January is a busy and potentially expensive time of year for many small businesses. In addition to day-to-day operations, business owners are making plans and setting goals for the months ahead, replacing aging equipment, and dealing with inclement weather that may affect client demand and employee work schedules. All of that being said, the New Year can also be a great time to stock up on what your business needs for the coming year at low prices. If you plan things right, you can end up saving a lot of money in the long run.

Here are a few tips to help you get through this time with a little extra cash in your pocket:

• Look for ways to combine seasonal sales with coupon codes or other discounts – If you know of an amazing sale going on at your favorite online or offline retailer, see if you can’t stack the savings with coupon codes or other discounts. You may be able to get a percentage off in addition to free shipping, for example, or sometimes you can get kickback savings if you purchase a certain dollar amount.  Don’t be hasty in your New Year’s shopping—take your time to find the best deals possible.
• Find great deals on last year’s models – Don’t listen to the marketers—the best prices are often not found on Black Friday, but are instead often seen in January and February when stores are looking to clear their shelves of last year’s products. From new office chairs to refrigerators to laptops, do your research to find great products that may simply be outpaced by this season’s latest and greatest. This can translate to you getting a great product at unbeatable savings.
• Talk to your vendors – In the same way that retailers are looking to get rid of products for cheap prices, vendors may be willing to give you special New Year’s promotions or sales in order to start the year off right.Talk to them to see if you can get a discount on sales, especially if you’re willing to commit to a purchasing agreement.
• Buy in bulk – This one is easy—often you can save anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars by buying items in bulk. Because of the high volume of products ordered, you can get per-product savings as well as discounts on shipping costs. In addition to standard items that you would consider getting bulk savings on (toilet paper for the office, instant coffee, etc.), consider buying your IT equipment this way. You can usually buy computers in bulk for cheaper than getting them individually. Again, if you have a direct contact within a supplier, talk to that person to see if you can get a better deal if you buy more at a time.
• Invest in quality IT equipment – Let’s face it—sometimes you spend more money managing and replacing faulty IT equipment than you save in purchasing lesser quality machines. That being the case, the New Year is a good time to take stock of what shape your current infrastructure is in and make changes as necessary. As an example, you may want to consider investing in carrier grade servers (extremely reliable machines built to withstand natural disasters). While your initial investment may be a little more than what you would pay for a standard, entry-level server, you can save money over the long run from not having to replace it as often.
• Consider giving your employees some time off – If yours is a business that can withstand sending your employees home for a few days, you may be able to cut some costs that way. Give your employees a January break—they may even thank you for it. Some companies have implemented this cost-saving tactic in leaner times only to find that their employees love it. Now that business is back, they still follow the practice of giving their employees a few different breaks during the year.

Have you tried any of these tips in your own small business? What are your holiday saving tips?

Jared Jacobs has professional and personal interests in technology. As an employee of Dell, he has to stay up to date on the latest innovations in large enterprise solutions and consumer electronics buying trends. The trend he is most interested in right now is telco data and carrier grade servers. Personally, he loves making additions to his media rooms and experimenting with surround sound equipment. He’s also a big Rockets and Texans fan.