Every small business has that moment. It’s that moment where you glance at the account balance, feel like things are going alright… and then you look closer. Where’s all the money gone? It’s not like your business is in debt, or maybe it is, but maybe it’s not bad. So where is this money going? 

You’re supposed to be making a profit, it’s a business after all. Well, it turns out, it is not the big stuff that sinks the budget. Instead, it’s the tiny, boring, blink-and-you-miss-it expenses that are usually quietly eating away at profits until you are wondering why you are working so hard just to break even.

But yeah, it’s true, there are actually some costs that you might not even be paying attention to. Maybe no one in the business is actually paying attention to these. But you absolutely should be. Of course, every business has these, and while they’re not cutting into the bone of the business, it’s still losing money. Basically, these little things can cause a budgeting leak when you just want to avoid a full-on flood.

The World’s Most Expensive Liquid

If you know, you know, but just in case, no, it’s not blood. But yes, it’s true, due to artificial scarcity, for well over a decade, printer ink is much more expensive than human blood. One is a “nice to have” while one is quite literally a need for survival, strange, right? Well, anyways, there’s always that one person in the office who prints everything… and they never refill the cartridge, do they? But printer ink feels like a minor cost until you realize how fast it disappears. One refill here, one emergency order there, and before long, you have spent enough to buy another printer.

And that is before you realize you are also spending on paper, replacement parts, and those “essential” printer accessories that somehow end up in the basket.

Phone Bills that Keep Creeping Up

This one might sound like a blast from the past, but nah, it’s not. Actually, telecom expenses are one of those things that always feel fixed… until you check the details. You can usually count on new fees appearing, usage charges creeping in, and you are probably paying for lines or features nobody actually uses. The worst part? Trying to figure it out feels like a full-time job.

That is why some businesses hand it off to outsourced telecom expense management, where someone else digs through the contracts, finds the mistakes, and actually gets those bills back under control. Yeah, you’re having to pay for this service, but you’re saving a lot of money in the long run, especially with how scummy telecom companies can be.

There’s Also the Subscription Trap

Yeah, yeah, everyone signs up for a free trial or a “cheap monthly deal” that somehow never gets cancelled. Like, you start with one or two subscriptions, and before long, you are paying for things nobody even remembers signing up for.

Project management software you don’t use anymore? Still paying. That design app someone thought would be useful? Still ticking along on your card. But what’s even worse than all of that is when the subscriptions you do need have some sort of hidden costs… like the “basic” plan that does absolutely nothing useful until you upgrade. Yeah, this problem only seems to grow, too.