Great Tips to Save on Office Supplies

Office supplies can be a major expense in every business. It is estimated that a small business can spend over 100,000 dollars each year on office supplies. With the average cost of one ink cartridge over 100 dollars, you can see how it adds up fast. However, there are many easy ways to save on the office supplies required to run your business.

Price the Paper

The two highest costs for any business are paper and ink. However, there are ways to significantly reduce these expenses. If you purchase paper in bulk, you can generally see a large decrease in cost. You should also consider the type of paper you are using. Paper is priced by the thickness, color and, quality. If you are using most of your paper for interoffice communication, you may not need high quality colored paper. In some cases, you can also save if you purchase recycled products.

Refill the Ink

As for ink, there are many options to save money. If you have a cartridge that can be refilled, you can often do it yourself for half the normal cost. There are also companies that sell refilled cartridges for a much cheaper rate. Some companies will allow you to trade in your current cartridge for an additional discount. You may also want to consider a printing solutions company. These companies will charge a flat monthly rate to maintain all of your printers and they will provide all of your ink under the contract.

Use Refills

Another great way to save on office supplies is using refillable products. You can now find many types of refillable pens and pencils today. They will often cost more to initially purchase, but the refills can be less than a dollar in some cases. The refills can usually last longer than five or six pens or pencils. You could also use baskets to recycle scrap paper rather than buying post it pads. Also consider buying products like white out in a large containers and refill smaller desk top containers.

Where to Shop

Where you buy your supplies is another factor to consider. Many supplies can be purchased online at a discounted price. However, many supply chains are now trying to compete by offering customer loyalty programs. Either option can save you money, but if you purchase locally just make sure you use your discounts or supply your rewards cards to receive future discounts.

Coupons

Some companies offer special coupons for customers as well. You can often find coupons for free shipping when you shop online. However, one great option is using coupons that provide free items with purchase. You might get free paper clips with your next purchase. You can even use online coupon databases to search for coupons. Make sure that when you are using coupons that you actually need the item. Purchasing items just because you have a coupon is not a great way to save money. However, you should always check your expiration dates as well. Make sure to use your coupons before they expire.