Out of all the expenditures that a businessperson pays for in a monthly basis, the purchase of office supplies may seem like small change. However, in truth, this isn’t the case. Each year on the average, an alarming sum of money is apportioned for office supplies. Common supplies include pens, paper, desk items like paper clips and staples, and printer cartridges. If the purchase and use of these are left unsupervised, the expenses can escalate and negatively impact the annual profit margin. Below are five (5) tips to help reduce office supplies costs.
Tips to Reduce Office Supplies Costs
One: Use Recycled Paper
Buying recycled paper is as easy as going to your office supplies store. All major paper manufacturers offer recycled paper in various sizes and purposes. There is no drop-in quality, but there is a significant price difference that will reduce overall office supplies costs. Additionally, the use of recycled paper saves trees and energy consumption.
Two: Reuse Printer Paper
Scrap or used printer paper can be used for other purposes. Since both sides of printer paper can be printed on, then reuse the empty side for printing less important documents. Manually feed the used printer paper and proceed with printing. Also, set aside used paper for note taking and draft. It is best to position a box purposely for scrap paper where all employees can grab sheets as the need arises.
Three: Go for Energy Saving Light Bulbs
Traditional light bulbs are horribly inefficient when compared to the modern energy saving light bulbs (CFL and LED). While incandescent light bulbs are cheaper upfront, its expected lifespan is only around 1,000 hours whereas CFLs are at 10,000 hours and LEDs at 30,000 hours. And since incandescent light bulbs are not eco-friendly in nature, it consumes much energy and help increase the monthly electric bills. So logically, converting to energy saving light bulbs will help save money.
Four: Buy Recycled Printer Toner Cartridges
Buying OEM toner cartridge for the office laser printer can be very expensive. It is for this reason that remanufactured toner cartridges (cheaper alternatives to printer brand cartridges) became available in the market. And due to its more affordable pricing and reliability, these alternatives became a dependable partner to office laser printers. As much as 70% of the allotted expense is saved when you buy recycled printer toner cartridges compared when using the OEM printer brand cartridges.
Five: Monitor Office Supplies Acquisition and Inventory
Who keeps track of the acquisition and inventory of office supplies? It is important to assign trustworthy employees who will oversee these duties; and then submit separate reports to the owner or manager. Overseeing the flow of office supplies is vital to keep costs from going over budget. Additionally, it will help managers design cost-effective ways that can be implemented to cut costs and save money.
Bottom Line
It is not impossible to reduce office supplies costs. There are certain ways that can be tried to realize this goal. However, top management cannot do it alone. All employees must willingly take part to push down office supplies costs.
