This Year’s Top Resolution? Smarter Purchasing

Ahhh, New Year’s resolutions...

Lose weight. Walk more. Eat better. Save money. 

(Same.)

But what if this year we put a stake in the ground that actually sticks. Not just buy less coffee or pretend kale is fun, but purchase smarter at your school? YES PLEASE!

The good news is, you don’t have to go it alone. MISBO is your accountability partner! Your go-to friend when you feel like shopping on Amazon. We’ve got your back with tools and partners that make this resolution doable. And, in many ways, we could say, fun (okay, manageable).

Why “Smarter Purchasing” Should Be Your #1 Resolution

Independent school budgets are tighter than those jeans you swore you’d wear to last year’s holiday party. Every dollar counts. But smarter purchasing isn’t about penny-pinching. It’s about purchasing smarter. That means:

• Leveraging group buying power
• Accessing partner discounts you have access to through membership
• Cutting down the time you spend sourcing contracts, quotes, and renewals
• Reducing overwhelm with tools that guide your decisions

WHAT IS A PURCHASING CONSORTIUM?

Meet Your New Best Friends: MISBO Consortium Partners

Imagine a world where every vendor you needed was vetted, negotiated, and discounted because you’re not buying on your own. That’s MISBO’s Consortium Partners. These aren’t random companies. They’re partners who:

• Offer discounted goods and services used by independent schools
• Span multiple categories, including facilities, technology, operations, and more
• Boost your buying power by leveraging all MISBO members
• Help you plan and budget. Whether you’re refreshing tech, upgrading gyms, or buying paperclips… yes, even paperclips. 

• And when you use MISBO consortium contracts, you’re helping support future savings. It’s like a purchasing circle of life.

SEARCH MISBO PARTNERS

Pro tip: If you require multiple quotes for a purchase, always check MISBO’s consortium partners first! It’s savings and due diligence in one move. 

Meet The MISBO Purchasing Toolkit: Your Playbook for 2026

This is your not-so-secret weapon for smarter spending and bigger savings. It’s everything you need to simplify procurement, flex your consortium power, and make your budget work harder (so you don’t have to).

ACCESS THE TOOLKIT

Here’s how the Toolkit supports your resolutions:

• Procure the perfect partner for your purchasing needs (and yes, try saying that five times fast) with Partner Connect.
• See which MISBO members are already using consortium partners and get the real scoop before you commit with School Scout. No guesswork. No regrets.
• Assess your current use of the consortium with the Benefits Report Downloader. Because if savings are there, you should see them.
• Uncover hidden savings with a Vendor Analysis. It’s like found money… but smarter.

In other words, it’s not just what you buy, it’s how you buy. Your procurement process gets structure, clarity, and confidence.

Not only do we have fabulous partners and tools to make your purchasing better, but we have great documents to help you do your job better! Check out the...

New! Facilities Master Checklist! Because You Should Be Organized. 

Say hello to the Facilities Master Checklist — a step-by-step tool to help you plan, audit, and prioritize every corner of your campus facilities. Whether you’re doing seasonal maintenance, getting ready for big events, or handling weather debacles, this customizable checklist helps make sure nothing slips through the cracks. It’s like a New Year’s resolution that actually sticks.

GET THE FACILITIES MASTER CHECKLIST

Here’s the dealio. Making “smarter purchasing” your top resolution isn’t cheesy; it’s strategic.
And with MISBO’s Purchasing Consortium, you’re not just saying the words, you’re doing the work. So go ahead, put it on your vision board next to that beach pic and actually save money this year. Because when your purchasing is smart, your school runs smoother, your budget breathes easier, and, dare we say it, your team smiles more. (Okay, maybe not at the 8:30 AM staff meeting, but definitely when they see the savings.)