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Page 8 of 8
Purchasing
7. Office Supplies and Services
7.1 Purchasing office supplies is often regarded as unimportant. As a result, many start-up businesses end up paying too much.
- Make the initial choices yourself. Then give one person responsibility for reordering.
- Do not overstock. Almost all suppliers will offer you next-day delivery.
- Office supplies specialists (eg Staples) will usually beat the prices on offer at your local suppliers.
7.2 Contracting out services can be more cost effective than using permanent staff.
- Examples include cleaning, maintenance, security and computer services.
- Potential benefits include lower costs, more flexibility and access to continually updated technical expertise.
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