Office products are a multi-billion dollar industry and yet, for some offices, they don’t take into account just how much they invest into these supplies. Every year, even a small office may spend thousands of dollars on office supplies.

 With all of the expenses that an office has to worry about, throwing money away on office supplies that it may not need is not small change. Pens, paper clicks, staples, and print cartridges all add up. For any office looking to cut down on office supply spending, here are six easy ways to do so.

Buying generic brand names

Name brand supplies are vanity purchases that an office doesn’t need. If it’s possible to make a more cost-effective choice on some office supplies by switching to generic brand, do so. In most cases, generic brand are just as high quality as their pricier competitors. If you don’t mind switching, you won’t be sorry – especially when you see the dollars and cents it saves at the end of the year.

Buy from office stores

Office-specific stores such as Genesissuppliesinc.ca are where some of the best deals can be found on office supplies. These types of stores buy in bulk and in turn, can offer better deals. Buy from these type of stores whenever possible. It also doesn’t hurt to look into any rewards programs that may be offered. Rewards programs can be another way to save a few bucks here and there.

Negotiating with suppliers

If you have a favourite supplier that you use, there may be some corporate programs like our Corporate Edge Program to chose. f you’re ordering frequently enough and in large volume, it never hurts to lobby for a better deal. Centering on the office products that your business needs most, negotiating with a supplier can immediately cut down on expenses quite significantly if they’re willing to play ball.

Buying online

There are a growing number of office supply stores online where you may be able to save hundreds of dollars in the long-term buying on discount. There are some who even allow for scheduled automatic delivery throughout the year.

Monitoring use and cutting down on waste

As good as it is to cut down on the cost of office supplies from a pricing perspective, it’s equally important to know where those office supplies are being used. If there’s waste to cut, maybe there’s money to be saved. Many business owners maintain a monthly log of expenditures including office supplies. There may be opportunity to save by buying in bulk or cutting down on waste. Examine if there’s any way to re-use specific office supplies.

Be the example in the office

Workplace culture comes from the top down so if you’re not doing your best to keep costs low, examine ways you can change your own behaviour first. For example, instead of sending paper memos to staff, sending information by email may be more cost-effective. Also, maybe figuring out how to print on both sides of the paper when assembling documentation is another way to save. Look for different ways to modify office behaviours like these ones to recoup some of that outgoing expense.

These are six easy ways to save money on buying office supplies. By being on the look-out for ways to cut down on expenses, you get to save more money and improve the efficiency of your business in small, cost-effective steps.