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39 Great Business Bargains

 
  • Yahoo Hosting and domain registration: $12 per month and up
    E-commerce: $40 to $300 per month, depending on sales volume

  • Homestead Hosting and domain registration: $20 to $50 per month (plus $20 setup fee)
    E-commerce: $7 to $60 per month

  • Microsoft Office Live Hosting and domain registration: Basic service is free; added features cost $30 a month

Web Traffic Analysis

Google Analytics is a free and useful Web analytics tool--if you can get it. Right now there's a waiting list that doesn't seem to be budging. Fortunately, Google is far from your only affordable option. Check out ClickTracks' Analyzer, a basic hosted service that charges $49 per month (or buy the software for $495); Web analytics program SmarterStats 3.0, free for use on a single website (available at download.com); StatCounter, free for up to 250,000 page views; and Site Meter, which starts at $9.95 per month. Numerous free trial versions of other programs are available, too--which can at least hold you over if you decide to wait for your Google spot to open up.

Industrial Space

Even in the information age, manufactured goods can't telecommute. That's why industrial space--factories, warehouses, distribution centers--always costs more the closer it is to large population and transportation centers. Prices decline the farther out you move, but then transportation costs go up--so what appears to be a bargain often is not. The right balance is easiest to strike in less pricey "second-tier" cities such as Columbus, Indianapolis, and Louisville, as well as on the fringes of primary markets--places such as eastern Pennsylvania, lower New York state, and northern Los Angeles County.

Aeron Chairs

Go to authorized Herman Miller dealers first and think of the advertised price as a starting point. Even if you're buying just 10 or 20 chairs, you can bargain. "Every contract is individually negotiated," says Herman Miller spokesman Bruce Buursma. Dealers often have used chairs coming back from leases, which can cost 20 percent less than new ones. Consider lower-cost models too--Herman Miller's basic Celle chair, for example, offers Aeron-like features for about $499, compared with $699 for a basic Aeron. If you're not making progress with the brick-and-mortar dealers, go online. Here's what a recent price comparison turned up (all prices include shipping):

A serious coffeemaker--and serious coffee

If you consider a super automatic espresso machine to be a super productivity booster, check out the "outlet" section of wholelattelove.com, which sells manufacturer-refurbished machines at deep discounts--a Jura-Capresso Impresa S9 (list price, $2,400) goes for $1,399, shipping included. As for beans, get the gourmet stuff from old-school coffee roaster D'Amico Foods, which ships nationwide from its store in Brooklyn--at great prices ($6 a pound for the house blend espresso).

The best rate on credit cards

Start by checking out what your bank offers, then do some comparison shopping. As with personal credit cards, there are numerous no-annual-fee cards out there, so avoid paying such charges unless you truly require the particular services or reward-program benefits of a certain card. At sites like CreditCardGuide.com, CreditCards.com, and MyRatePlan.com (go to the credit card section), you can compare cards and apply online.

Fun and Games

Nothing succeeds in conjuring that giddy dot-com mood quite like little plastic soccer players. A new Striker foosball table retails for $699. But you almost always can find better deals at online specialty stores, many of which also include free shipping--which is no small matter, since delivery of a foosball table can cost a couple hundred bucks.

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    • Adam Bluestein

    A former editor at Real Simple, Adam Bluestein writes frequently about innovation and new technology. He lives with his wife and two children in Burlington, Vermont.


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