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Ink Cartridges, Toner Cartridges: Never Run Out Of Office Supplies

Have you ever been working on a really important presentation only to learn that your ink, toner, paper supply or other crucial office supplies are all used up? It happens to everyone that works from a home office and many people who work in small businesses every single day. And, there are times that it can make the difference between landing a contract and missing out on an important job.

So, how do you avoid running out of ink, toner or other important supplies at crucial times? Well, the answer is not the same for small business or home-based business as it is for large corporations. Large corporations purchase in bulk at wholesale prices and then build warehouses if necessary to hold the important supplies. You, however, probably only have a small closet or credenza to store your office supplies not in immediate use.

So, how can you as a small business owner manage to never run out of ink, toner, specialty paper, brochure stock and other critical items? It is really easy if you put a simple plan in place. Only the very smallest operation purchase paper one ream at the time. You probably purchase one case of paper stock so that you can save money. When you stack that paper stock into your credenza or storage closet, place one ream flat on the bottom and on top of that ream stick a brightly colored post-it type note on top of the ream that says in big black letters BUY MORE PAPER NOW. Now, here's the secret of including the word paper in your note. When you reach the ream above the one with the note, you simply pull the note off the unopened bottom ream and use it as a shopping list.

The same process goes for ink, toner, and any other office supply product that you purchase two or three or even a dozen at a time but you never want to run out of that item. The result is that, when you pick up the next-to-last inventory item of ink, toner, or other supply, you pull the note from the last one and use it as a reminder to buy the item now rather than waiting until the last item is in use.

Once you have reach the point of pulling a note from one item, before going shopping or sending someone from the staff to shop for supplies, review the quantity of other items on hand. If you are one ink or toner cartridge away from reaching the last one, it can be more efficient to go ahead and purchase additional ink, toner, or other supplies now rather than making multiple trips to shop. After all, time is money and you don't want to waste either.

When stocking items when you have not pulled the last item from the shelf to use, be sure to stock the oldest items in front rather than adding newer items to the front of the shelf. This will ensure that your stock is rotated properly and ink, toner, and other items with defined shelf-life will not go out of date. Just remember to place your handy sticker on the last one to remind you to buy more before you actually reach the end of your supply.

It's a simple system, but it will ensure that you never, ever run out of ink, toner, paper or other important office supplies at the moment you really need them to get the job done.

About the Author

Mr James has owned The Cartridge Specialists (Melbourne) since 2004 selling ink, toner, fax rolls etc & regularly writes articles about his industry

Author Profile: ajames

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