Author: Ian Nairn

Ian Nairn / August 10, 2026

Telecom bills have been notorious for billing errors, ever since a 2005 Gartner study revealed up to 80% of invoices contained some kind of mistake.  

Since then, better technology and automation have improved the situation, but telecom billing errors should still be taken seriously. Even today, that number is as high as 15%.  

In this article, we look at the most common telecom billing errors, and how your business can take measures to prevent losing money to them.  

How are you billed for telecom services? 

Your business’ telecom invoice is likely made up of two main components; equipment rental and usage fees. If you own all your equipment outright, then you will only need to worry about billing errors in the usage portion.  

Billing errors from the vendor.  

Many billing errors are mistakes on the vendor’s end. It’s important to scrutinize – or have a professional audit – your telecom bills for these errors. They can include: 

• Billed for disconnected services – sometimes, after cancelling a service such as an extra phone line or data add-on, a customer may still find themselves incurring charges for the extra service they did not receive.  
• Billed for another customer’s services – these kinds of mistakes happen and can be quite costly if not flagged. 
• Non-recurring errors – there can be many one-time mistakes, such as incorrect service or overage charges, that are easily resolved as long as they are noticed.  
• Tax errors – if your business operates in multiple nations, states, or regions, multiple tax laws and processes may leave you susceptible to errors you don’t understand or know to look out for.  
• Unfulfilled credits – if you’re promised a credit or discount from an agent, it is prudent to ensure this promise has been fulfilled. 

You’re paying for the wrong plan.  

Sometimes it’s less that there is a mistake on your bill, and more that you’re continuing to pay for the wrong service for your business. This can look like: 

• Paying for excess usage – when your plan doesn’t cover the full scope of your needs, you will end up paying costly overage fees.  
• Paying for a plan that’s more than you need – likewise, if you are only using a fraction of your plan’s allowances each pay period, you are likely paying for a plan that is more expensive than it needs to be.  
• One size fits all plans or bundles – some vendors only offer bundles that aren’t customizable to each customer, meaning you’re likely not paying for optimized solutions.  
• Outdated plans – in the ever-changing, competitive world of telecom, plans and market rates change quickly, meaning the length of your contract may mean you’re paying for an out-of-date plan, and therefore, not getting fair market prices.  

What can you do to avoid overpaying? 

The best strategy to avoid overpaying for billing errors is vigilance and attention to detail.  

First, it’s important to know what you’ve agreed to pay for, so you know if you’re invoiced for a service incorrectly. This means taking the time to review your bills every payment period and asking questions about any charge you don’t recognize.  

Likewise, when it comes time to reevaluate your contract, consider shopping around. Making a change to your services can be daunting, but your business’ needs are unique, and the provider that can best accommodate that individuality will likely optimize your cost.  

If this all sounds overwhelming and time consuming, that’s because it can be. We highly recommend working alongside professionals, who have the expertise in reviewing bills and identifying errors.  

In conclusion… 

While the rate of telecom billing errors has decreased in the past twenty years, they are still prevalent enough to be concerning. However, attention to detail and proactivity can save your business significantly in the face of incorrect invoices.  

This article was originally posted in September, 2022. 

Ian Nairn / July 27, 2026

Many businesses across the healthcare, veterinary, and med spa industries, among others, need medical-grade oxygen in compressed gas form to operate.  When it comes to essential expenses, it’s easy to take the number on your invoice at face value. You pay what you need to pay to keep things running. 

But how do you know you’re paying a fair price for your medical-grade oxygen? In this article, we take a look at some of the variables that might be impacting your invoices. 

A lot factors into your compressed gas bill. 

What a business or practice might be paying for compressed medical-grade oxygen is dependent on a number of different conditions. Some of those include: 

• Your location 
• Whether you have a set contract 
• Whether your deliveries are scheduled 
• Whether your delivery schedule is optimized to your usage needs 
• Whether you own or rent your tanks 
• Additional fees and service charges levied by your provider 

Without all these variables being considered, there’s a chance you might not be paying fair or best-in-class rates for your compressed oxygen. 

Location is everything.  

Depending on the location of your operation, the cost of medical-grade oxygen may vary. There are several reasons for this, including regional market rivalries, local laws, and delivery distances. Many of these things will ultimately be out of your control. 

Your contract determines your prices. 

A contract may protect you or it may harm you. If you’re locked in at great prices, contracts can keep your rates consistent and fair. If not? They can saddle you with inflated rates and cancellation fees if you choose to look elsewhere. Understanding your contract, if you have one, is paramount. 

Proper delivery scheduling saves you money. 

As one industry expert explains, “for some businesses, the cost of running out of oxygen is perhaps higher than any other cost. If you’re using delivered oxygen to support the life of animals (e.g. in a vet facility), or aquatic life (in a fish farm), running out unexpectedly could result in a significant financial loss.” 

Ensuring your delivery schedule matches your usage is critical. Running out of gas, as previously mentioned, is not an option. If it does happen, calling for an expedited delivery will cost you far more than a scheduled one. 

Owning vs. renting. 

There are different considerations for price with owning versus renting oxygen cylinders. On the one hand, renting comes with regular fees. On the other hand, purchasing comes with an upfront investment, as well as replacements or repair over time. Likewise, some providers will deny refill service if they deem your tanks unsafe, so maintenance is very important.  

Are you being charged additional fees? 

Some providers of medical-grade oxygen may charge additional fees as part of your invoice. Whether or not these are standard or fair depends on each scenario. Understanding these fees is important to your budget and ensuring you’re not overspending.  

In conclusion… 

Your operation depends on compressed medical-grade oxygen. But are you confident that your bills are set up in your best interest? With all the factors that comprise your invoice every pay cycle, it’s easy to lose track of what is optimal. 

Ian Nairn / April 30, 2026

As the global fuel market becomes increasingly unstable, many nonprofits that rely on fuel for their programming may be struggling to stretch their funding to match rising prices.  

Communities rely on nonprofit fuel usage 

Nonprofit fuel usage may not be at the top of donors’ minds, but it’s a critical expense to many organizations and their programming. Different missions that rely on fuel usage include: 

• Food banks and meal delivery programs 
• Seniors’ programs 
• Cancer support organizations, and comparable organizations 
• Programs providing medical supplies to those in need 
• Programs providing transportation 

These are no small feats. The Calgary Food Bank, for example, spends “an average of $10,000 in fuel each month.” Similarly, Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino, in California says they are anticipating spending $140,000 this year in transportation costs alone. The latter organization anticipates having to redirect funding intended for other programming into their fuel budgets as costs continue to rise.  

Fuel costs impact everything 

Fuel costs don’t increase in a bubble. Since they directly impact the entire supply chain, nonprofits will find the cost of many of their supplies also increases. 

Likewise, times of high fuel expenses naturally lead to fewer donations and volunteers, as it becomes less affordable for some to donate their time or money. For example, programs where people volunteer to drive those in need to appointments or on shopping excursions may find fewer volunteer commitments than normal.  

How do nonprofits keep serving communities amidst rising prices?  

Understandably, with rising costs and dwindling donations, some nonprofit leaders are afraid for the future. One strategy to combat unpredictable fuel expenses are organizational fuel cards. In fact, some providers even offer special rates and discounts for nonprofit organizations.  

In a nutshell, a fleet card (or fuel card) is a type of payment card that allows for easy management of expenses associated with organization-owned vehicles. They can provide the following advantages: 

• Accurate records and flexible reporting 
• Spending history and budget control 
• Driver convenience when refuelling 
• Reduction to fuel expenses 

This is an option if you have organization-owned vehicles, but what if you don’t? Fuel cards are only one cost reduction strategy that frees up funds without impacting programming or requiring more donations and fundraising. Other cost reduction strategies targeting expenses such as payment processing, waste disposal, phone and internet services, and more can all add room to your fuel budget and other programs without taking away from your mission. 

Ian Nairn / April 6, 2026

Water and sewage bills are comprised of multiple components; for businesses those components are extensive and complex, setting them apart from residential bills and making them more challenging to interpret.  Even when you crunch the numbers, it might feel like it’s not adding up. The reality is that your business’ high water bills are most likely the result of hidden leaks and confusion surrounding sewer chargers.  In this article, we will go over these hidden costs as well as other factors affecting your water bill.  

Industrial water waste  

Leaks and inefficient use mean that globally about 30% of water is wasted per day – the equivalent of around 9.5 trillion litres. That is equal to approximately 64 billion bathtubs.  These numbers not only put into perspective the reality of water waste, but the severe impact of leaks. If your business is housed on a commercial property, it is more than likely your property is victim to hidden, underground leaks that are unknown to the owners, resulting in gallons of water wasted.  Medium also brings forth another critical reason for high water and sewage bills – evaporation. Utility companies base their charges on the water entering your building, since most of it returns to the building as sewage. However, many commercial properties use certain industrial equipment such as cooling towers and irrigation systems, which causes most of that water to evaporate and therefore never even become sewage. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help your bill, because you are still getting charged for it.   

You might be flushing your money down the drain – literally 

Businesses must account not only for water waste from large-scale industrial systems, but also for inefficiencies caused by everyday equipment that may be faulty or under-performing.  A leaking toilet can waste nearly 100 gallons of water each day, while a dripping tap can lead to even greater water loss over time. Companies with commercial properties often overlook these issues as other priorities are usually more prevalent. It is important to note that these inefficiencies not only waste water, but also contribute to higher sewage bills.  

What can your business do? 

Even though these issues can cause significant financial and system impacts, there are steps you can take to improving the over health of your business:  

• Make sure you invest in up-to-date, advanced water sensor monitors – these systems will allow your company to view accurate data required to swiftly locate leaks. 

• Claim evaporation credits – these water sensor monitors can also calculate how much water your cooling towers evaporate. Using this data, your utility company will allow you to apply for credits in order to reduce your sewer charges. 

• Install modern equipment and technology – a simple change such as purchasing high efficiency toilets can decrease water usage tremendously, while preventing waste. Businesses in the restaurant industry can invest in touch-free faucets and high-pressure sprayers, these increase health and safety while conserving water.  

 In conclusion… 

Whether your business is considered industrial or if it sits on a smaller scale, it still can fall victim to water and sewage waste. Although they may seem minor in the grand scheme, these issues can easily be overlooked and wreak havoc on your systems. Luckily if you are proactive, there are solutions available so your company can hold its bottom line with confidence.  

Ian Nairn / February 26, 2026

It can be difficult to conceive of all the moving parts that are required for large organizations to successfully ship product around the world. On top of the materials already needed to make your product, you need plenty more just to ensure safety when transporting it.  Unfortunately, for a lot of business owners or operators, all these different supplies can be overwhelming.  

In this article, we look at the different subcategories of packaging and shipping supplies so you can make a more informed decision when it comes to what’s best for your product and your budget 

The levels of packaging and shipping supplies. 

There are four generally accepted ‘levels’ of packaging and shipping supplies. These are as follows: 

1. Primary 
2. Secondary 
3. Tertiary 
4. Ancillary 

This might sound complicated, but it all follows the supplies’ relationship to your product. 

For simplicity’s sake, as we go through the different levels, let’s say we’re a beverage manufacturer that makes drinks in single-use containers and ships them across the country.  

Primary supplies. 

Simply put, the primary level of supplies relates specifically to the product packaging. It’s primary packaging if it comes in direct contact with the product, and its purpose is to protect, preserve and make it easier to handle the product.  

So, in the example of a beverage manufacturer, the primary packaging could be the aluminum can, plastic or glass bottle, or plastic pouch that the drink is stored in. Think of them as the single-item containers  

Other examples of primary packaging supplies include: 

• Cans and tins 
• Blister packs 
• Glass bottles 
• Plastic bottles 
• Plastic wrappers 
• Tubes 
• Poly bags 
• Vials 
• Cardboard trays 

Primary packaging is the last place you want to cut corners on quality. Not only does it protect your product from damage and deterioration, but seeing worn or defective packaging can make customers think twice before making a purchase.  

Secondary supplies. 

Secondary packaging supplies include the materials necessary to group multiples of your product together in one container.  

In our beverage manufacturer example, this could look like the cardboard box, plastic casing, or six-pack rings used to group together cans or bottles.  

Examples of secondary packaging supplies include: 

• Cardboard boxes and cases 
• Paperboard trays 
• Plastic boxes 
• Shrink wrapped packages 

Some important facets of secondary packaging are protecting the primary packaging and making the products easy to store for the seller. Usually, secondary packaging needs to be stackable for shelving and displays.  

Tertiary supplies. 

Tertiary supplies refer to the materials needed to ship your product from the factory to the store where it’s being sold. This can also be called shipping supplies, bulk packaging, and transit packaging. It’s meant to safely group large quantities of secondary containers into a single distribution unit for transportation, making it easy for loading and unloading into vehicles and warehouses. 

Tertiary shipping supplies include: 

• Pallets/skids 
• Shipping crates 
• Large cardboard boxes 

Your tertiary supplies – and setup with your shipper – need to be secure enough to withstand any bumps and bruises during the transit process.  

Ancillary supplies. 

Ancillary supplies refer to all the additional materials needed to accompany your first three levels of packaging and shipping supplies. This includes tape, film, labels, etc. – it’s going to look different for every business. 

In conclusion… 

A lot goes into packaging and shipping your product. A lot goes around your product, too; specifically, four different kinds of supplies that all need to be considered, ordered through a vendor, and kept track of to ensure you’re not overspending or under-receiving.