Walmart founder Sam Walton once said that by controlling expenses better than its competition, a business can “always find the competitive advantage.”

An organization can increase its profits and set itself up for success and growth in a competitive marketplace by ensuring its services are optimized and its core business costs are as low as they can possibly be.

But staying on top of expenses is easier said than done. Without the time and resources to adequately analyze bills and negotiate with vendors, many businesses overlook their core expenses and lose their hard-earned money in the process.

Luckily, Schooley Mitchell consultant Cindy Thompson is there to help businesses and organizations reduce their spending and optimize their services in several key areas, including telecom, merchant services, small package shipping and waste. Thompson is proud to provide her clients with reduced rates for these services — and the peace of mind that comes along with knowing they’re paying what they should be.

“It feels good to be able to take that off their plates so they can focus on running their businesses instead of worrying about internal expenses,” says the Ontario-based consultant. “And then, by returning back to them quarterly to continually make sure they’re optimized, Schooley Mitchell is really giving them the freedom to do more important things with their resources.”

Schooley Mitchell is the largest cost reduction consulting firm in North America, with offices from coast-to-coast in the United States and Canada. On average, Schooley Mitchell reduces their clients’ expenses by 27-28 percent and have delivered over $340 million in documented savings to over 20,000 clients to date.

Thompson is proud of the value proposition she offers her clients — a risk-free service in which clients only pay her when she saves them money, with that payment coming solely from a percentage of the found savings. And as a completely objective and independent consultant, Thompson’s clients can be sure she only has their best interests in mind.

Among Thompson’s happy clients was a business she helped reduce credit card processing costs by 39 percent while switching to a new vendor.

“It was great we saved them that money, but we were also able to ensure their new services were implemented successfully without disruption,” says Thompson. “It’s always really important the implementation goes as smoothly as possible.”

Thompson views the service Schooley Mitchell provides as a true win-win situation for her clients: at worst they get a free analysis of their expenses and the peace of mind in knowing they’re not wasting a cent. At best, they can save thousands of dollars.

“It’s a great feeling when you can sit down with a business owner and say, ‘We can save you 30 to 40 percent and it won’t cost you anything out-of-pocket to make it happen,’” says Thompson. “That’s the amazing thing about Schooley Mitchell.”

While many business owners, IT directors and financial controllers might think they’re adequately keeping track of their business expenses, Thompson wants to remind them a fresh perspective and a new set of eyes is always invaluable.

“I always tell business owners that it’s great they’re being vigilant about staying on top of bills and invoices and trying to get the best rates,” says Thompson. “But our expertise and our leverage with vendors can get them even more savings.”
With a professional background in administrative work and inside sales, Thompson has always been passionate about providing solutions for organizations that fit their core mission and values. And she does the same in her role as a Schooley Mitchell consultant.

In her spare time, Thompson loves spending time with her grandchildren and travelling to warm beachside locales.

If Thompson could give one piece of advice to business owners, it would be to never assume they’re getting the best prices from their vendors.

“There’s a really good chance you aren’t getting the rates you should be getting,” says Thompson. “That’s okay, though, because that’s what I’m here to do for you.”

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