Unnecessary stationery is a waste.
There is something strangely satisfying about choosing stationery, but it can easily become yet another hassle if you run your own business or use stationery at work on a daily basis.
Setting up your own business? It's important to find an affordable, reliable supplier to avoid any last-minute envelope crises or stapler emergencies - and most importantly, save time, money and effort in the long run.
Even if you don't have your own business, it's worth reading on for some tips on getting good-value stationery deals.
How much do I need?
On average you should set aside about £200 for your initial office supplies, although it all depends on your business.
Try to resist the temptation to spend your whole budget on the latest "look-at-me-I’m-James-Bond" gadget. It looks good, but make sure you have a desk, chair, pens and paper to get things going first.
What you actually need will depend on your business of course; a sewing machine’s vital for a business making curtains and soft furnishings, but not so crucial for your new minicab driver empire.
However, there are basic essentials all companies are going to need such as: paper, pens, files, a hole punch, a stapler, CD-ROMs, a shredder, a desk and a chair. We picked out some of the key office items that any small business would need to keep going in order to find the all-round best value providers.
Where to get the best value
We tested 20 different outlets including high street names and websites and found that there were three top all-round performers when it came to price, reliability, after-care and returns policy.
They were Rebel-Rebel, UK Office Direct and Staples.
Two more suppliers did generally well – Euroffice and Estockroom.
You will notice that there are no high street names there because the internet has a huge number of sites offering discount stationery and it is a lot cheaper than buying in the well-known stores. Of course if you need a printer cartridge now it is much easier to pop down to the shops to get it, but for everyday cost-saving you are definitely better off ordering in advance from a web-based outlet.
In our experience, there are constant special offers on stationery and they're updated weekly, so if you have the time to search, you can usually find some great offers on specific products. However, as these change frequently it’s a time-consuming process and time is probably what you have least of. So we find it easiest and cheapest in the long run to have an all-round value supplier that is reliable and helpful.
Pick of the pencils
Here are the top five suppliers and the reasons why we chose them:
1. Rebel-Rebel was one of the cheapest sites all-round, with free delivery for purchases over £35 and a 14-day return policy.
Verdict: Our best-value performer
2. UK Office Direct was only £1 more expensive with a 14-day return policy (although this was subject to delivery costs) and free delivery on orders over £30. Its delivery charge for items under this amount was the highest in our top five, though.
Verdict: A close contender on price, particularly for orders worth more than £30
3. Staples was a slightly pricier choice, it does have a 30-day return policy and free delivery on orders over £30. It also had the cheapest delivery charge for orders that didn’t qualify for free delivery.
Verdict: Long returns policy makes it the top choice for items you're unsure about
4. Euroffice was more expensive than Staples, but it still had a 14-day return policy and free delivery over £30.
Verdict: Pricier than the top three, but could be worth a look
5. Estockroom was a lot more expensive than Rebel-Rebel and UK Office Supplies, although about an average price for the overall market. It doesn’t offer free delivery, although it does have a seven-day return policy on most items.
Verdict: A reasonable all-rounder, but check our top choices first
All of these websites were simple to use with accessible search facilities and a large range of products. They were also the best for long-term value.
- Also, if you're looking for cheaper printer ink our blogger Kate Bendix recommends Internet Ink: "It saves me a fortune and doesn’t bugger up my printer."
Get some bargain stationery
Visit these websites to find the best deal for you
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