- Set your firm’s 2009 budgets based on accurate industry benchmarks
- Identify excessive overhead expenses
- Justify budget cuts or increases
- Learn how much money to spend on training programs
- See how much other firms are spending on bonuses, 401(k) plans, and other benefits
- Get a handle on rent & utility costs for firms of your size and region
- Compare your information technology investments to other firms just like your own
- Find out if you’re spending more or less than your competition on marketing
One thing is for sure. Every design or environmental firm has costs that can be cut. These days, it's more important than ever for firm leaders and financial managers to keep overhead expenses in check. To keep expenses in line with the changing economy, you need the most up-to-date information on operating expenses in the A/E/P & environmental consulting industry. To find and eliminate wasteful spending and boost profitability, turn to ZweigWhite’s 2008-2009 Operating Expenses Survey of A/E/P & Environmental Consulting Firms, the resource thousands of firms have used to tackle the toughest budgeting issues and predictions.
Newly updated for 2009, this survey has the latest, most detailed statistics available on operating expenses for firms just like yours. Get data on everything from how much the average firm spends on professional liability insurance to how much it spends on hardware and software. We’ve covered every area of concern to leaders of design and environmental consulting firms— from marketing to human resources to information technology and more. We packed this report with tables and charts and broke the data out by firm type, region of headquarters, staff size, growth rate, and client base so you can make apples-to-apples comparisons between the survey statistics and your own firm. We also included trend data so you can compare your firm’s spending history to the industry norm. Use the report to find the elusive line between making a profit and losing your shirt. Whether it’s time to set budgets in your firm or just time for a check-up on expenses, don’t get into this important process without first getting a copy of this book.
The topics covered in this comprehensive report are: Human resources: Does your firm have a recruiting or HR budget? Do you ever use employment agencies or search firms? People are an integral part of the growth of any firm. If you want your firm to be successful in 2009, one of your first steps should be to find out what you need to invest in recruiting to make sure you’re getting the right people in the door. Paid time off, 401(k) plans & other benefits: How much is enough vacation, and how much is too much? What kind of benefits are other firms just like yours offering? Part of attracting and retaining good employees is making sure you’re offering better benefits than your competition. Benefits such as vacation, holiday, and sick leave time are an important part of the job package for many employees, but you also have to make sure you’re keeping these costs under control. Information technology: IT can be a costly expense for many firms. But how much is really necessary to invest? Where’s the boundary between investments that will improve productivity down the line and those that just break the bank? Find out how much other firms typically spend on hardware, software, IT staff, and other areas and make sure you’re spending enough to keep up, but not more than is typical for a firm of your size and type. Office costs: What are normal rent and utility costs for a firm of your size and region? How much are other firms paying per square foot of their office space? Get the details to these questions and make sure you’re not paying excessively high rent and utilities for your office space. Also get statistics on branch office costs— including a breakdown of labor, benefits, rent & utilities, and travel & entertainment expenses just for individual branch offices. Marketing: How much are other firms like yours spending on marketing? Before you start your strategic and marketing planning for 2009, make sure you’ve seen these numbers! Don’t go blindly into the new year— get the hard data and find out what the typical marketing investment is for the industry. With the 2008-2009 Operating Expenses Survey of A/E/P & Environmental Consulting Firms, you’ll get the latest available statistics on all of the above and more. Overhead expenses can have a significant impact on your firm’s bottom line, so you need this report to make sure your operating expenses are kept under control.
|
