Stock up on office supplies with these simple tips

Managing office supplies is a necessary practice to ensure a smooth workflow. While many small businesses don’t give much thought to it, others take a much more proactive approach to managing their supplies. The latter approach can save you time and money, and streamline your work processes.

Assess your needs

Take note of products that you use on a regular basis from paper clips, staples, pens, highlighters, markers to printing paper, fax paper, printer cartridges, envelopes, writing pads, etc. Determine how much supply you need and how often they need to be replaced. Tracking the inventory is essential to ensure you have everything when the need arises. This also lets you calculate the cost you will be allocating to these expenses every month.

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Build up the stock

Shopping for your office supplies at the very last minute or after they have completely run out, will not only result in a waste of time and energy, but can also turn out to be embarrassing in front of your boss or clients. And of course when it comes to the cost, it is more expensive to buy a single item than bulk purchases. When you order your supplies in bulk, you can use this to negotiate a lower price with your vendor which will also reduce your shipping cost. For such economies of scale, stock up your supplies for the whole month or three months depending upon the space available for storage. Look up different vendors and compare the best prices.

[Related: Office interiors: Why it matters for your business?]

Organize the inventory

Organizing your inventory is equally important to make sure things don’t look messy or cluttered. Keep essential supplies within reach to avoid back and forth trips to the supply closet that can waste your time. At the same time, avoid piling up too many things on your desk, things used less often can be kept away in a safe place.