Business debt reduction is something a lot of companies need to take seriously, and take action on. It's one thing for a business owner to say they understand the importance of having less debt and a healthier bottom line, and quite another for them to actually take the steps needed to make it happen.

Let's face it, a lot of businesses carry some debt; it's almost impossible not to. However, if that debt gets out of control, or too much of it is being carried, then it can affect every aspect of business operations. For one thing, it can make you more of a credit risk, so any new debt you have to take on--no matter how temporary--will cost you that much more. To put it in its simplest terms, the less debt you have as a business, the better.

But what about using debt as a write off on your taxes? That's a fair question, but the answer isn't as easy as most people assume. Yes, you may be able to get a tax break if you have debt, but that's only if you look at the smaller picture. Business debt reduction is about looking at the big picture, and that means figuring out all of the numbers.

You need to consider all of the ramifications of having business debt. How much will your business credit rating suffer? How much higher will your tax burden be if you do pay off your debt? For what else could you be using the money that's currently tied up in debt? Could you invest that money in other ways and have a larger return? Will all of this be enough to offset any tax savings you may realize?

Now the truth is that it may be possible that your business could be one of those rare cases that come out further ahead if it has a certain level of debt. You should only make this decision after going over all of the numbers very carefully. However, chances are good that you will actually be among the majority that can benefit from business debt reduction.

You can start to reduce your business debt by contacting the people you owe money to. See if they are willing to reduce the amount you owe. Now, you should do everything you can to pay the principal, because the place you are in debt to is in business to make money, too. However, if there are any late fees, finance charges, or other penalties, then those are good points for negotiation.

The next step is to reduce unnecessary expenses. Keep in mind that you do have a business to run, so you need to be careful about how you trim costs. Marketing and advertising are the lifeblood of any business, so be especially cautious when cutting any expenses related to them. Of course, there could be overlapping costs, and those would be safe to get rid of. Look at all aspects of your operations and be smart about any business debt reduction you do.