Every business, no matter its size or focus, has a use for such everyday office supplies as fax ink and toner. Because these are such ubiquitous commodities, there is keen competition in the marketplace. This benefits the small business owner in need of supplies to keep his or her business running.

To keep your business running speedily and efficiently, consider these things before purchasing your company's supply of fax ink and toner:

1. Make sure you know exactly what it is that you need before you shop. Many fax machines take only very specific brands or types of these products, so look for providers of fax ink and toner of the particular sort that your machines need. This will make shopping in the future much easier, as you'll know exactly where to go from the start.

2. If your machine requires supplies that are relatively easy to find, try to buy wholesale fax ink and toner to keep your costs low.

3. If, on the other hand, your machine requires an ink or toner that is difficult to find, try browsing on the website of a specialty shop or provider. Suppliers that sell only fax ink, toner, and related products will be much more likely to have what you're looking for, or if they don't have it, to know how to procure it for you.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find great variety and selection from online sellers of fax ink and toner

There are numerous online suppliers of fax ink and toner, so if you know exactly which products you need, you can often find them more quickly and easily on the Internet than in your local office supplies store.

I recommend: For the widest array of products, look at large online supply stores like OfficeSupplyOutfitters or Cartridge World USA. These companies will also help you save money by refilling your old fax ink cartridges instead of forcing you to purchase new ones every time you need more fax ink.

If possible, buy fax ink and toner from a wholesaler to save your business money

If the products you need aren't too difficult to find, look for them at the website of a wholesaler. Wholesalers will sell you fax ink and toner at a lower cost than many other traditional retailers, and since fax ink and toner are products you'll need to buy repeatedly and consistently, they save your business a lot of money over time.

I recommend: Try Tonerprice.com, which offers a money back guarantee and discounts if you order in bulk. Polir Inkjet and Toner also offers discount products and a recycled/remanufactured fax machine cartridge option. Megatoners allows you to easily search by brand of ink or toner and provides products at wholesale prices with free shipping.

If you require a less readily available type of fax machine cartridge, try specialty stores

If you need a particular brand of fax ink or fax toner cartridges and you're having a hard time finding exactly what you need, consider looking for it on that company's website.

I recommend: Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a popular brand of computers, printers and other office machinery and supplies, and has numerous fax ink and toner cartridges that can be used in their equipment. Xerox is another popular brand with a comprehensive website and online store.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Understand that, by law (under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act), a manufacturer of a fax machine cannot void your machine's warranty if you use a toner or ink cartridge manufactured by another company. Your choice of replacement fax ink and toner should not be limited to products produced only by your machine's manufacturer.