KEEPING the costs of running your business to a minimum is a key element in ensuring its success.
If you are buying office supplies, packaging products and IT equipment then you should check prices on the internet first.
For example, the cost of a printer ink cartridge in the shops is frightening, for the price you could get a new printer.
The best place to get cartridges at a reasonable price is online, either through stores or via eBay.
But to ensure your purchase goes smoothly make sure you check over a few key points on these sites.
If you are buying through an online store check how much it costs to deliver your item, in the past people would mark up the cost of postage but it is easy to compare and cut out the crooks.
If you are on an office supplies website look out for the addition of VAT which will add to the price, a normal store will provide a complete price.
Check over their postage and packing page to get an idea of when you can expect your cartridges, and team up with friends if they offer cheaper postage for multiple items.
Do make sure that you have picked the correct cartridge for your printer, either check your manual or keep an old box with the details on.
When you make your payment look out for the little padlock in the bottom right of your web browser saying you are on a secure page.
And double check your delivery address as it may not always match the one on your credit or debit card – you don’t want to be sat waiting for the cartridges to arrive.
If you take the eBay option then you are likely to get a bit of a bargain and can easily compare the prices being offered by the suppliers.
The easiest way to find your cartridge is to put its code number in the search box at the top-right of the page.
This will turn up a page of results with prices and the number of days left on the auctions.
But nowadays it is easy to buy items immediately on eBay and you will see that many ink cartridge sellers will offer this option.
If you are registered with eBay and PayPal then your payment and delivery details can be filled in and the sale completed inside a minute.
For those who have not registered then it will take a little longer but it takes maybe five minutes at the most and will make your eBay experience a breeze.
If you are not sure about a seller then take a look at their Feedback, there will be a link on the right hand side.
This allows you to see what other people have said about the person and if they have answered questions quickly and been able to sort out any problems.
Feedback is a valuable commodity to eBay sellers so they will do their best to make sure they have happy customers and so leave positive comments.
And you can always contact individual sellers via email, again you will find a link on the right of the page.
There really is no reason why you should be ripped off by the supermarkets and office supply stores, get online and save yourself a pocket full of cash.
Comments