Cutting back on business expenses is often easier said than done, especially when it comes to products or services that are essential to basic business operations. That is why the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce offers a program to members that provides special pricing on perhaps the most basic necessities of all — office supplies.
Through a partnership with DOCS, a locally owned office supply company (that also offers office furniture, home furnishings and promotional items), Chamber members have already saved more than $138,000 on the items they simply can’t live without.
With more than 40,000 items available through its catalog and online, DOCS offers program participants a lot of opportunities to save, according to Carol Whittaker, DOCS account executive and program liaison. “All they have to do is fill out the form, and then we help them set up the account,” Whittaker said. “Then they get immediate access to special pricing on all our office supplies. They can order online, by fax or just call it in. We do our best to be as flexible as possible to make ordering easy and convenient.”
Another plus for Chamber members is that the dollars spent on office supplies — a major budget item for many companies — stay in town, contributing to the local economy. According to a recent study on retail economics, for every $100 in consumer spending, $68 stays in the community when purchased from a locally owned company.
Tallahassee-based Premier Bank believes in the power of local connections and was anxious to take advantage of the program, according to Amy Campbell, senior vice president of human resources and branch administration. “We wanted to benefit the community by buying local, which is an important part of who we are at Premier,” Campbell said. “Anything we can do to support local business, we try to do. Plus they are saving us a lot of money.”
Providing a virtually seamless transition to the new system was also helpful, according to Campbell. “DOCS came in, set up individual accounts for those who do our ordering, and made it even more convenient to access our most frequently ordered items,” she said. “Everything from initial training and delivery to accurate orders and customer service has been great. We are very pleased with the program.”
In addition to the money savings and convenience of the DOCS program, Campbell said Premier was excited to be part of another Chamber program designed to connect local businesses. “The Chamber offers so many ways for local businesses to interact with other businesses in the community, such as networking programs, professional development events and free learning opportunities that it seemed like an easy decision to make. Everyone wins.”
For more information about the DOCS office supply program or how Chamber membership can work for your business, call Amy Lindner at (850) 521-3118.