Small business big for Sam's

BENTONVILLE, Ark. Sam's Club announced that since launching its 2009 Small Business Savings Drive earlier this month, it has helped nearly 30,000 small businesses identify $55,654,494 in savings potential.

Year to date, more than 60,000 small businesses have taken advantage of the free cost comparison service, resulting in $126 million in savings, Sam's Club reported.

"In visiting small businesses, we have found many are hunkering down, cutting out unnecessary expenses and trying to manage their cash flow," shared Catherine Corley, Sam's VP small business. "With revenue falling, lowering their (small business) costs is really the only thing they can control right now."

Sam's Club associates have visited small businesses nationwide to perform cost-savings comparisons, and, according to the company, business owners are surprised to find unexpected ways to save on every-day items. For example, a real estate office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was paying 5 cents apiece for 12-ounce foam coffee cups, Corley stated. Sam's price was 2 cents, helping the company save more than $13,000 a year. A restaurant in Prescott Village, Arizona, will save $2,475.66 a year buying 4.5-ounce chicken breast fillets from Sam's, she added.