The Office Managers Guide to Finding Reliable Business Office Supplies
Stay supplied to stay successful
Every successful business has at least one thing in common: it’s well-supplied. Business office supplies keep things humming, whether they’re for a local barbershop or a multinational logistics company.
Managing them well poses a challenge. How do you know which supplies you need? How can you get them at the best price? How can they contribute to a better working environment for your employees? From bulk buying to personalized items, this guide will walk you through the ins and outs of outfitting your organization.
Essential business office supplies
Running a business takes an enormous amount of work. If you and your employees are going to take it all on, you’re going to need a lot of supplies. Everything from paper goods to desk lamps plays a part in keeping workers productive. To set your team up for success, you’ll need to determine what business office supplies and equipment they need, and then make sure you keep it in stock.
Furniture
Your employees are going to spend most of their work life at their desks. It’s often a wise investment to buy ergonomic desks and chairs.
Keeping your employees healthy and comfortable with furniture that supports them can lead to better work and fewer injuries. Similar chairs can help fill out conference rooms, while couches in break rooms can encourage workers to take the breaks they need.
Desks
Employees should be able to store most of their moment-to-moment supply needs at their desks. The best office supplies will also include tools to help employees stay organized, unlocking potential boosts to productivity. Stock up on things like:
Technology
No modern office can function without computers. Whether you’re using desktops or laptops, it’s often worthwhile to keep them safe using surge protector power strips. These reliable office supplies can prevent a disaster in the event of a power surge.
If your business works with a lot of paper documents, a commercial printer can help manage the load. Otherwise, a personal printer may be up to the task. Both will require regular refills of ink or toner, and you may want a shredder to safely dispose of documents you no longer need.
Looking for a more robust list of office essentials? Read The Ultimate List of Office Supplies for Business Owners.
What to consider when buying in bulk
When you’re running a small business, time is a precious resource. The less of it you have to spend on ordering supplies, the more you can invest in your business.
Buying in bulk is appealing for exactly that reason: each purchase saves you hassle and buys you lots of time before the next. If you want to get the most from your bulk buys, you’ll need to consider a few factors.
Choose brands you trust
If you’re going to buy in large quantities, you need to know you’re getting reliable office supplies. If you need to try out a new product or a new vendor, keep your orders small until you know they work for your use case.
Learn what’s better in bulk
Whatever you buy in bulk, make sure it will last long enough for you to use it up. Items such as batteries may degrade over time; perishables like snacks can go stale. If you fail to finish them before that happens, you'll have to spend to replace them and may end up spending more time and money in the long run.
Organize storage space
Buying in bulk can put a lot of pressure on your storage space. Make sure you know where and how you plan to store your orders. Having a system for organizing can help you avoid clutter and waste, and the earlier you start using it, the more dividends it will pay.
Want to learn more about buying in bulk? Read Bulk Office Supplies: 5 Things to Consider.
How to get great custom office supplies
Becoming a successful business is a lot easier when everyone on staff feels like part of a team with a common goal. Outfitting your employees with personalized supplies can go a long way toward creating that sense of unity. Plus, it can serve as marketing when it’s out in the world.
Research companies that personalize office supplies
Lots of companies can furnish you with personalized supplies. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. For instance, a low price point may seem attractive now, but those savings don’t matter if the items you buy don’t last very long. It may be better to spend a little more on items that are in it for the long haul—especially if they’re going to have your logo on them.
Before you make an order, comb through the product reviews for each item you’re considering. A retailer may make durable and handsome personalized water bottles, but that’s no guarantee their hats are up to the same standard.
Communicate with your team
Mugs, pens, hats and T-shirts are classic custom office fare, but there may be fresh ideas your team is more enthusiastic about. If you ask them, they may give you more exciting options you would never have considered.
When they respond by telling you they all want desk fans, travel mugs or something else entirely, you can order with confidence. Those items have a great chance of actually getting used, so people will see them out in the world. Your employees will also appreciate that you listened to them and responded to their requests. Everybody wins.
Master the art of buying customized office supplies by reading 3 Things to Consider Before Investing in Custom Office Supplies.
How to bring fun to the workplace
How your office looks can significantly affect employee performance. When workers feel comfortable in the office, they tend to do better work and feel better overall . Making sure your office is well-ventilated and full of natural light is only the beginning. The supplies your workers use every day can also affect the in-office experience. If you want to reinforce morale and encourage creativity, consider buying supplies with some spirit.
Lively stationery
If your office is like most, it’s full of paper. Some of that paper has to stay professional and buttoned up—invoices and client-facing documents, for example. But there’s no reason internal stationery can't let loose just a little. Patterned notepads, colored sticky notes and cute pens can all let employees express themselves while doing their work.
Quirky desk accessories
Why limit the fun to stationery? Every desk in your office likely sports a tape dispenser, a pen cup or any number of other useful objects. Each one could be replaced with a more expressive, personal version without slowing productivity.
If your team wants island-themed mousepads or a gecko pen holder, let them have fun. You may end up with a happier team as a result.
Interactive decorative items
Even decorations can help your business be more productive. When workers need a short mental break, having a small interactive decoration on their desks can do the trick. Items such as fidget spinners and Newton’s cradles can help them focus, hit the mental reset button and keep the office feeling welcoming for everyone.
Want more ideas for a lively workplace? Read 6 Fun Office Supply Ideas to Refresh Your Workspace.
How to design a great break room
Professional athletes can teach the rest of us a lot of lessons. Here’s one that’s easy to overlook: the importance of rest. If you push yourself to the limit, you’ll need a break to rebuild.
That’s just as true in the office, where regular breaks can restore mental energy and keep burnout at bay. With a great break room, you can help your workers tap into those benefits. Incorporate these elements to elevate yours.
Green space
A welcoming break room starts with decor, and what’s better than plants? Studies show that greenery in the workplace can boost satisfaction and reduce health complaints. It can also provide natural air filtration, which helps keep the space feeling clean and vibrant.
Snacks & drinks
Coffee machines are a break room classic for a reason. Not only do they save your workers a trip to a nearby coffee shop, but they help keep team energy up throughout the day. Sparkling water and flavored seltzers can support the caffeine-free.
Beverages aside, don’t forget to feed your staff. Protein and granola bars offer healthy, long-lasting energy, while chips and candy provide a little indulgence.
Activities
Rest takes more forms than sitting quietly. Tabletop games, video game consoles and physical activities such as table tennis can play a major role in helping employees relax and reset. These can encourage creative thinking, friendly competition, camaraderie and even healthy exercise. All can help rebuild employee energy after they’ve been sitting at their desks all day.
For more ways to elevate your breakroom, read Create a Welcoming Atmosphere with These 6 Break Room Supplies.
Choosing supplies as a small business
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. The services and products they provide are often unique from those of larger enterprises, giving them a special niche in the business environment.
They do have one thing in common with their larger brethren: they need supplies to run. If you’re looking for help outfitting your small business, these tips may be the ticket.
Nail down what you need
Every business has its own particular supply needs. You’ll need to determine your essential supplies and get a sense of how frequently they need to be restocked. If you run an indoor play space, for example, you’ll need plenty of plates and utensils to meet the demand for birthday parties.
Once you’ve established your essentials, you can decide on the touches that will take your business to the next level. Whether that’s special balloons or confetti, you’ll benefit from making a record of it.
Know your suppliers
Looking for new vendors can be tricky. Newer suppliers don’t have the track record to prove they do good work. On the other hand, their eagerness to get a foot in the door could make their prices a little more flexible.
Older businesses may lean on their reputations of success, but there’s no guarantee their current work is up to their previous standard. In both cases, try to get a sense of how others in the industry view the supplier in question. You can do that by reading reviews or by talking to other businesses in your community.
Track your inventory
Staying on top of your available inventory is mission-critical. It’s the only way you can know how fast you use your supplies, how soon you'll need to order more or how each order affects your cash flow.
Many point-of-sale systems can integrate with inventory tracking software. Use them to keep a finger on the pulse of your supply needs, head off stockouts before they affect customers and gather data about your best sellers.
Looking for more tips? Read 5 Tips on How to Choose the Right Supplies for Your Small Business.
How to organize office supplies
Lost business office supplies are more than a minor nuisance. Beyond the frustration they cause in the moment, lost supplies also contribute to office clutter, lost productivity and costly reorders.
In fact, companies can spend up to 1.4% of their total annual revenue replacing lost supplies. To avoid those pitfalls, get organized.
Learn your office layout
The configuration of your office determines how you can organize it. Where are your closets, cupboards and shelves? What extra floor space do you have that could be converted into additional storage? How can you make the most efficient use of that space?
Remember that keeping everything in one location isn’t always best. The closer you can keep supplies to where they’re needed, the better.
Label liberally
Even the best office managers can occasionally forget where something is stored. To help keep your storage easy to read at a glance, slap a label on every closet door, drawer and container.
The clearer and more direct they are, the more effective your labels will be. That way employees can quickly find what they need without having to check every storage bin and basket. Color coding your labels can make it even easier to find what you need at a glance.
Track your inventory
As your office grows, keeping track of your supply levels will become increasingly difficult. Using an inventory management system can help. A good one can not only track your inventory but it can also analyze your usage over time. You can use that data to iron out inefficiencies.
For more guidance on how to keep your inventory organized, read 5 Quick & Easy Ways to Organize Office Supplies.
What to consider when having supplies delivered
Keeping a business running smoothly takes enough time without constant trips to the office supply store. One alternative: having your business office supplies delivered. Deliveries can make it easier to regulate your inventory even as they save you time and money.
If you want to get the most from deliveries, you’ll need a provider with affordable prices, reliable service and the supplies you need. Here are the factors to consider when choosing a delivery partner.
Pricing
When evaluating whether or not delivery is the right financial decision for your business, don’t just consider what each supplier charges. Even if having your supplies delivered would cost you more up front, consider what you lose by sending an employee to retrieve those supplies
That employee must be paid for their time. Simultaneously, they’re unable to do the job you hired them for. Productivity lost to these pickups can quickly add up. Spending a little extra on delivery may make more sense.
Delivery frequency & lead times
Having your supplies delivered demands some planning. After all, every delivery vendor has a schedule to keep. Their employees need time to coordinate who’s going to receive what and how quickly.
To choose a vendor, make a list of the supplies you order on a regular basis, estimate how quickly you go through them and then look for a vendor that can meet those needs.
Integrated technology
Although coordinating via mail and telephone still works, a technologically advanced supplier may make your life much easier. If you create an account with one, it may be able to display your order history, track your deliveries in progress or set up a recurring schedule for shipments.
Over time, this information can help you learn your company’s buying habits. Planning resupply dates and projecting out cash flow then becomes much easier.
For more factors to consider when choosing a delivery service, read 7 Things to Consider Before Opting for Office Supplies Delivery.
Supplies you can depend on
If you’re looking to get supplies at low prices, Walmart Business is here to help. With a free account, you can shop a wide range of products organized into helpful categories. That helps you find what you need quickly.
Want even more value? With a Walmart Business+ membership, you get free shipping,1 free delivery from a nearby store on orders over $352 and 2% back in Walmart Business Rewards on orders over $250.3 That can save you over $500/year!4 Learn more.
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