16 May 2015

The Best Ways To Procure Cheap Office Supplies

By Tammie Caldwell


If you are a startup or a small business looking to set up an office space with a minimal budget, you are also probably looking for cheap office supplies to get started. With initial investment costs likely to make your venture sound and look rather unaffordable, the last thing you would want to be worrying about is items of use in your work space.

Not many people believe in physical, paper lists. However, they can go a long way when you have a tight budget and a lot to accommodate within it. So it is time to start putting together the pen and paper and jotting down the items that your office is likely to need. Staying focused and having a clear idea about your equipment will help vastly in setting budget expectations right.

A list in place shall get most things in order for you. Keep it handy and keep it updated. You never know when you might stumble upon something from your list and can easily tick it off. If you do so, you can also keep putting into it items that you may remember at random times and thus they will never slip out of your mind or your agenda.

As your list grows, it is essential to keep a lookout for any of these items you may find. The idea is to procure as much as you can at the most reasonable rates. This is on order to keep your startup costs low. If on the list, they are easy to identify and also tick off, in case found at a low cost somewhere.

As you put this step behind you, you should proceed to actually start hunting places you can buy these supplies from. If you know of stores that offer discounts and huge sales, you should be heading to them immediately. If an office is putting up a sale of their old items, you should be one of their early customers. Basically, keep your eyes and ears open for any such offers, deals and discounts.

However, the above applies only if you are willing to opt for second hand material. Many may not consider it the right choice. If you are open to it, beware of the quality and condition of the equipment you are purchasing, especially machines such as printers and photocopiers, if you still use them. If yes, make absolutely sure there are no damages or likelihood of the stuff not working in a few days or weeks after you have bought it.

Another method is to first acquaint yourself with the supplies needed at your work place and visit a local store or dealer to get hands on knowledge about some of those, especially the machines. You could get a good idea about prices, availability and quality and then decide who you actually want to buy from. You need not buy everything from a single supplier.

The right approach for you may just be to pick up different items from different sellers. While one supplier may be more cost effective when it comes to stationery items, another may offer good deals and quality with respect to machines.

Starting something new may lead you to buy branded and new, shiny things. However, pragmatism will work well and you will need to keep your wits about you in deciding the right supplies for your office.




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