Some office products can be purchased once and last for many years until they are damaged, lost, or out of date. Others will require regular restocking to maintain their stock and ensure their office can run professionally and efficiently. Here are 10 such items that you might want to include when placing your next office supply order.
1. Masking tape may not be used as often in offices, but when it is required it is usually with some urgency, such as reinforcing packages to be shipped to a customer. For that reason, it’s always a good idea to keep a regular check to make sure someone hasn’t used up the last reel.
2. Post-it notes also tend to sell out quickly, in large part due to their overwhelming popularity with office staff. They’re great for messages, reminders, and other notes, so make sure your staff has access to them when they need them.
3. A stapler can last a lifetime, but staples cannot. They are used to keep important files together, both for internal and external use. If it’s been a while since you last checked your staple stock, please do so before placing your next order.
4. Running out of paper when you need to print an important document, such as a proposal or internal note, could create an embarrassment. Therefore, it is very important to make sure you have enough printer paper. You may also want to order more than just your standard A4 paper. Important documents sent to customers and suppliers may need to be printed on high-quality printer paper.
5. You will also need to make sure your printers have enough ink. This can appear unexpectedly if you don’t have regular checks, so it’s worth keeping plenty of refills in your office supply closet. However, be sure to keep an eye on what you have in store.
6. Printers are not the only machines that require ink. You should also check your copier to make sure you have enough cartridges for it. The need to make multiple copies of important documents when the copier is out of ink can cause problems on several levels.
7. If your office sends a lot of postal correspondence, such as to send checks or invoices, you will need a good supply of envelopes to ensure that the finance and administration departments are functioning properly.
8. If your office coffee runs out, you’ll know soon enough. The staff will require the kitchen to be well stocked with teas, coffee, and milk, so when something like this runs out, ordering replacements will be a top priority. Ideally, you’ll want to place your order when stocks are running low, rather than leaving it until your staff complains.
9. Think about disappearing. Much. And you never want to be in the embarrassing situation of having nothing to write with. It’s a good idea to order plenty of blue or black ink pens, as well as a few red ones (as these are always useful).
10. You will also need to ensure that your staff have access to new notebooks to take notes, brainstorm, and store important information.