SmallBusinessNewz

A couple weeks ago, a survey was released indicating that many technology workers would be willing to take a 10% pay cut if they could work out of their homes.

Now today, results from another survey have come out indicating that many small businesses are already having their employees work from home to save on some expenses like office space.

The survey from RingCentral found the following stats to be true among small business owners and entrepreneurs around the United States:

- Rising gas and energy prices have impacted the cost of doing business for 70 percent of the responding small businesses causing them to change business practices.

- Nearly 40 percent of responding small businesses are cutting back on office space and having their employees work from home.

- Twenty-four percent are telecommuting rather than driving to work.

- More than a third of responding small businesses (37 percent) are reducing business travel due to the economic downturn.

These are options that more small business owners may want to experiment with as the price of gas shows no signs of substantially lowering.

In businesses where representatives are required to travel to meet with clients, some are trading in travel for phone calls, a more appropriate strategy perhaps given this fuel crisis.

"With ever increasing gas prices, I have cut the frequency of in-person client visits. I visit clients quarterly rather than monthly and use the phone to stay connected," says Ramona Ramsey-Pinedo of QSED Consulting, a respondent of the survey.

Cost-cutting is as big as ever right now, and perhaps the need for a physical presence in the workplace isn't as important as the money saved. The workplace does not always have to be confined to one location, depending on your business. Communication tools are readily available to keep your staff connected with one another and working efficiently.