In these tough economic times, business owners look for ways to cut operating costs and maximize profits. one option is negotiating for discounts. there are some areas that are ripe for bargaining, with vendors willing and able to cut you a break, and other areas where you have no prayer of saving a dime. If you own multiple properties, you’ll have far more bargaining power with vendors and utili- ties than if you operate only one facility because there’s more of an economy of scale. “Vendors are attracted to us because we have multiple properties,” says stuart Wade, director of sales and marketing for AAAA self storage management group in norfolk, Va. “For instance, we can negotiate a discount for credit card processing because we do volume, so we can do it at a lower price.” this doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you run one company. Again, in these tough eco- nomic times, vendors and utilities want to get your business. this makes now a good time for bargaining.