When your business is on a budget—and what business isn’t?—it can be tempting to always choose the product that will cost the least. But the true cost of an office product is not just about the price tag; every machine or office supply will have long-term cost considerations as well. So, how can you ensure you’re buying high-quality office products and business office machines in Fairbanks, AK, without blowing your business’s budget? Here is our ultimate guide to buying the best office supplies.
Set a Reasonable Budget
As with any purchase, you should always start shopping for office supplies with a strict budget in mind. If you’re not sure where to start, you can take a look at how much you’ve spent on office supplies in the past. Look closely at your monthly spending habits in these areas, and determine whether or not you think the amount you’ve been spending is reasonable.
You can also do some browsing and take a look at the average cost of the supplies you’ll need on a monthly basis. Check vendors’ websites, or give them a call if you want to discuss subscription costs for your ongoing monthly supply needs.
Break Down Your Spending
While setting your budget, it’s also a good idea to break down what you’re spending into smaller categories. Rather than simply lumping everything together under “office supplies,” you might want to break it down into categories like “printing supplies,” “breakroom supplies,” “pens and pencils,” “notepads,” and so on. Understanding exactly how much you’re spending in these smaller areas can make you more effective at tracking down quality, affordable products in every category, rather than just getting it all in one place.
Make Sure Everything Is Accounted For
It’s also important that you account for all of the various supply needs within your office. Sit down and create a detailed list that includes all of the following needs:
Desk Essentials: Pens, notepads, sticky notes, paper clips, staplers, etc.
Organizational Tools: Drawer organizers, filing cabinets, label makers, etc.
Breakroom Supplies: Disposable dishes and utensils, coffee, tea, snacks, etc.
Cleaning Supplies: Disinfectants, paper towels, trash bags, etc.
Paper Products: Stationary, printer paper, envelopes, business cards, etc.
Safety and Wellness: First aid kits, hand sanitizer, facial tissue, etc.
While this is by no means a comprehensive list of everything you use in your office each day, it should give you a fairly in-depth list of what you need for your business. This can help you to devise a schedule and budget for replenishing these supplies.
By now, you should have a reasonable budget, a complete list of what your office needs, and an idea of how much you’ve been spending so far on these supplies. Now, how do you shop for these supplies?
Identify Your Vendor Pool
Make a list of any vendors you currently use for your office supplies. Look closely at these vendors’ products to determine if there’s a way to consolidate any of the supplies you currently purchase without significantly increasing costs. For example, does the company you get your ink and toner from also provide monthly resupplies of printer paper? While you don’t want to sacrifice a great deal of your budget towards convenience, you do want to look to simplify your supply chain as much as possible.
Explore Subscription Options
Most offices use the same supplies with a fair amount of consistency. You’ll likely find yourself restocking things like printer paper, dry erase markers, ink and toner, pens, and other such supplies on a fairly regular basis. Reach out to your suppliers and see if they offer any kind of subscription options for these supplies. Oftentimes, if this option is available, you’ll pay less for the supplies than you would by simply restocking them yourself.
Consider Bulk Buying Options
Where subscriptions are not available, look into the option of buying products in bulk. With very few exceptions, office supplies don’t go bad. (One of the most notable exceptions to this is printer ink, so avoid keeping that stored for too long, or you risk the cartridges drying out.) This means that you can stock up on most of the products you use and store them for later use. Take care to shop for sales and bulk discounts whenever possible. If you spy a great deal on legal notepads, for example, you may want to simply buy enough that you won’t have to worry about restocking for many months. Of course, you should always run these larger purchases by management or anyone else who might be responsible for budgetary decisions.
Balance Reliability and Cost
Finally, make sure that you’re carefully considering the reliability of a product as much as you’re considering its price tag. While an off-brand dry erase marker, for example, might be cheaper than a name-brand variety, you will likely find that it doesn’t last nearly as long as you would hope. While this can seem like a minor thing when it comes to small office supplies, it can certainly add up over time.
Of course, these considerations are all the more important for large purchases like office furniture and equipment. The most affordable option upfront can often end up costing you a lot more in the long run due to inefficient operations, more frequent maintenance and repair costs, and even a shorter lifespan that requires earlier replacement.
Contact Arctic Office Supplies
At Arctic Office Supplies, we proudly offer a wide range of office machines, furniture, and supplies, providing businesses throughout Alaska with everything they need for their day-to-day operations. If tracking down affordable, quality office supplies is taking up too much time and effort on your part, we encourage you to reach out to us. We can help you find the exact office supplies or quality office machines in Fairbanks, AK, that you need to meet your needs while staying within your budget. Call us or stop by our location today.
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