Guide to Special Deals and Discounts for Small Business

Entrepreneurs have a long and honorable history of bootstrapping – that is, starting companies with very little capital – and using ingenuity, not cash, to get the supplies and services they need. Luckily, many suppliers offer special discounts to small businesses. Digging up discounts and deals will help you:

1. Save money (natch).
2. Allocate your resources to other necessities.
3. Offer the most cost-effective solutions to your customers.

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

Join the Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce offers members small business support, admission to business seminars — and discounts from selected vendors. Check for current deals, but the Chamber has negotiated up to 20 percent savings on FedEx shipping, discounts from Monster.com and a 56 percent discount on Yellow Standard Ground LTL deliveries. Weigh that against the cost of membership, priced

I recommend: Learn more about U.S. Chamber of Commerce deals for small businesses. Local chambers also offer bargains, including free use of meeting rooms, discounts on seminars and preferred rates on credit cards and other services, depending upon the chapter. Find your local chapter on the Worldwide Chamber of Commerce Guide. Some chapters help members provide discounts to other members. For instance, check out the Greater Portsmouth (N.H.) Chamber, where members can get discounts on everything from flooring to lawn lights to mobile phone service.

Join the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)

NASE offers discounted health insurance and numerous business and personal discounts for sole proprietors and very small businesses. For instance, you can save money on hotel stays and car rentals. NASE membership also provides 20 to 50 percent savings on accounting software, including Quickbooks, and savings on filing incorporation papers with BizFilings.com, among other deals.

I recommend: Check out the member benefits – and costs – at the NASE Website.

Get a business membership to a wholesale club

BJ's Wholesale, Sam's Club and Costco all offer business memberships, which provide a variety of discounts for small companies. For instance, a BJ's business membership, which costs $45, will give you discounted prices on vending machine supplies, janitorial products and custom embroidery, among other bargains. Depending upon your state tax regulations, you may also be able to resell products you buy from BJ's and get tax-exempt status. At Sam's, you can get discounted rates on merchant credit card processing, signs and banners, website design, and even health insurance and financial services, for membership ranging from $35 to $100. Purchase Costco's Executive Business membership for $100 and you'll get resale privileges (depending upon your state tax code) along with discounts on a variety of products including health insurance, travel, cars and auto insurance.

I recommend: Learn more about business memberships at BJ's, Sam's Club and Costco.

Clip Coupons

Some businesses, such as HP and Dell, offer coupons and other discounts for small businesses. Coupon code sites consolidate coupons, coupon codes and promotional codes from various businesses to make bargain hunting easier. Just click on the category you're interested in shopping in — such as office supplies — and a list of manufacturers and their current deals will pop up.

I recommend: DealTaker, CurrentCodes.com, WebbyPlanet and MadeBig all offer loads of coupons and codes for manufacturers big and small. Save on computers, ink cartridges and even travel.

Get cheap money

If you envy those big business owners who casually wave their big-kahuna charge cards and business checkbooks around, this deal is for you: Many credit card companies and banks offer special services and discounts to small businesses.

I recommend: CitiBank offers a Small Business Credit Card that has no annual fee, a rewards program, a 24/7 personal Business Assistant Service and more. The Visa Business Card lets you save whenever you shop with Visa's merchant partners and offers other benefits as well. American Express offers a small business card that gives you rewards and business savings, 24/7 support from its dedicated small business team, and more. Bank of America boasts a Small Business Discount Program through which Small Business Checking Account customers save from 5 to 75 percent on everything from computers and office supplies and to travel and theater tickets.

Get Web design for less

A website is a business essential these days, but it can be a pricy proposition for a small business. Don't go Web-less! Many Web design firms offer price breaks to small businesses.

I recommend: If you have documentation that you registered your new business within the last year, you can ask for discounts in Web design services from Mocha Bay Design and Adaptivity Pro. Base8group offers a 10 percent discount on Web and print design to businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

Travel on a dime

Need a rental car to get where you're going? Rental car companies give big discounts to small businesses.

I recommend: Avis' Corporate Awards Program for small and mid-sized business gives you special rates, discounts and the ability to earn free rental days. And if you want to support other small businesses, get rates from independent car rental companies (which often charge less than the big guys) at Car Rental Express.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Even if a company doesn't advertise a special small business rate, it never hurts to ask.
• If you're comparing competing products and one offers a small business discount, take all the potential costs — like shipping and service — into account before you make a decision.
• To get services like Web design and writing on the cheap, contact your local university; they may be able to put you in contact with a student who's looking to make some cash.
• Contact local business organizations to find out if they have special offers for members.