subject: Building Your Business From The Supplies Up [print this page] When starting a business you have a lot more things to deal with than you might think of. Beyond having to deal with finding the right office space, hiring workers, getting your internet set up and dealing with marketing plans, you might let a few things slip through the cracks. For example, you might come into the office and realize that there aren't enough chairs or you might need to print out an important memo and find that you are completely out of paper. This might seem extreme, but things like this really do happen and many can be lost just by not having enough or by having the wrong supplies.
Finding the Right Furniture
One aspect of getting a business up and running that is essential is furniture. Everyone knows that you need basic desks, chairs and shelves to get a job done effectively, but many don't realize how much these things can cost. It is easy enough to find cheap plastic chairs and desks to work with, but that takes away from the professionalism of your company and plastic chairs are not very comfortable to sit in all day, leading to a lower rate of productivity. However, getting good quality oak furniture and comfortable leather chairs can run you into the thousands. Don't worry, because there are some tactics that can cut your budget.
If you want to get nice looking furniture, but pay only a fraction of the price you should look into purchasing secondhand furniture. There are many secondhand stores that have furniture and some of them will even offer free delivery as long as you spend over a certain amount. Another option is to buy online. Many people are always trying to get rid of furniture through auction sites and online classified networks. The only downside to secondhand shopping online is that you do not get to see the products until they are delivered. That's why you should check the consumer ratings for some of these sites to make sure that they deliver what they promise.
Be Sure to Write That Down
Even though computers are used for almost everything these days, having hard copies of documents and being able to keep them properly organized is essential to a good business. Unfortunately, once again a lot of people don't think about how much money you end up spending on simple items like paper, pens and staples once you really start using them. They also have tendency to run out very quickly when you aren't paying attention. When it comes to supplies you need to be organized and know where to look.
You should always keep all of your extra supplies in one place, a closet for example. Make an inventory list to keep on the door that you update whenever you get anything out of it. When things start to run low, you have a few options.
You can check out your local office supplies store for a quick fix, though these products can often be more expensive. You can also go bulk at a warehouse store; however, you need to be careful, because just because you are getting a lot doesn't mean that you are saving extra money. Finally, you can go online to buy. Once again, it is good to check consumer ratings to make sure you are getting the right deal.
Running a small business means juggling a hundred things at once. Don't let something like office supplies be the thing that makes you drop everything.
