Before anyone can think about shopping for office supplies on the Internet, they must familiarize themselves with the office supplies of the new millennium. Sure, there are still pens and pencils, paper and paperclips, clipboards and conference folders in every office supply shop, but the inventory list has grown to include some rather untraditional items that weren’t even heard of a few years back. Just 10 years ago, who would have thought to log onto your neighborhood office supply shop and order a satellite navigation system or a 10-pack of DVD+RW? It makes you think a bit, doesn’t it?

With that in mind, think for a moment about what you need in office supplies today and what you might need in 5 years. If your office supply shop doesn’t carry the latest in today’s technologies, just how is it gong to take you into the future? To help you find the perfect office supply shop on the Internet, we’ve going to share 5 great tips to set you onto the right track.

Your ideal Internet office supplier will have:

Tip #1- A Solid Technology Department. Enough said.

Tip #2- Free Shipping. What is the point of shopping online for your office supplies online when you have to pay for shipping? We’re not saying that you should be able to purchase a box of staples and have the shop cover the shipping charges, but they should be able to pay delivery costs when you purchase £30 worth of product.

Tip #3- A wide assortment of office furniture. We’re not referring to just desks and chairs and filing cabinets, but coat racks, umbrella stands, lighting and clocks, too. These tiny details can make or break the comfort of your employees as well as customers that may visit your location from time to time.

Tip #4- Break/Lunchroom/waiting room supplies. Your office probably needs a regular supply of coffee and the cups that hold it, paper towels to clean up our spills, and microwave ovens to heat up our leftovers. Having employees “take turns" just isn’t a reliable option, nor is it fair to ask those who work for you to flip the bill for something they may not even use. Plus, if you’re running a few pounds short for your free delivery, you can always find something that’s needed in this department.

Tip #5- Creativity Supplies. Making a solid presentation that has an impact calls for more than black and white; you need color and creativity to coincide. While computers have made our lives much easier, we cannot forget that not everyone is software savvy. Computers have been known to crash from time to time, and the show must still go on. It might be a wise idea to re-familiarize yourself with what some consider an antiquated medium- We call it paper, colored pencils and magic markers.