The Supplies Guys have discovered an obscure provision in the latest government jobs bill, that as part of this new economic stimulus package, the United States Government would give small businesses free printer supplies through 2011.

Bill S.3103 was introduced in the Senate this month with the title “Small Business Job Creation Act of 2010” with the stated intent “to help small businesses create new jobs and drive our Nation’s economic recovery.” You can read the full text of the bill here.

During the Senate debate on the bill it was agreed that providing small businesses with free products, those manufactured by other businesses, would allow small businesses to allocate their finances into other important areas.  Essentially the elimination of funds for supplies will stimulate hiring within small businesses, resulting in economic and employment growth. Furthermore, it was also made known that printer and printing supplies, such as ink and toner, were vital to such businesses and therefore these products were added to the list of qualifying products which the government would pay for.

As small business owners and/or employees, you may be surprised to hear that the government will be footing the cost for your ink and toner supplies. Believe it or not, the provision has made it into the bill. You can go to the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access to see the specific language.

To be eligible for this provision, you must employ less than one person and have yearly revenues of $1 billion or more. For full requirements, please visit www.sba.gov and www.recovery.gov.

This Lexmark commercial might be a great trick you’ll want to play on someone you know!