Amazon Business: What It Is and How It Can Benefit You
Amazon is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla on the consumer retail front, so who was really surprised in April, 2015, when the tech giant rolled out Amazon Business? At the time, Amazon billed its new business marketplace as having combining the “selection, convenience and value customers have come to know and love from Amazon, with new features and unique benefits tailored to businesses.”
Amazon Business, the company said upon the April 28, 2015 rollout, would go big by “providing easy access to hundreds of millions of products – everything from IT and lab equipment to education and food service supplies – as well as business-only selection and pricing.” Amazon Business customers could also count on free two-day shipping on” tens of millions” of eligible items, multi-user business accounts, approval workflow, payment solutions, tax exemptions, dedicated customer support “and much more.”
In honor of the new year, Amazon is running a Back to Business sale on all manner of office-related items. From Jan. 7 to Feb 17, small businesses with Amazon Business accounts can take advantage of special deals and deep discounts on office electronics, future, supply room necessities and first aid kits. And it’s not just no-name brands. You’ll find specials on HP and Brother, among other brand leaders. You can save on bulk purchases of items from office chairs to paper towels.
- 20 percent off Modway office chairs
- 15 percent off Meeting Owl Pro video conferencing cameras
- 20 percent off HP OfficeJet Pro printers
- 68 percent off Rolodex Deep Desk Drawer organizer
- 32 percent off BIC pens
- 44 percent off Oreck Commercial Orbiter Floor Machine
Plus, the company is offering installment services from Amazon’s recently launched Business Services. Here’s a smattering of what you’ll find on Amazon. That means professional installation for your office from handpicked local pros, scheduled at your convenience. You can get help with everything from desk assembly to whiteboard wall mounting and cell signal booster installation.
Let’s break down Amazon Business and its features.
What is Amazon Business?
Amazon Business provides its users purchasing solution for their registered business of any size. Each business can assign users that are allowed to go in and purchase business supplies on Amazon on behalf of their employer. The main administrator can add authorized users, or remove them, as needed, and can manage payment methods, shipping addresses, approval workflows, reporting options, etc. all based on the needs of the business.
“We provide easy access to hundreds of millions of products – everything from IT equipment to janitorial supplies – to businesses of all sizes and across industries,” said Martin Rohde, director of the commercial vertical at Amazon Business.
Price savings and shipping options
Amazon Business offers exclusive price savings options for its registered business members, as well as shipping benefits. Anyone with a business-user account can purchase via Amazon.com. Account holders receive price breaks on multi-unit purchases, general price cuts on millions of business products, and gives users the opportunity to compare prices from multiple sellers. You can even request quantity discounts from some sellers.
“We constantly hear from Amazon Business customers that our business-only prices across such a vast selection of products are key to solving their ‘tail spending’ challenges (money spent on non-planned or managed supplies, spanning a broad range of categories). Tail spend can be costly and time-consuming for businesses, as it often requires managing hundreds or even thousands of different suppliers,” Rohde explained.
As far as shipping goes, you can apply your existing Prime account to your business account at no additional cost, however, this is reserved for single-user business accounts. It comes with unlimited, free two-day shipping on eligible items. If you don’t already have a Prime shipping account, you can add one to your business account based on how many users or employees you have. Up to 10 users is $499 a year, up to 100 users is $1,299 per year, and more than 100 users is $10,099 per year. Also, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.
