Forget about buying reams of printer paper and one-cent pens. Here’s an office supply list for the 21st-century business owner.
Small businesses in America spend anywhere between $27 to $92 per month on office supplies. If you’re a business owner, then you’ll know that every little bit counts.
While you certainly need to spend money on the basics (such as paper and pens), there are some other things that not only are cost-effective but also facilitate better productivity. In this article, we’ll give you an office supply list of 10 must-have items.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By Abscent
1. Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges
Without spare printer ink and toner cartridges, your business may come to a standstill if you’re unable to print out invoices and other important documents. Make sure you’re well-stocked with both of these items so whenever it runs out, you can quickly grab one and swap out the old one.
2. USB Storage Drives
Chances are, you’ll need to save files and transfer them around on different devices, including your clients’. Because of this, you can never have too many USB storage drives.
Having some extra ones in your office will make it easy for your employees to grab one and put their files onto a USB storage drive. They won’t have to waste time looking around and asking people if they have a spare one to use.
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3. First Aid Kit
You’re required by law to have a first aid kit available in your office, so make sure you’re compliant. The requirements are different depending on how many employees you have, but the truth is, it’s better to be over-prepared than under.
You can either buy a preassembled first aid kit or put one together by yourself. Whatever you choose, make sure the kits obviously marked and placed in an easy to reach place. It may be beneficial to put a bulletin up or send an office email letting everyone know where to find the office first aid kit.
4. Ergonomic Footrests
If your employees aren’t comfortable at their desks, this can lower their productivity, especially if they’re in pain from preventable work injuries. Invest in some ergonomic footrests, as this can help them sit all day with the correct posture.
Make sure to pick footrests that have swiveling features for maximum comfort. Not only can your employees achieve the best posture with those, but they can also get better blood flow and less muscle cramping and pain.
5. Ergonomic Mouse Pads
Another good purchase is ergonomic mouse pads. Your employees probably spend all day on their computers, and this can lead to injuries like tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome.
An ergonomic mouse pad doesn’t cost much and can save you lots of money in the long run. With those two injuries, not only will your workers slowdown in productivity, but they may also have to take time off for doctor’s appointments and surgeries.
6. Cable Management Box
If your office is like most others, all the desks may be cluttered with cables from all the electronics that are plugged in. While going wireless may help with some of this mess, not every device has a wireless option. Plus, those that do might be exponentially more costly.
Give your workplace a neater appearance by purchasing cable management boxes for each desk. Not only do these help to organize all the cables so you have more room and a more professional appearance, but they also make the office safer. Many come with safety features like fireproofing and heat-resistance.
7. Paper Shredder
With important documents, it’s vital you dispose of them correctly so sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. You can pay a professional company to come and shred your documents for you, but this can be pricey, especially if you don’t have much to shred.
A more affordable option is to purchase a decent shredder for your office. Put it in your storage room with a bin and your workers can go in and shred their own documents whenever they have spare time.
8. Tyvek Sheets
Tyvek is made of paper but is very durable and woven so it feels like fabric. It’s also water-resistant so you won’t have to worry about the contents inside getting wet. For this reason, it’s commonly used to ship important documents and items.
You’ll want to have some Tyvek sheets on hand if you regularly ship out products or papers to your clients. For some creative ways on using Tyvek sheets, check out this post.
9. Desktop File Organizer
Having documents strewn across desks can come off as messy and unprofessional, especially if you have clients that frequently come to your office. Plus, your employees may waste valuable time trying to search for individual pages from a document to put together.
Cut down on wasted time and streamline things by getting desktop file organizers for your workers. This can give your workplace a more pristine appearance and your employees will be able to locate files much more easily and faster too.
10. Hand Sanitizer
When people are gathered in an enclosed space for the majority of the day, they’re bound to get ill from one another. Be proactive in keeping workplace sickness to a minimum by giving each workstation a bottle of hand sanitizer and keeping it filled up at all times.
Considering your employees share things like keyboards and mice, and touch workplace surfaces often, germs can spread easily and quickly. Some hand sanitizer can work to slow down this spread.
Put These Items on Your Office Supply List
With all these items on your office supply list, there’s nothing your business can’t conquer. When you add them to your next purchase, you’ll notice a world of difference in your office efficiency after you receive these must-have supplies. So, make a small investment now and you’ll see it pay off when your office can run like a well-oiled machine.
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