Where is Your Money Going

Carter states that depending on the state of the marketplace there could be opportunities for spot buys, but then there are inventory implications. "It's not just good buying," says Carter. "It's [knowing] the implications of these decisions also."

Mistakes can be made

As the economy recovers, it's important not to make certain mistakes. One, according to Carter, is passing along price increases from your supplier to your customer. For example, a supplier says its costs have gone up 10 percent, so it passes that cost onto you by raising your cost 10 percent, and you pass that to your customer. But it doesn't have to be that way. "If the price of pulp goes up," says Carter, "it doesn't mean the cost of paper has to go up by 10 percent."