members identify solutions to improve operations and increase revenues as Community Providers.

One of our members (Cindy LeLeux, COO of The Arc Of Acadiana) has offered us so much valuable insight into this topic over the years. Cindy suggests that you can beef up your cash flow by improving the effectiveness of your business processes and effectively cutting costs. Here are two specific tips on this subject: 

1. Improve Your Transportation Operations

By focusing on improving your transportation operations within your company, you can eliminate some very common and unnecessary costs. Here are a few things that Cindy suggests you look at improving in regards to your transportation operations: 

• Establish efficiency in service routes
• Add GPS monitors in transportation vehicles to track operators’ performance related to safety and adherence to designated routes
• Administer fuel cards to ensure staff purchase fuel as intended (i.e., place, price point, etc.)
• Institute proper scheduling of coordinator contacts to minimize unnecessary mileage reimbursements for travel that could otherwise have been streamlined 

2. Improve your PURCHASING PRACTICES  

In these times when finances are especially tight, community providers can consider reevaluating purchasing practices and priorities. Cindy suggests looking at the following options: 

• Engage with collective buying groups to maximize purchasing power 
• Take advantage of payment term discounts offered by vendors 
• Diligently monitor office and janitorial supplies to minimize waste or misuse

Check out our free e-book below with even more information for you!