First, most people think the only expense to worry about is the actual cost of the product. The truth is, often times the costs associated with finding the products you need – price shopping them online, going to the store, ordering online, and then tracking and paying for the merchandise – offsets any expected “savings” you get from a low advertised price. Finding file folders for $.20 per box cheaper than the next guy doesn’t always translate to savings to your bottom line.
Do not send someone to the local office products big box retailer to pick up supplies. The costs for that – employee’s time, gas reimbursement, the chance of getting into an accident – far outweigh any perceived savings you are getting from one of these huge nationwide chains. The truth is there are new independent internet office supply superstores out there today who routinely offer free next day delivery which eliminates the need to go to the retail store.
As an example, a typical office manager makes about $18 per hour. She has a basic office products order of six items like a stapler, some pens, file folders and a binder of about $80. If she looks through the newspaper circulars scouring for specials for 15 minutes, then checks online for another 30 minutes doing price comparisons, that already costs you $13.50! That’s quite a bit more than the $.15 saved on a carton of copy paper on sale. That person hops in the car as they’re “going to lunch” to run to the store to stock up on supplies. That typically adds an hour to her lunch as she shops the aisles for the products you need, (which isn’t easy), checks out and drives back to your office. That’s another $18 cost you aren’t aware of, over and above the cost of supplies. So an $80 order has almost $25, or 31%, of unnecessary hidden costs.
Here is the biggest Secret! The big box office supply superstores like Office Depot and Staples do not have the best prices in the market any longer. Many of the smaller, more agile new companies like ZumaOffice.com, Office Bundle or OfficePoint have great prices that easily are better than the big retailers. How do they do it? They have nowhere near the employees or overhead costs to cover like all those massive retail stores, and lower overhead means lower cost to you.
Last, it’s best to find a supplier who offers everyday low prices with no price gimmicks or items that change price every week. Look for someone you trust, with reliable customer service and pleasant people to deal with. If you’re looking for an online company, make sure they have a toll free phone number prominently on their website so you can call anytime with questions. Be wary of the sites that don’t look professional or do not have customer service phone numbers in easy view.
To summarize, the secrets to saving on office supplies are simple, but can save real bottom line money to your business. First, remember time is money, and being obsessed with finding the lowest cost usually costs you money. Second, never go to the retail store; there are many companies with free next day delivery, and that alone saves you a ton of time and money. The big shocker, there are new smaller independent internet companies who typically have better prices than the office superstores that spend fortunes in advertising. I suggest doing a one-time simple price comparison between someone like Office Depot versus a ZumaOffice.com or Keysan Office Supply and see for yourself. And last, find a company with good values and good people, and who care about your business.
The truth is the cost of every day commodity office supplies is necessary to keep your business running smooth. But, you can now take these secrets to help save money and stop worrying about the cost of every paper clip or Post-It note, while keeping your eye on the real bottom line costs.
Tristan Hill loves office supplies and helping people find the best deals on office products like binders, file folders and shredders. Helpful tips to buying office supplies and janitorial supplies online is his area of expertise and he loves www.ZumaOffice.com. Stephan helps make finding discount office supplies in Austin quick and easy, saving you time and money. www.ZumaOffice.com saves you money and donates 50% of profits to charity!
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