by Mike Allen

Have you ever considered how much money is spent on janitorial supplies? Have you ever felt like good money was being mopped onto the floors? Many good managers have doubtless imagined a variety of ways that they could justify working with the lights off or ways that they could clean without using any chemicals. Janitorial supplies are a necessary part of a successful business. However, after taking a close look at our expenses, we have been able to realize some tremendous savings.

1. Review this area with those who are directly involved in using these items daily. They will be able to tell you what is being used and what is not being used. In addition, insure that those who do the ordering of product are aware of the cost of the product and that they understand the importance of watching the bottom line.

2. Check inventory. Many companies will deliver next day or in two days with no added charge (sometimes they may have an order minimum), so there is no need to have a one-year supply on hand. Check for items being ordered that are not being used.

3. Compare prices. Much time could be wasted here, but an annual review may prove to be worthwhile. Many of the warehouse stores (Sam’s and Costco) have all the janitorial supplies that are needed, and they will deliver in many places at no cost.

4. Ask for better pricing from your representative. This may seem obvious, but we recently discovered that our rep was able to get much better pricing for the same quality of (or better) product.

In all, we were able to see a savings of over $3,500 by following these simple tips. This is more than $15,000 over the next five years.