In today’s economy, most people are trying to save as much money as they can – and, make the money they do spend stretch as far as it can.This might m...
In today’s economy,
most people are trying to save as much money as they can – and, make the money they do spend stretch as far as it can.
This might make it seem as if, unless they have tons of money to spend, new businesses are destined to fail; however, that’s simply not the case. There are many ways businesses can save money on office equipment. They just need to know what equipment they need, when to talk with other business owners, and how to shop for the items they need.
1. Know What You Need
First and foremost, you must know what your business needs – or, at least have a very good idea. If you plunge into the process of shopping for business and office equipment without knowing what you need, chances are you’re going to walk away with a lot of what you don’t need.
2. Talk With Other Business Owners
Talking with other business owners, especially owners of businesses similar to yours, can help you accomplish three things:
- You’ll get tips about the kinds of business and office equipment you need for your particular business.
- These business owners might be able to point you in the direction of office equipment wholesalers and distributors they recommend.
- You might find that these business owners are looking to get rid of some of their equipment for low costs!
3. Shop for Wholesale Items
Buying business equipment at wholesale prices is less expensive than buying it at retail prices. Plus, if you buy office equipment in bulk at wholesale prices, you’re getting more bang for your buck – that is, of course, if you need that many items. Be careful not to buy more than you need just because you can get it at bulk wholesale prices. Buying more than you need is actually wasting money.
4. Look for Distributors Offering Discount, Clearance, and Sale Items
Many distributors offer discounts to start-up businesses, as well as run clearances and sales for all their customers. Shopping with companies that offer these price cuts is a great way for businesses to save money on office equipment.
As is the case with wholesale items, though, be careful not to buy what you don’t need. Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s what you need.
5. Don’t Overlook Refurbished Equipment
For some reason, many people are wary of refurbished electronics, such as refurbished office equipment; however, when an item is marked as “refurbished,” it simply means one of two things:
- The original buyer changed his or her mind and returned the item to the store or manufacturer.
- There was a problem with the item and the customer returned it to the store or manufacturer.
When an electronic item is returned – for any reason – the manufacturer checks the item for problems, fixes any problems the item might have, and then certifies the item is ready to be sold. In other words, the refurbished equipment has been thoroughly inspected and repaired by the manufacturer and – simply put – has the company’s seal of approval to be sold again.
Because manufacturers and stores can’t sell these items as “new,” they sell them as refurbished at significantly lower costs, which means purchasing refurbished office equipment, such as refurbished telephones, desktop computers, and laptops, is a great way to save money on office equipment