We have all been through some tough times lately and things will get better with time. Our economic condition as a country will take some time to turn around but as a small business you need to stay vigilant on watching your expenses.
Continue to watch your expenses and think twice before spending any extra money. Now I can hear you saying that you’ve already cut all the fat out of your business and cut it to the bone to the point you are bleeding. We all feel the pain of trying to keep our business in the black and we do what we must. Grab a band-aid and keep on going.
Check around your office and home and sell anything you no longer need or use. Get rid of the clutter and put some cash in your pocket. 
Being savvy about your purchases may take some work on your part other than cruising the local ads. Do your homework with research before making any major money decisions.
Plan your purchases and if you can budget for them. If you have cash in hand for that next business purchase it may give you price negotiating power at a local level.
Price around what you are considering buying. Find out who has the highest price and the lowest price locally. Then check the internet for prices. I like to use Froogle for price comparisons. Weigh your options of buying on the internet or local. Sometimes buying over the internet you can waive local/state sales tax but will have to pay for shipping. When buying locally you may have sales tax, if it applies, but no shipping. Like I said, you’ll need to do your homework and weigh the options available to help make your decision.
If negotiating locally, know how much you want to spend and have cash in hand ready to buy to show you are serious. Ask the salesperson for a lesser price because you have cash in hand or ask to talk with someone in the store who would have that power. Be prepared to walk away if the store doesn’t want to deal with you or bend on a price when faced with cold hard cash. Did you know that most all countries in the world negotiate the sale price except us. If you don’t ask for a deal you won’t get one.
If you know sales have been slow for the store, bring that to light. Wouldn’t a lesser sale be better than no sale and be reasonable in what you offer if you expect to negotiate.
Dealing with local merchants helps your local economy, a local business and you develop a business relationship locally. Plus if something is wrong with your purchase, you have a local merchant to deal with. 
Avoid the impulse buying and think twice about every purchase. You control the time to buy and if you even really need it.
Let’s face it, everything goes on sale sooner or later and sometimes more than once.
Larger “big box” stores such as Sam’s Club or Costco can also provide you with some better deals as well. This is especially true if you buy in volume. Whether you have need of tires or toilet paper, these larger stores stock the main staples of living and business office supplies. These stores also require membership, but weigh that against how much you can save in several visits could well pay for the membership fee.
Stash that credit card and use cash or debit card whenever you can. Pay off/down any credit cards you have starting with the smallest and working your way up to the largest. If you don’t have any credit card debit, give yourself a pat on the back because you are one of a very few. Negotiate for a lower interest rate on your credit card or do a balance transfer to a lower interest rate card and close off the old one. 
When times are tough like now, there are lots of things you can do without. You decide what is right for you and your circumstances.
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