When it comes to boosting the bottom line, firms usually focus on revenue. Sophisticated time tracking tools are used to make sure no hour goes un-captured, while productivity improvements make attorneys more efficient and thereby free them to bill more hours or complete more flat-fee projects.
But there’s another side to the equation: costs. Firms can easily boost profitability by making smart investments in the goods and services the firm needs. In the past, that meant spending a day in the car or on the phone contacting local stores checking prices. Today, the web puts literally thousands of retailers at your fingertips and, more importantly, gives you simple tools to search all retailers in seconds.
There are several online price comparison tools to try:
- Google Shopping (formerly Google Products and Froogle)
- PriceGrabber
- Nextag
- Shopper (by CNET)
- Bizrate