A small-to-medium sized business can rapidly spend a fortune on supplies like stationary, pens, toner and ink cartridges, staples, shipping boxes, and fuel for its fleet.

Normally, strong supply buying-power is reserved for large companies that are able to buy in volume. Now, there’s a new buying group poised to help any of Australia’s more-than two million SMEs source supplies at prices comparable to those the big firms pay.

Founded late last year, SME Savings has already enlisted over 400 members and has secured numerous big-name suppliers, including Officeworks, BP, and the Commonwealth Bank, to name a few.

SME Savings harnesses $25 million in buying power, which (believe it or not) is available to its members with no fees to join, no obligation, and no ongoing costs.

SME Savings isn’t gimmicky either: The group’s model does not hinge on daily deals or random, niche products that fail to address tangible business demands.

The savings that SME Savings members enjoy are ongoing and the group strives to make sure the deals are relevant to smaller businesses. The types of products made available by the group’s suppliers represent quality, usefulness, and value.

Why SME Savings?

SME Savings founder Michael Reid sums up the group’s mission saying, “Put simply, SME Savings exists to bring some balance back to the playing field between big businesses and SMEs. Big businesses have always been able to leverage their bigger buying power to obtain better prices from suppliers, but SME Savings gives small-to-medium sized businesses the opportunity to tap into this bigger buying power too.”

Reid started SME Savings in 2011 to address the need for better buying options for SMEs. Reid and Co. understand that many entrepreneurs struggle to determine what price they should be paying for supplies.  SME Savings presents small-to-medium sized enterprises with a way to leverage costs by taking advantage of group buying power; in doing so, driving costs down to a point that might not otherwise be possible.

More than just a supplier, SME Savings provides customer care, as well. The staff of SME is readily available to field phone calls and respond to emails.

Of course, SME Savings is helpful to its suppliers as well. The suppliers who work with SME Savings stand to attract substantial new business by offering savings to SMEs that might not have looked at the suppliers’ products before joining the group.

Not surprisingly, Reid says the response so far has been very positive:

“It’s always a good sign when customers take the time to write to a service to thank them for your assistance and savings.”

No gimmicks, big savings. What’s not to like?