Although business projections are driven by revenue and ultimately profit, in order to deduce the latter figure from the former one must of course deduct costs. Costs are the necessary evil in business: you can't make money without investing in the appropriate tools and services to facilitate operations. Although office supplies are in many cases accountable for only a small fraction of a business's overall costs, every initiative that can be implemented to reduce the negative column in the balance sheet is sure to be advantageous.
Cutting stationery and office equipment costs is a simple exercise in common sense, but to point you in the right direction here are some tips for ensuring your company isn't spending over the odds on equipment which is regularly wasted:
Use An Online Retailer
Whilst office superstores may facilitate the acquisition of required goods immediately, the cost of this luxury is high. Although you will often find discounts and promotional offers instore, they are unlikely to be on the items you actually require, in fact, you will find that these retailers are often noticeably more expensive than their online counterparts on the items your office needs. In addition to the additional cost of the items, the time or labour cost is much higher. Visiting an office supplies store yourself or sending an employee takes time away from the primary function of your business, whilst shopping online incurs no transport costs or time and the actual choosing and ordering process is considerably faster. As decent online retailers offer free, next day delivery: you aren't going to notice the wait time in receiving your office supplies.
Inventory Office Supplies
It is a highly worthwhile exercise to make an inventory of office supplies you have and to chart the rate at which stocks of different items are exhausted. By doing so you can gain an insight into which types of equipment are used most quickly and order them in bulk as appropriate. Conversely, it may become apparent through the careful charting of an inventory that there is an excessive surplus of specific products: if this is the case you know not to buy anymore of this item until the quantity in storage reaches a more sensible level.
Store Supplies in the Most Appropriate Place
Although a seemingly strange point to make, it is important to keep regularly used office supplies close at hand to prevent wasting of time or loss of rhythm brought about by frequent trips to the supplies cupboard: particular if it is in a separate room. By the same token, it is good practice to store infrequently used items out of sight. Not only are bulk packs of rarely used stationery a little unsightly, but storing items such as this away from the frequently consumed equipment reduces their consumption further and allows you to keep a closer eye on the stock level.
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