Save money on office supplies

If you run a small to medium sized business, it’s most likely you’re burning through cash on office supplies. Although the cost of office supplies may be minor, without proper management overtime, it can really form a snowball of expenses. Here’s a few ways in which you can save your business huge amounts of money on office supplies (some may shock you):

Look for special items and discounts

Perhaps you only buy office supplies now and then? If that’s the case, you can easily find out if retailers are running any promotions or sales by going to their website or signing up to their email list! A coupon code saving you £10-15 every month, will quickly cover a morale-boosting lunch out with the team, and indirectly lead to a boost in sales… 

If you have any special connections with office suppliers, utilise it! It’s likely they’ll give you some great deals.

Track inventory and buy in bulk

This is generally best for medium to large businesses, who happen to go through office supplies very quickly. However, it is possible for small businesses too; you just need to make sure you have enough room to store your supplies, and good control over your cash reserve. Office suppliers love selling in bulk, and incentivise businesses to purchase this way the majority of the time by providing huge savings. 

One way this could potentially be fatal for the business, is by purchasing the incorrect items; tracking inventory leads to less errors when purchasing, so always have somebody tracking current office stock. Additionally, check the returns policy for your office supplier. 

Purchase Compatible Toners & Ink Cartridges

By far the easiest way to save money on your office supplies is by purchasing generic products rather than branded ones. The majority of the time, there’s zero difference in quality (in fact sometimes, the compatible products are better). 

Business Accounts

Setting up a business account helps build relationships with your supplier and allows you to easily track which supplies you use most. This is important, because if you know which supplies are being depleted quickly, you can find solutions to decrease your use. This will help highlight any potential supply theft too.

Credit card rewards

If you use a credit card to shop for your office supplies, then check for any rewards, cashback and offers. It may be worth switching credit cards if there are better alternatives. 

Reuse and recycle

Some office suppliers will give you cashback for used items; anything from laptops, tablets, phones, to printer cartridges. So before chucking it away, see if you can trade it! Furthermore, purchasing office supplies second hand may be great for keeping supply costs down too – one of the best being furniture. 

Don’t wait until you run out

There’s nothing worse than running out of office supplies. It’s stressful and will most likely lead to you impulse buying from your local office supplier. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with supporting your local economy. However, it can be incredibly expensive compared to stocking up from your online office retailer. So, if you do happen to be running short on certain supplies, be sure to let the office know, and rationalise until you resupply.