Marketing Insurance Surveys Small Biz. Starting Out Sales Mgt. If you had a personal assistant or an identical clone, then maybe you could justify the time it takes to visit every reseller to find the best deal on new software or hardware, pens and desktop organizers. But if you re like most entrepreneurs, time and labor are at a premium. When you know what you want to buy, there are myriad Web-based search tools called shopping bots or shopping agents that can help you choose which retailer has the price, selection, delivery options and warranty you seek.
Shopping bots track thousands of items from hundreds of merchants.
You ll get the dirt on office-supply vendors without having to take a chance to save a few dollars. Not only does it search retailers, but it also scours the auction sites and classifieds if your business demands used equipment or rock-bottom prices. The service allows users to search for current sales and promotions in software, electronics, clothes and appliances through major department store and retail chain Web sites. Bot technology has a lot to offer those of you without a lot of time or money to spare. When it comes to outfitting your business with office supplies, it always pays to comparison-shop.