| The wonderful world of office supplies-AH! Smell that | | | | consumed items. Notepads and pens tend to grow |
| fresh ink! But what's that? Some of the guys over in | | | | legs often and no one likes to hear about it. The thing |
| sales think they're in sails! One has built a replica of the | | | | is YOU are the one paying for it. Figure out a way to |
| Bounty using paperclips and post-its for sails while the | | | | keep tabs on where your supplies are going. |
| others, being more money management minded have | | | | Sometimes you can drop off a load of office supplies |
| opted for smaller Viking dragon ships. It looks like | | | | and it's like throwing potato chips at teenager: they |
| someone will be making a trip to the office supplies | | | | never hit the ground. |
| store soon. | | | | How you get them is almost as important as where. |
| It sounds a little over the top, but it's an interesting fact | | | | Unless you own a multi-million dollar company, the |
| of office life, when production drops, office supply | | | | office supply chain stores won't always deliver. That |
| consumption increases. In most businesses that only | | | | leaves someone going and buying what you need, |
| accounts for a small portion of overhead, but with | | | | often as you need it. Invoice here and an invoice |
| economics being what they are these days, every | | | | there..... Cut down on the trips or look into an ordering |
| penny counts. Maybe the guy building the catapult out | | | | service. Again, the internet also has plenty of sites that |
| of coffee straws and scotch tape should think about | | | | will deliver for you and save you the trip. One invoice a |
| that. | | | | month sounds a little better, right? |
| There are some controls that can be put into place as | | | | Distributing the supplies is a real pain in the neck for |
| well as some tips that might help you save a little | | | | everyone. It's no fun when you need something for a |
| money when buying office supplies. Where you get | | | | project and you have to track down someone with a |
| your supplies, who uses them, how you get them and | | | | key. It's no fun either to have the key. Often, office |
| distribute them are all factors. These might all be | | | | managers and owners just give up and unlock the |
| implementations you have in place, or maybe they're | | | | supply closet. There's nothing wrong with unlocking the |
| not, hopefully the opening paragraph was funny | | | | closet. But how about if you make everyone |
| enough you'll stick around to find out. | | | | accountable for what they use, and use an honors |
| Where you purchase supplies is a biggie. The local | | | | system for logging what's being taken and used? You'll |
| Office Supplies Plus (or whatever) store is more than | | | | be able to track business related consumption and |
| happy to set up an office account for you, but are | | | | your staff won't need to find anyone with a key. |
| they really that much cheaper? You should | | | | That's a compromise. |
| comparative shop, as with all things. If possible, drive | | | | Hopefully this has inspired someone in the office |
| the hardest bargain you can. Also look at online office | | | | supplies business to stand up for what they believe in! |
| supplies companies as an option. You'll have to order a | | | | Somewhere out there is a happy medium in the world |
| few days- typically five, in advance, but if you have a | | | | of office supplies, a place that's warm and happy and |
| handle on how much you are using, it's not that hard. | | | | full of laughing people. More often than not though, it |
| Besides, if you need something in a pinch, buying those | | | | can be a battle. Having everything on hand is a lot like |
| 30 packs of pens without the 5% discount won't break | | | | air; we don't think about it until it's gone, then it's very |
| you. | | | | important to us. Maybe the guys in "Sails", should be |
| Keep some sort of controls in place for your more | | | | thinking about that. |