Small Business Purchasing: Save Money by Considering Reconditioned Equipment and Comparison Shopping

The difficult economy means that many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat and make a profit. This leaves them with two options – either they can increase their income somehow or they can cut costs. Cutting costs is the easier option because there are always savings that can be made. This is particularly important for recent start-ups because they have to stretch their finances for as long as possible until their ventures bear fruit.

Firstly, try to be sensible about the purchases you make. Do not fritter away your budget on non-essential purchases. You should try and negotiate every purchase that you make because if you do not ask for a discount then you will not receive one.

Another option is to purchase equipment which is either used or reconditioned. The potential cost savings here must be balanced against the increased likelihood of equipment failure and the consequences that occur as a result. However, the general rule is that you should always purchase the cheapest functional item.

If you always purchase your supplies from the same vendor, it would be sensible to at the very least go window shopping for a cheaper alternative. If you don’t mind profiting from the misfortune of others, bankruptcy auctions are a great place to find bargain fixtures and fittings.

Comparison-shopping online can potentially save you a fortune on all manner of products. There are websites dedicated to finding the cheapest vendor in a particular industry. You can also save a lot of money by purchasing multi-purpose software that will fulfill all your requirements. For example, if you currently pay separately for accounting software, website hosting and online data storage then it is far more economical to use software that combines all these elements into one package. Remember in general that cheaper is not always better so research all your purchases before you make them.

If you have to use specialist equipment as part of your business, leasing is often the cheapest option available to you. You could also try bartering with other businesses in order to receive their goods or services in exchange for yours. This works particularly well if your business involves a skill or expertise that is in demand.

There are other simple ways of keeping costs lower. Keep track of your office supplies usage and identify where you can make savings – perhaps you are re-ordering stationary at times when you don’t actually need it? Also, try to be prudent with your telephone usage and if you are working from home try to get a residential line rather than a business one because it will be cheaper.

The added benefit of most of these tips are that they are far kinder to the environment than the traditional methods of doing business.