Oft-forgotten business supplies
There are many items that one would claim is essential to the effective operation of a modern business, computers, office space, telephones, but what about the minor things that although firms often forget about, are fairly vital to the running of a company?
- It might sound banal, but cleaning products are more essential to the running of a business than you might think. Even if a company hires an external agency to clean its premises, a few small supplies of cleaning products mean that any accidents can be sorted out, and the spread of illness can be halted. A workforce at home on the sick isn’t a very productive one!
- For companies that operate from a mail order magazine, or online, packaging will already be top of their agenda. For others however, this is an area that will most likely be neglected, despite the large amount of ‘snail mail’ that a lot of companies still send out. Envelopes and associated paraphernalia all fall under this bracket, and being caught short will only decrease efficiency and ultimately affect the bottom line.
- Things like portable stock taking machines and electronic scales all take batteries, and unless there is a supply of them for when old ones run out, more work time could again be wasted. Not all types of batteries are available widely, and specialist orders are often required. The same goes for battery packs on laptops and palm tops, as it’s not always easy to get to a power socket, and backup batteries could come in very handy.
- Mice and keyboards although inconspicuous can cause massive waste of labour if they fail. There should always be spares of these types of items around, even if that means ordered extra and the point of purchase.