Running a business is expensive. Taxes, payroll, leasing costs, maintenance, technology, and snacks for your hungry staff – the expenses can quickly add up. While you know that you ultimately must spend money to make money, watching your cash flow slow can be very concerning. While most business expenses are set, you can easily reduce your cost of operations by paying attention to the little details.
Office supplies are an area where small savings can make a big difference over time. Making sure lights are being shut off in rooms that are empty, not leaving the air conditioner during non-working hours, and managing your office supply budget are all great ways to trim up the costs of doing business. We’ve found four clever ways that can help reduce the cost of your office supplies. As for how to get your staff to eat less, you’re on your own!
Tips to Stretch Your Office Supplies Budget
We’ve found four clever ways that can help reduce the cost of your office supplies so you can manage your budget more effectively. As for how to get your staff to eat less, you’re on your own!
1. Store All Your Office Supplies in One Location
This one might seem obvious, but if you have a large office it’s tempting to store small amounts of each type of your most popular supplies throughout the office. While this does make it easier for your staff to get pens, paperclips, and sticky notes as they need them, it also makes it easy for office supplies to be misplaced, miscounted and forgotten about. If a box of labels gets hidden behind another in one place, you could find yourself purchasing twice the amount of supplies you actually need!
2. Use a Discount Service to Purchase Your Office Supplies
One of the easiest ways to make sure that your office supply budget doesn’t get out of control is to use a discount service through a professional membership. These organizations negotiate discounted pricings, special offers, and even entire savings programs for their members with the biggest names in the office supply industry. By associating with a group purchasing program like Windfall, your cash flow will benefit from the reduced pricing. The best part is that there are programs you can join that are at no cost to you!
3. Keep a Detailed Inventory of Your Office Supplies
No, you’re not a teacher and you shouldn’t have to track down every pen but having a detailed and up-to-date inventory of your office supplies has its benefits. Not only does it allow you to replenish supplies with correct amount but also gives you insight into which supplies your business doesn’t actually use! Giant lime green sticky notepads seemed like a great idea at the time, but since the entire case is still in your supply closet, it’s a good indicator that they are not popular in your office.
4. Switch to an Internet Fax Service
It appears that the trend for the future does not include fax machines. While it may still be a few years out that they become obsolete, the reality is that most small business offices manage without one. If your office still relies heavily on sending and receiving faxes, you could say by switching from a traditional machine and phone line to an Internet-based service. This would reduce your paper, ink & toner costs, and eliminate the need for a designated phone line. All of these equal more office supply savings.
Windfall is a group purchasing organization that is proud to have partnered with office supply company, Office Depot. We’ve done the hard work for you and have negotiated the best member-only pricing on office supplies that your office uses the most! From everyday essentials like paper, pens, and toner to technology and breakroom items, our partnership ensures your office gets quality products at prices that make your budget go further. Contact us to learn more.
