Todays Mompreneur

Building a business in any form takes money. Like many startups, mompreneurs don’t always have the money for top of the line anything while getting ready to launch their business. Even the smallest detail requires some form of investment, and you need to be prepared.

Rather than running to your local office supplies store and ordering everything they have in stock, step back and consider a few things first:

• What is your budget?

If you do not know how much money you have available to spend on your office needs, then you will most likely over spend.

Pool all of your resources on paper. Look at what you can draw from, as well as what you can not. In the end add those totals together. Is that going to be enough to get everything you need? If not, then you might need to tighten your belt a little and buy things at a discount when possible.

• What is a necessity, and what can wait?

You might need a desk and a computer now but do you really need that fancy printer? Consider what your needs will be starting out. Once things start to get going for you, then you can always adjust and buy that special item when you have more spare money available for investment.

It can be hard to determine between needs and wants. Lets go back to that printer I mentioned above: you need to print off papers, but do you need to regularly scan things for your business? If not, then you could probably get away with a cheap printer until a later date.

• Can you find it cheaper elsewhere?

Before you open your wallet to one store, make sure that item can’t be found at a better price elsewhere. It doesn’t have to be exact, but if you find something that suits your needs, shop around. You might be surprised to find that one store is offering a discount on that item and save yourself some much needed money that can be invested in another necessity.

• Have you checked your local ads to see if you can find something you need that might be gently-used?

People have stuff, and you need stuff. Sometimes you can find big money items listed in the newspaper because the current owner is looking to sell. This is a great way to find a desk, computer chair, or some other important office piece that you need.

Also, look for yard sales. Earlier this year I drove by a yard sale which had out a fancy computer desk for sale. I couldn’t afford it at the time, but it’s a great example of what can be found if you look.

• Borrow if you can!

If you have a friend that isn’t using a desk at the moment, or can spare a folder cabinet, take them up on it! Their kindness will spare you some time until you can afford to buy one. Just make sure to take good care of those items until they can be returned.

• Buy off-brand products.

They’re no less than the brands you recognize, they are simply not as well known as the competition. Sometimes when you buy that high brand item, you’re paying for its popularity.

If you’re going for a computer, you don’t have to buy a Compaq or Dell. There is a brand called Acer which, although they are not name brand, offers some great features within their laptops for less money than their competition.

Budgeting your money won’t save you time, but it will save you from a headache later on. It’s important to know what is available to you before you invest in anything. No matter how much money you have, it’s best to save where you can or else that money will dissolve - fast.

Photo Credit: cogdogblog

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