Cutting Costs in Office Supplies

Everywhere that there are offices, there is a need for office supplies. Business transactions occurring everyday make for tons of paper, pens, pencils, staples, and lots more of other office items to be consumed in billions of offices all over the world. The expenses for office supplies could reach up to 40% of a company's operational costs. More often than not, companies spend 20% more than they really need to.

Profits decrease when a company wastes money. A company that should earn $150,000 in revenues might lose up to 30% of potential income because of unnecessary spending on office supplies. Every businessman knows that it's more difficult to raise profits than to reduce expenses. If your profit margin is 5%, you can double your company's profit by reducing expenses in that same amount. A lot of companies are now becoming aware of this fact, and a lot more are also starting to take measures to curb overspending on office supplies.

I wrote this article to present some practical and effective steps to save money on office supplies. Follow these steps and your operational expenses will reduce significantly and your revenue start to grow.

1. Inventory all the office supplies you have available right now and transfer them in specially designated areas where people can easily find them when needed.

2. Recycle. Binders, folders, or even notepads from last year can be used again or salvaged with a little inventiveness and resourcefulness.

3. Collect them all. All those expositions, seminars, and conferences can yield a lot of office goodies. You can stash them all and use them at the office.

4. Buy your supplies in bulk. A lot of office supply stores can give a large discount if you buy in bulk from them. Get enough paper, ink cartridges, diskettes, etc. to last an entire year. If this proves to be too difficult, gather your friends, co-workers and associates who need the same supplies that you need.

5. Learn when to buy. There are slow seasons and peak seasons for these items. Usually, office supply stores will offer discounts, rebates or sales on school and office supplies during summer, so try to stock up on what you need to avoid paying full price.

6. Use the Internet. The information highway is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so go ahead and use it. You may find the best prices for your corporate budget. Most online stores have detailed pricing and delivery information available on their websites. You can save a lot of time and money on your next purchase by going online.

A lot of times we can save time and money by just using common sense and diligence. You don't have to be a financial expert to discover ways to reduce operating costs. I hope that this article has provided you with valuable information about cutting costs and saving money by purchasing and using office supplies wisely.

Azlan Irda is the co-founder of http://www.aamofficesupply.com which provides an extensive selection of high quality office supplies at affordable prices. Find out how you can save money and get the best, high-quality items when you buy office supply stores.

- Azlan Irda