It’s an amazing feeling when you are finally able to get a business idea off the ground and can finally afford a proper location to set up an office. However, prepping this office does take a lot of work, and you have to ensure that the interior speaks volumes to what kind of business you run. This is why having the right kind of furniture really does make a difference.
If interior design is a weak spot for you, don’t fret. There are plenty of avenues that you can take to get a helping hand to get this right. You can consult an interior designer to set the direction for you and help you create the right vision. Something else you can do is find a suitable office furniture business that can give you insight on what kind of options there are so that you can have a better idea of the direction you’d like to go. Either way, as long as you have professional and reliable sources, you can’t go wrong. However, it’s extremely important that you still have the basics down of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to furnishing your office. This is why we’ve made a list of the do’s and don’t when buying office furniture.
The DO’S
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Have a Long-term Plan Set Up
While it’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of getting your new office, it’s important that before you go shopping for office furniture, you have a strategy. You need to have blueprints of the office plan and work with the measurements you have. It’s wise to plan ahead and consider what kind of space you’d like to have, perhaps 5 or 10 years in advance. Don’t overcrowd the space and always plan with the possibility of change in mind.
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Invest in Ergonomic Furniture
To run a successful business, you need to make sure that your employees are working in an efficient but also comfortable setting. This is why you must invest in ergonomic furniture, such as ergonomic office chairs. If they’re going to be spending long hours at their desks, you need to make sure that they’re not in pain by the end of the day because you flaked out and got terrible seats and desks.
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Ensure that the Furniture is Easy to Move
Something as simple as moveable furniture might seem trivial, but with time, you’ll realize what a big difference it makes. A moveable office letter board or whiteboard can make life so much easier when meetings move, or when there’s an unplanned seating change. For people who need to move from one desk to the other, or turn around and access files consistently, a moving chair with wheels that also rotates is going to be extremely convenient for them. This is also a valid point when it comes to the time when you want to rearrange the look of the office. Easy-to-move furniture will go a long way in making life easier. It’s easy to find suitable office furniture online, where you can check out different models of chairs, tables, or storage to see what is best for your office.
The DON’T’S
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Get the Total Cost of Ownership Wrong
Something that a lot of business owners often get wrong, especially if they’re buying furniture for the very first time for their office, is that they tend to forget that the cost of something doesn’t just stop at the actual price of the item. You have to calculate shipping, assembly, and possible repair in the future.
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Assume that All Furniture Companies are the Same
Don’t assume that all furniture companies are the same. You have to do your research with this one, and it’s best to ask around as well. You need to ensure that not only is the company that you’re dealing with reliable, but you also want to make it a point to know every single thing about their products, where they’re made, what kind of warranties, and deals they offer, and so on.
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Consider Second-Hand Furniture
It may certainly be tempting to consider getting second-hand office furniture, but don’t do this. While it might seem great at first, they are bound to not last as long as brand new furniture, and you’ll just end up having to spend more by repairing or replacing it altogether.
Before you venture out to make choices to furnish your office, it’s important that you keep the do’s and don’t’s that we’ve mentioned here in mind. Furnishing your office is not the same as furnishing your home- you have a different goal in mind altogether. You have a certain image to uphold, the comfort of the employees, and it needs to be practical for the kind of work that you do, and also be able to last you for years to come, also to accommodate any changes that you may have in mind for the future.
