Plastic Jungle can help small businesses to instantly increase their profit margins!

Owning your own business can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling. You get to be your own boss, make your own hours and make money doing something you’re passionate about.

There are also risks and challenges involved as well. You might be the CEO and the VP of Marketing, and Human Resources, and Finance and Customer Service. You must manage ample cash flow, manage employees and manage the temptation to work 24 hours a day.

And in this economy, managing the bottom line is especially crucial. Here are some tips on how to tighten your budget:

Drop the Land Line and use your business’ existing broadband internet connection to route calls over the internet.

Pay Bills Online and save money on business checks and stamps.

Utilize Free Software like Google Docs or OpenOffice.

Buy Refurbished Office Equipment for printers, faxes and computers.

Save Electricity with fluorescent lighting and turn off all your electrical appliances at the end of each day.

Maximize Free Publicity with press releases, social networking and customer referrals.

Go Paperless and send newsletters, forms and invoices through email.

Renegotiate Your Lease to a lower rent while vacancies are high or consider working out of a home office.

Contract Out Services, such as Virtual Office Support for administrative tasks and save on payroll and health benefits.

Find Wiggle Room on Your Insurance Plan and see how your agent can lower your fees.

Brown Bag It and bring your lunch every day.

AND GUESS WHAT?

Plastic Jungle can help small business save money, too!

You can buy discounted gift cards for up to 35% off and instantly increase your profit margins.

If you are a Builder, Sub-contractor or Handyman:

Buy discounted Home Depot, Lowe’s and Ace Hardware gift cards and you can save at least 6% off! Add any rebates or in-store promotions and watch your profitability multiply.

If you are an Interior Designer:

Buy discounted gift cards to CB2, Crate & Barrel, Ikea, Pier 1 Imports or Pottery Barn. You can save up to 20% on kitchen purchases at Ikea now and Restoration Hardware is currently offering a “Bed and Bath Event” where you can save an additional 25% off.

If you are a Restaurant Owner:

Buy discounted gift cards to Albertsons, BevMo, Costco, HEB Grocery Store, Safeway and Trader Joe’s. Join BevMo’s ClubBev! and get a 5% Savings Reward – every time your total spending reaches $250, they’ll send you a 5% savings Reward! And check out HealthyLifeDeals.com for current coupons at Trader Joe’s – this week’s deals include $1.00 off Rudis Organic Hot Dog Buns (6ct, normally $2.99) or $1.00 off Morningstar Patties, links or bacon (regular price $3.39).

If you are a Seamstress or Artist:

Get your fabric and art supplies using discounted gift cards to Hobby Lobby, Joann Fabrics or Michael’s. Sign up for Michael’s Weekly Ad to get additional savings on over 100 products each week!

And For Every Small Business Owner:

Whether it’s paper, pencils, filing or storage, small business owners can stock up on all their office supplies using discounted gift cards from Office Depot, Office Max, Staples or The Container Store. At Office Depot, if you join their Worklife Rewards® program and present your Member number every time you shop, you’ll receive 10% back in Rewards on ink, toner, paper and copy and print services. Membership is FREE and can be processed online, in any Office Depot store, or by phone at 1.866.322.3225.

Owning a small business is not just another job.  It’s a completely different lifestyle. Let Plastic Jungle make your life a little easier with our discounted gift cards.

Everyone loves to save moolah, even the staff at Plastic Jungle!

Just like you, we scour the site for the latest deals, sign up for notifications with our favorite merchants and get creative with promo codes and coupons.

Want the inside track from company insiders? I chatted with a few Plastic Jungle employees from different departments (Marketing, Product Management and Customer Support) who shared their personal savings stories and red hot deals.

Name and Department: Irene, Customer Support

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 5 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase and why did you buy that card? I purchased a $300 Target gift card at a 3% discount because I moved home after college and sold all my old furniture. I always relied on Target for their wide variety of bedroom accessories.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Target did not have discounts on the items I was purchasing, but the Plastic Jungle discount is better than no discount!

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I can easily spend more than I really should every time I step foot into Target, but Plastic Jungle’s discounted gift cards justify my shopping habits with their discounted savings.

Target – 3% off

Name and Department: Kathryn, Marketing

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 4 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase and why did you buy that card? I purchased a $250 Pottery Barn gift card at a 10% discount because I wanted to replace the sofa cushions on my 9-year-old Pottery Barn couch.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Pottery Barn seldom offers any coupons (mostly just seasonal promotions) which is why I was thrilled to save the 10% off at Plastic Jungle.

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? The replacement sofa cushions were $200 vs. spending over $1000 on a brand new sofa. By saving 10% I was able to cover the cost of shipping and some of the tax!

Pottery Barn Kids – 10% off

PB Teen – 8% off!

Pottery Barn – 10% off!

Name and Department: Raina, Marketing

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 11 months

What was the last card you sold to Plastic Jungle and which payment option did you select? I cashed in Pier 1 Import cards that I had been carrying around in my wallet for the last 5 years. I redeemed them for Amazon credit to avail of the extra 5% cash back that PJ offers with Amazon payouts.

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I used the Amazon credit from redeeming my 5-year-old housewarming gifts to buy myself a new Canon DSLR which I used on my recent trip to Alaska. Thanks to Plastic Jungle, my $200 add-on lens was free!

Name and Department: Arturo, Product Management

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 1 year, 3 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase and why did you buy that card? I purchased $9000 worth of Lowe’s gift cards at a 9% discount to do some remodeling on the house I recently purchased.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Yes, I used a Lowe’s 10% discount that I received after I registered my ‘change of address’ online with the Postal Service.

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I was extremely thrilled to save almost 20% off some of the remodeling costs of my new house. Here’s how I did it:  Plastic Jungle had Lowe’s cards at a 9% discount and with the additional 10% from the Lowe’s discount coupon, I ended up saving close to $2000 with this transaction alone. (Note: I had to negotiate that the 10% coupon applied to the  entire purchase. It was for up to $5000 only, but given the large purchase, they agreed.)

Lowe’s – 7% off

Do YOU have a favorite deal to share? Share your story and we’ll feature it in an upcoming blog post!