How to Eliminate Dead Weight Expenses and Boost Your Startup’s Growth

How to Eliminate Dead Weight Expenses and Boost Your Startup’s Growth

Key takeaways:

  • Dead weight expenses are the costs that do not contribute to your startup’s value proposition, customer satisfaction, or competitive advantage.
  • To cut down on dead weight expenses, you need to identify them, measure them, and eliminate them.
  • By eliminating dead weight expenses, you can improve your cash flow, increase your profit margin, and free up resources for your core business activities.

Dead weight expenses are the costs that do not contribute to your startup’s value proposition, customer satisfaction, or competitive advantage. They are the unnecessary or inefficient expenditures that drag down your profitability and growth potential. According Forbes Financial Council, there are at least 14 types of unnecessary startup expenses, thought should be addressed.

At at macro level, there are two types of dead weight expenses: fixed and variable. Fixed dead weight expenses are the ones that do not change with the level of output or sales, such as rent, insurance, or salaries. Variable dead weight expenses are the ones that vary with the level of output or sales, such as raw materials, commissions, or utilities.

To cut down on dead weight expenses, you need to identify them, measure them, and eliminate them. Here are some steps you can take to do that:

  • Identify your dead weight expenses by conducting a thorough analysis of your income statement and cash flow statement. Look for the expenses that are not directly related to your core business activities, customer needs, or strategic goals. 
    • For example, if you are a software startup, you may not need to spend money on expensive office furniture, travel, or entertainment.
  • Measure your dead weight expenses by calculating their percentage of your total expenses and their impact on your bottom line. You can use the formula: 
    • Dead weight expense percentage = (Dead weight expense / Total expense) x 100. 
      • The higher the percentage, the more urgent it is to reduce or eliminate the expense. 
    • You can also use the formula: Dead weight expense impact = (Dead weight expense / Net income) x 100. 
      • The higher the impact, the more significant the effect of the expense on your profitability.
  • Eliminate your dead weight expenses by finding ways to reduce or remove them from your budget. You can do this by negotiating better deals with your suppliers, outsourcing non-core functions, automating processes, switching to cheaper alternatives, or simply cutting out the unnecessary spending. 
    • For example, you can use cloud-based software instead of buying expensive hardware, or you can use online platforms instead of hiring consultants.

Here are some real-world examples of startups that have successfully eliminated dead weight expenses and boosted their growth:

  • Warby Parker (Eyewear): Skipping pricey middlemen and selling glasses online directly made them super affordable, skyrocketing sales and reaching profit in 5 years!

By eliminating dead weight expenses, you can improve your cash flow, increase your profit margin, and free up resources for your core business activities. This will help you grow faster, scale better, and achieve your startup’s vision.

A quick recap: Dead weight expenses are the costs that do not add value to your startup’s product, service, or customer experience. They are the fixed or variable expenses that are not aligned with your core business activities, customer needs, or strategic goals. To cut down on dead weight expenses, you need to analyze your financial statements, calculate their percentage and impact, and find ways to reduce or remove them from your budget. By doing so, you can improve your cash flow, increase your profit margin, and free up resources for your core business activities. This will help you grow faster, scale better, and achieve your startup’s vision.