AMK Associates – At a Glance

Founded in 1991

Manhattan-based cost management consulting firm

Expenses assessed by the firm include:
• Shipping (overnight and ground)
• Refreshments
• Payroll
• Service Contracts (faxes, copiers, telephone system)
• Printing
• Office/equipment supplies
• Telecommunication (voice and data)

Clients have reported savings of more than:
• 50% on printing
• 55% on service contracts
• 35% to 65% on telecommunication
• 25% on overnight shipping

Initial evaluation of assessment takes approximately 4 to 5 weeks

Guaranteed savings is quoted after initial assessment, before the client signs on with AMK

Entire cost management program takes approximately 8 to 10 months

Clients include some of the nation’s most well-known companies including Christie’s, New York Sports Clubs, Donghia Furniture and Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Founder and president, Arleen Kahn has more than 25 years experience in the field of cost management consulting and has been an expert contributor to numerous publications including Crain’s New York Business, Strategic Edge and American Management Association’s Management Review

Address: 1678 First Avenue, New York, New York 10128
Phone: 212-534-0920
Fax: 775-514-7563
E-mail: amk@amkassociates.com
Web site: www.amkassociates.com

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Arleen Kahn

Arleen Kahn, AMK Associates founder and president, has more than 25 years experience in cost management consulting. Since AMK’s inception in 1991, she has saved clients more than $4 million by evaluating and reducing their basic operating expenses.

The company handles vendor negotiations, suggests brand alternatives and educates employees about cost control. They focus on expense assessments for shipping, refreshments, payroll, service contracts, printing, office/equipment supplies and telecommunication.

Some of the nation’s most prominent companies have benefited from their services including Christie’s, New York Sports Clubs, Donghia Furniture and Zwilling J.A. Henckels.

Arleen and AMK Associates have contributed to various publications including Crain’s New York Business, in which the firm has also been featured twice, American Management Association’s Management Review and Strategic Edge. Arleen is also a frequent lecturer on the subject of cost management.

In addition to running a highly successful firm, Arleen has served on the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors of the past twelve years. She also annually volunteers her time to be Principal for a Day through PENCIL – Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning.

Arleen is a graduate of the University of Maryland where she earned her B.A. in liberal arts.

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It all adds up...even the small stuff!

Manhattan-based Cost Management Firm Scrutinizes Business Expenses to Improve the Bottom-line

New York, NY – Who would imagine that sharpening your focus on pencils and pens could save your business thousands of dollars? Pencils, pens and paper might not seem expensive, but AMK Associates (AMK), a Manhattan-based cost management consulting firm, has saved clients more than $4 million by looking a little closer at basic operating expenses.

“We do what CEOs would do if they had the time,” said AMK’s President and Founder Arleen Kahn. “Our clients are too busy managing their businesses to concern themselves with the ‘little things,’ like phone bills and equipment insurance leases” — two common areas of misspending.

“Equipment leasing companies often bury insurance coverage in their invoices, and usually it is already protected by your company’s liability insurance. Therefore, many companies are paying double to insure the same equipment. Telecommunication is another money trap because most companies pay in one-minute increments. Companies should ask to be billed in six-second increments, so if a fax takes 12 seconds, the company’s billed for 12 seconds, not a full minute.”

After an initial spending assessment, AMK quotes a guaranteed savings for the client. Then, the company devotes eight months to a year to negotiating and renegotiating costs on leasing and service contracts, office supplies, telecommunication and other pliable business expenditures.

Service contracts are often a source of misspending — many companies pay $3,000 to $12,000 annually. Steve Sonet, partner at New York-based law firm Levy Sonet & Siegel and client of AMK, saved more than $6,000 per year by changing the service contracts on his office equipment. Depending on the equipment, it may be economically efficient to pay the going rate for repairs, if necessary, instead of purchasing a service contract.

Lewis Sidorsky, controller of Automated Concepts, Inc., saved more than $80,000 per year by switching long distance carriers and delivery services, and negotiating better deals with printing and office supply vendors.
“The vendor bids that AMK gave me really helped,” Sidorsky said. “If there is a way to get better prices from vendors, AMK finds it. You may think you’re getting the lowest prices, but you’re probably not. It was a rude awakening, but the results were worth it.”

Kahn, 65, founded AMK Associates in 1991 after handling cost control for Edward Fields, a custom carpet maker. For the past seven years, Kahn has served on the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and annually volunteers her time to be Principal for a Day through the Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning (PENCIL) program.

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