In the olden days, if you wanted to purchase something, you had to physically go to the store, pick it out, pay for it, and take it back to your office. Now though, virtually anything your business might need to purchase is literally at the tip of your fingers thanks to the marvels of the internet. But as with every technological advancement, there’s a downside to this new-found convenience. It can be so easy get caught in a cycle of buying things you don’t need based on a spur-of-the-moment impulse. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few helpful hints so that you can use online shopping to your company’s benefit –– not a detriment.
Keep a Running Tally
Maintaining a list of items you or your staff have purchased will help give you a clear picture of how much you spend in a given month, week, and day. Furthermore, it can shed light on non-essential purchases when you take the time to write them down. Plus, it will eliminate duplicate purchases –– one of the worst ways to spend your hard-earned cash.
Exercise Patience
The greatest aspect of buying items online is that you can identify specific products and purchase them quickly. But that can also be the greatest drawback. What might seem like an absolutely essential business purchase at 11:30 at night, might in the light of day prove totally superfluous. So, difficult though it may be, take a breath. Walk away from the computer. And give yourself at least 24 hours to consider your prospective purchase with fresh eyes. Sleeping on it makes a huge difference. Nine out of ten times you’ll find you can continue to thrive without.
Consult Your Staff
It’s almost always a sound decision to collaborate with your team members before making a big decision, and the same holds true for business purchases. Not only will your employees be able to shoot down bad ideas, but they’ll be able to identify things your business really does require in order to excel. Holding a monthly meeting to discuss purchases for materials around the office might only take you fifteen or so minutes –– but could end up saving you big time in the long run.
Save Your Money
Every once in a while, you’ll find you need a large sum of capital to cover an unforeseen expense. And you don’t want to be left short when you need an essential service like hiring an H1B lawyer or redesigning your office space. Fortunately, if you practice sound spending habits on a regular basis, you’ll be able to save up enough capital to allow your business to weather any surprise challenges. And the best way to do that –– simple as it sounds –– is to hold onto your funds until you really need them. So the next time you’re thinking about making a purchase online, ask yourself this question: “Will the company be able to survive without ‘x’ item?” If the answer is yes, then hang onto your spending money. Because there will come a day when you’ll be glad you were sensible, and your business will be better off because of it.
