Investing in products to save cash

[Dan]

Just a quick tip here. I know some of you do this. And I know some of you never will even if it might save a few quid. But here goes.

Take note of what products you've used in the last 3 months in total. Find out the two things you bought the most of. And assume (unless it was due to some random large job) that you're going to use those two products the most during the next 3 months.

Work out a quantity you used, and get some prices for that total quantity you used over the three months from all the suppliers you can find including ones not so local to you.

And see if you can buy in bulk and store (safely and at the right temperature) to save you some cash.

If the two main products you've used work out too bulky for your available storage, try for the next two you used most and are most likely to use again. And end up with a bit of a rolling stock level that each time you buy, you save XX amount. With that amount invest in extra stock and after a year, you've done it at least 4 times, and you should find you end up with free stock of the stuff you used the most, along with a good price long-term from said best supplier.

Not a perfect model for all businesses but give it some thought for your own and you should find some of you will benefit from doing it.

The least you could do it with is Silicon and grout. The most is adhesive and SLC perhaps.

Just a suggestion.

 

[tfs]

Great tip Dan.

I know some tile shops will even store it for you to get the sale. My local shop offered this to me once. (pallet price)

Personally I wont do this at present and preffer to buy pricey items just in time due to cash flow but if I had a contract or any (almost) guarenteed work I would do this.

I do however do this with low cost items e.g caulk, Silicon, sponges, screws and ironmongery but I use these items almost every day and find that I need to restock every month.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

i do this with consumable tools, wash sponges, trowels, Stanley blades, scouring pads ,all sorts i buy lot at one time and then use over the coming month's, great idea DAN

 

[Dan]

You can do it with underfloor heating mats and insulation boards too. You often find that UFH kits over say 10 square meters use a mat (or cable) that is about 10 square meters, and then a smaller mat. Buy as much as you can of the largest mat and then you only ever need to buy a smaller mat (or cable roll) to go with it when you need it for a certain job. Obviously most insulation boards are all .72 sqm or whatever it is, and get chopped up on the job to fit, so those are good buys too if you fit enough of the stuff of course.

And as tfs says, ask if they can store it for you and you just collect as and when needed and knock it off your own stock in their store.

A busy company with a couple of guys would be laughing if they did this with all common stuff. It's how contracting companies end up being suppliers eventually too.

Take a look at the TTA website you tend to find most large contractors are listed as distributors, suppliers, and contracting fixers. That's how they end up being able to price jobs well, win the jobs, and make good profits and keep X tilers going too.

Worth a thought for those considering expansion long-term perhaps.

 

[Alan M]

should work ok. id bet that most on here only use 3-4 types of addys and grouts,primers,silicones etc. people tent to stick with what they know and works for them

 

[White Room]

Good tip Dan, like Diamond pools I keep a good selection of smaller items in bulk....

 

[Dan]

Would be a cool use of the forum if say, 3 local tilers, all clubbed in to get a small stock between them if they couldn't do it alone. Though you'd have to know them well to trust it'll work out long-term as this isn't a short-term investment and if one tiler ripped the other 2 off it would take them 2 months if not a year to claw back what they've lost. And of course it'd cause big big arguments and you risk getting the shop involved somehow too so risk losing your supplier if it royally screwed up for some reason.

 

[Dan]

Good tip Dan, like Diamond pools I keep a good selection of smaller items in bulk....

Ye those are probably some of the safest things to invest in I guess. Might not save you much per order but over a year when you look back it can save you a fair few quid no matter what you buy in bulk as long as you've definitely got the right supplier with the right price.

It gives you some bargaining power though when you're asking for 50 and not just 5 of something though.

 

[Gazzer]

I have on going contracts which us e the same materials every time. I arranged a bulk price for tiles which I get as needed but tile trim and Captile (tile to vinyl trim) I bought in bulk and keep in the store room.
Always have good supply of sponges, Silicon, decorators caulk, spacers etc in stock too.

 

[Sean Kelly]

I recently spent £235 at Trimtraders on tile trim. I know I can always pop into Topps for the trade trim, but this trim is Genesis and Jamoda and is very good quality. I bought the corner pieces too. I recently bought another 2 sheds for the garden for storage. I now have 7 sheds (a bit like a small village at the end of my garden!).