Unnecessary expenditures, such as late fees, can really hurt a business’s bottom line these days. A healthy cash flow is even more important since credit remains tough to come by.

For those who keep letting money seep away from them despite the best of intentions, there are a number of ways that a personal assistant or business assistant can help.

Perhaps all you need is one email reminder each week about what’s due and what’s coming up. For the truly sidetracked, outsourcing all accounts payable functions may actually prove cost-effective.

Of course, tasking someone else to stay on hold with the cable or credit card company is an easy one to make. Let your assistant get you a changed rate or another tier of service. Paying a monthly fee for something you don’t use is like paying a full-time employee to surf the internet.

Times are tough. Make sure each cent you spend is out there working hard for you.