The Cost of Doing Business: Stats You Need to Know as a Business Owner in 2025

“This ONE THING could change your business forever.”

“Supercharge your conversions by implementing this simple trick.”

“The marketing hack I used to DOUBLE  my small business’ revenue.”

Any of these catchy little marketing phrases sound familiar? That’s because business owners (and everyone, really) are completely inundated with relentless, unsolicited advice in the age of social media, the influencer, and addictive short-form content.

And there’s nothing more frustrating than getting competing guidance from so-called experts who “COMPLETELY transformed their business in a matter of weeks.” 

That’s why we’ve compiled a simple but reliable list of stats – because you know what they say about numbers not lying and all.

The Importance of Customer Service

Speaking of the age of the influencer and social media, the pervasiveness and precision of today’s marketing tactics create a daunting level of competition for business owners in 2025 .

Consumers now have immediate, global access to multiple businesses offering solutions for their pain points, and are being bombarded with content from them on a regular basis.

That’s why a majority of businesses are shifting their focus to developing robust customer service initiatives and processes, with 80% saying they “now expect to compete primarily on customer service.”

And it’s not for nothing, considering bad customer service cost businesses around the world roughly $3.7 TRILLION on an annual basis. But that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

Let’s take a look at the real cost of doing business and the internal processes that may be causing a leak in your revenue streams.

Returns Management

We all hate returns, whether you’re a warehouse worker, customer, retailer, manager, or executive. From mail rooms to penthouses there are few pain points that transcend socioeconomic status the way that returns do.

Returns can cost retailers roughly $27-$30 per $100 order, amounting to more than $642 billion per year according to Forbes. 

But with 76% of online shoppers saying they expect completely free returns and 68% of consumers saying that return policies play a huge role in whether or not they will continue purchasing from a company, it seems businesses are doomed to front massive the cost of returns. 

However, emerging tech offers a promising solution for the returns management dilemma, with businesses that move toward automated processes seeing around $2,500 in savings per 1000 returns on an annual basis. 

Shipment Tracking 

Along those same lines, customer expectations when it comes to shipment tracking are growing at rapid rates, with 91% of consumers actively tracking their packages and 89% expecting highly accurate updates on delivery status.

But offering shipment tracking is more than just a “best practice” in an ideal world; in fact, not offering tracking can lead to actual losses for your brand. The majority of consumers, around 60%, will consider looking for another retailer if they cannot track their packages.

Additionally, 50% of consumers say their negative delivery experience was the direct result of poor communication – an issue immediately resolved by real-time status updates.

It may seem like a silly expense that’s easy to forgo as a business owner, but to the consumer shipment tracking is no longer an added amenity, it is a bare minimum offering.

Help Desk Cases

If you’re already overwhelmed, we hate to tell you but consumer standards skyrocket even higher when it comes to help desk cases; with 51% saying a business needs to be available 24/7  to meet their expectations for accessibility. Beyond that, 60% of consumers expect a response to help desk inquiries within one single hour after submission.

Can you imagine the burnout customer service and help desk teams must be experiencing with these demands? They are genuinely impossible to meet manually, which is why many businesses are turning toward automation and self-service options.

Not to mention, recent data shows that automation can reduce customer service costs by a whopping 40%, while saving your team from working themselves to the bone. 

Invoicing and Accounts Receivable

Outside of customer service and consumer expectation, your internal processes could be costing your business more than you know. 

We all know how annoying invoicing errors and delays can be, but did you also know that they are incredibly expensive? One report shows that 44% of midsized businesses deal with at least a quarter of their invoices being delayed each month, costing them upwards of $900,000 per month on average. (Yep. That’s six digits.)

That’s just one glimpse into the massive cost of delays – there are also major losses when it comes to inaccuracies as well. Inaccurate invoicing can lead to cash flow disruptions that cost businesses an average of 2.5% of their annual revenue. For a company making $5 million a year, that’s a cool $125,000 lost simply because billing wasn’t buttoned up.

Phew, that’s brutal. It’s no surprise then that roughly 82% of executives (of companies earning more than $250M) in one study acknowledge that their company’s accounts receivable system is ineffective. 

Sales Efficiency

Last but not least, let’s cover the revenue-generating side of things: sales.

Shockingly, data shows that only around 36% of a sales rep’s time is spent actually selling. Roughly 41% of a rep’s time is spent on administrative tasks like generating quotes and sales, with an entire 10–15% of their entire day spent on quotes alone.  

That means your team is spending more time typing than closing, and that's not exactly the kind of productivity that moves the needle.

Luckily, ElevateERP offers your business some relief from the high cost of doing business and inefficient systems that bog you down.

Clean It Up with ElevateERP

From slow invoicing and overwhelmed help desks to time-sucking sales tasks and expensive return processes, the data doesn’t lie – even the smallest of inefficiencies can cost you big.

But luckily, ElevateERP offers Epicor Kinetic users a solution to these mounting expenses, so that you don't just have to accept them as the “cost of doing business.”

The ElevateERP portal is designed to plug those leaks by giving your customers the tools they need to help themselves and give your team the freedom to focus on high-impact work. Whether it’s automating invoice workflows, tracking shipments, generating quotes, or creating their own help desk cases, ElevateERP cuts the clutter, reduces labor, and helps your business run leaner, faster, and smarter. 

Find out more HERE!