The key to keeping your people moving – while not spending willy-nilly or buying exactly the wrong products – is making time to understand office-supply shopping online. Taking full advantage of the Web sites of major office stores can:
- Save time. Most offer free next-day delivery on orders of just $50.
- Save money. Superstores often use loss leaders to drive sales.
- Save your sanity, if you learn how to use online shopping tools.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Cut Web time to a minimum
Office stores online now offer favorites lists, one-click ordering and even personal sites co-branded with your company's logo with pre-set shopping categories. Lock down prices, quantities, and your credit data and the intern could do the monthly buy.I recommend: Staples offers an easy re-order service for items you buy often, while OfficeMax keeps a favorites list waiting for you.
More than 20 employees? Ask about discount programs
If you find your spending is regular and tends to mount to hundreds of dollars at a go, better to talk with your office store's small business rep about volume discounts and special small business ordering Web sites.I recommend: OfficeMax has a small business portal, while Staples has a contract division for medium-sized businesses or companies with many stores nationwide, like franchises.
Buy store brands
Grocery stores and drug stores have done it for years, now office stores will happily sell you their own brand of their highest volume (and highest margin) products, sometimes at substantial savings. It's a win-win if there ever was one.I recommend: Check out store-brand selection at Quill, Office Depot, OfficeMax and Staples.
Go the warehouse-shopping route
Office stores will often cut you a deal for buying in bulk. Of course, regular warehouse stores, too, sell plenty of office supplies, from pads and pens to furniture and electronics.I recommend: Read up on the Staples bulk buying plan here. Warehouse stores that sell office supplies include Sam's Club and Costco.
Get personalized office products and services
NEBS is known more for its extensive lineup of personalized business forms, checks, greeting cards and other promotional items for small business, but it is also a great place to get office supplies and equipment.I recommend: Check the NEBS lineup of small business products and services.
Comparison shop your way to savings
Online shopping giants are crowding into the office store space. The advantage they offer is multiple vendors on one search, which you can then sort to find the best price.I recommend: Shopzilla, Bizrate and Amazon are good bets if you know what you want. It helps, often, to have the product number of what you seek. Get these first from the office-store sites.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Short on cash? Online office stores can extend 90 days or offer you a store credit card.
- Keep a leash on spending by using office-store site services for small business to generate monthly spend reports.
- Most online stores offer rewards programs that kick back a few percentage points for your loyalty. If you buy the same things often and are happy with the delivery, this is a good deal.
- It's always a good idea to centralize buying through a single person in your company or two. If not, supplies can pile up in closets and people order more without looking.
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