Stocking Up for Success: Office Supplies for FY 2025-26
- Fairy Gada
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
The new financial year, FY 2025-26, is just around the corner, and it's the perfect time to refresh your office supplies and set your team up for a productive year.
Starting from the very first day of April, we’ll need new files and folders to organise various bills and documents. I’ve ordered the necessary office supplies well in advance. I’ve got them labeled and segregated. This will prevent any organizational delays during the year-end rush, allowing us to concentrate on essential tasks like statement reconciliation and smooth business operations.
As I was making a count of files I'll need, I also went through the stationery inventory. I prioritize keeping essential items like pens, printer paper, stapler pins, labels, markers, and notepads fully stocked to ensure our daily operations run smoothly. Even seemingly small shortages can significantly disrupt workflow.
It might sound trivial, but you'd be surprised how much even small, inexpensive items can disrupt progress when they're missing.
So here's a quick guide to ensuring you're fully stocked and ready to go.
Take Inventory: What Do You Really Need?
Every organisation has its own set of stationery needs.
Before you start ordering or filling your online shopping cart, take a thorough inventory of your current supplies.
What's running low? What's completely depleted? How much of it will you need for the coming months? What items are rarely used and take up valuable space?
[Tip: Business cycle does impact your office supplies requirement. Don’t compare the stock requirement just to the previous month's. Your office supply needs are tied to the overall health of the business and the economy. So, instead of just looking at last month's usage, consider the current economic trends, business activity and how much you utilized the items in previous years.
For example: We need more printing paper, markers and packaging material from July to December. It's just before the festive season starts.
When placing this March order, I'm projecting our supply needs for the next six months, rather than basing it on the usage from December through March]
Consider:
Writing tools: Pens, pencils, highlighters, markers [Thin, thick, colour-wise; marker ink, whitener].
Paper Products: Printer paper, notebooks, sticky notes, envelopes, folders, file organizers.
Files and folders: Spring cardboard files, Document sleeves, ring binder files, expandable cheque book holders.
Desk Accessories: Staplers, tape, tape dispensers, paper clips, scissors, blades, pins
Technology Supplies: Ink cartridges, toner, batteries, USB drives.,
Cleaning Supplies: Wipes, hand sanitizer, cleaning cloths, brooms, toilet brushes, toilet cleaners, glass cleaner, dustbin bags.
Ask your employees for feedback on their supply needs. They might have specific requirements or suggestions that you haven't considered.
Budget Wisely: Plan Your Spending
Though I don't have a rigid budget for office supplies, I ensure responsible management by assigning someone to track usage and prevent waste or theft. I also conduct regular cost comparisons over time to control spending and prioritize essential items. To maximize savings, I seek bulk discounts and supplier offers, and ensure proper long-term storage since these items don't expire.
I personally save money by ordering all my office supplies from Amazon Business. It's a pro-tip I can't recommend enough.
Amazon Business can be a valuable tool for saving on office supplies and other business essentials.
By leveraging features like bulk discounts, quantity price breaks, and business-exclusive deals, companies can significantly reduce their procurement costs.
Additionally, the platform's ability to compare prices from multiple sellers ensures that businesses are getting competitive rates.
Streamlined purchasing workflows, including automated approvals and consolidated invoicing, can also save time and resources, further contributing to overall cost efficiency.
Furthermore, Amazon Business's analytics tools provide insights into spending patterns, enabling businesses to identify areas for optimization and make informed purchasing decisions, ultimately leading to greater savings.
Explore Sustainable Options:
Eco-friendly alternatives have always been on my mind. Like we use refillable markers, store bits of papers for recycling, etc. Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your environmental impact.
Consider sustainable and cost effective options. For instance, I opt for powdered hand wash, use a durable fiber broom for long-term use, recycle sellotape leftover rolls, bits of paper, plastic bottles, etc.
Organize and Streamline:
Once you've received your supplies, take the time to organize them effectively. Create designated storage areas for different items, making it easy for everyone to find what they need.
To maintain the quality of our stored supplies, I ensure proper storage and use moisture absorbers (silica gel packets) to prevent mold growth on cardboard and paper items.
Don't Forget the First Aid Kit:
People tend to forget about first-aid kits, puja (prayer) essentials and incense sticks, which results in them having to buy them at the last minute for a full retail price.
Ensure your first-aid kit is fully stocked with essentials.
By taking the time to plan and prepare, you can ensure a smooth and productive start to the new financial year. Happy stocking!
MORE SUCCESS TO YOU IN FY2025-26!!!
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