Margins in the Wood River Valley are under more pressure than ever. Rising wages, higher service costs, and inflation are eroding profitability across industries. Many local companies are discovering that traditional levers—raising prices, cutting headcount, or squeezing suppliers—no longer provide enough relief.

But there’s good news: the biggest opportunities to recover margin are often hiding in plain sight.

The Hidden Drain on Profits

Most businesses focus intensely on direct costs—materials, labor, production. Yet they tend to overlook indirect categories such as freight, telecom, SaaS, waste, merchant processing, uniforms, and recycling.

These expenses are fragmented, buried in monthly bills, and rarely benchmarked against what other companies pay. As a result, organizations often:

• Stay locked into outdated contracts
• Pay for services they don’t use or need
• Accept vendor-driven price increases without question
• Overpay compared to market standards

Evidence of Overpayment

Research highlights just how widespread the problem is:

• 40% of invoices contain errors or inaccuracies
• 80% of telecom bills include overcharges unless audited

These mistakes matter—but they’re only one piece of the puzzle. The real opportunity comes from systematically optimizing every indirect spend category.

Hidden Savings = Growth Fuel

Across dozens of industries, companies that shine a light on these overlooked costs unlock 10–40% in hidden savings.

For Wood River Valley businesses, that’s money that can be reinvested into:

• Upgrading equipment
• Attracting and retaining skilled employees
• Expanding services and community impact

Bottom Line: Margins are under pressure, but growth capital already exists within your business. By addressing overlooked indirect expenses—not just vendor errors—companies can turn hidden costs into fuel for growth.