Just as a picture speak a thousand words, so does your office furniture “shout out” a lot about your business. Your chosen quality and arrangement of office furniture will not only affect the impression created on others but it will also affect the productivity of your employees. Therefore you need to match your needs, required décor, and budget when buying furniture for your office. Fortunately, with some simple tips you can completely transform your working area even when under a tight budget.
Getting the Best Fit for your Office
To get you started, you need to have a comprehensive plan about your office before you even place an order.
- Office layout-take accurate measurements of the available space within your workstation since this will affect the number and size of furniture to buy.
- List the furniture items-prepare a list of all the furniture items you need and which will be utilized regularly. If you are an online worker then in most cases you may not need some items such as file cabinets. If your office is in need of file cabinets and bookshelves then ensure you include these on your list.
- Storage-plan for your storage needs. This will be affected by the nature of functions carried out within your office. Offices that require a lot of documentation should plan well for storage areas.
- Quality-it is always wise to buy sturdy and durable furniture since this will minimize maintenance and replacement costs. Choose furniture that has been made using high quality material.
Office Furniture Ideas
Budgeting
Budgeting is important when it comes to office furniture since this is a huge investment to any business irrespective of size. You can get a mix of new, used or refurbished furniture if you are under a tight budget. If you are willing and able to splash out some cash, then you can go for new high end quality furniture since these will serve you for many years. Popular brands such as Haworth and Herman Miller have a wide variety of office furniture that will suit any budget.
Another great way to save on good quality furniture is to buy pre-owned furniture. To get the best quality, buy from suppliers who deal on furniture from reputed brands. Irrespective of your choice, ensure you make maximum use of your available office space since undersized or oversized work areas waste space and do not appeal.
When budgeting, consider the number of employees since this will determine the kind of furniture to buy. A shared workstation such as a large desk or a cubicle may be a great option in instances where you have a number of employees who share common functions. Shared workstations offer a great way of cost saving to any business. However, no matter the kind of desk or cubicle bought, new or old, always ensure you get furniture items that match and appeal to your customers and employees.
Interior Design
A well planned office should have some flair on its interior design. You can create a comfortable professional environment for your employees and clients by adopting some simple design ideas;
- Dress up team bulletin boards by painting them with color schemes that blends with your office’s interior.
- Refinish and re-stain wooden desks that look weathered and old. You can also use color stains to add some custom accents to the wood trim on your desks and tables.
- Consider dressing up the cork board by adding some cross ribbons for a more appealing look.
- To give a more custom look to your dry erase board, paint its edges.
- Dress up your plain desks by using stains that are designed to give plain desks a wood grain effect.
- Choose color schemes that are gender sensitive for your office’s interior décor. It should also match with the color of the furniture.
- Place a calming picture (s) or motivational posters within your working area since they have a great effect on your employee’s mood.
- Use soft white lighting and avoid fluorescent bulbs since they tend to bring in headaches and distraction when overused. Make the best use of natural lighting also since it is effective in boosting productivity.
Arranging the Workstation
Proper arrangement of the work station can greatly improve the productivity of employees within your organization. The office and furniture should be organized in such a way that members that carry out same duties stay close to one another. For instance, it will be more effective for your sales team members to share or work close to each other. Mixing such a team with other teams such as finance or any other team will have a bad effect.
Another great way of arranging your working area is to place department, project and team leaders where their team operates. This will boost team work and greatly improve employee accountability and productivity. It will also eliminate the hierarchical sitting arrangement that is associated with traditional office arrangements.
When planning your office layout consider the needs of your employees and identify the members of your team that needs to work together. This will help arrange the working area accordingly.
Buying Office Furniture
You can save a lot of money if you understand the right strategies to apply when shopping around for office furniture. Check out sales ads posted by local supply stores especially during the time of the year when great deals are on offer. You should also consider buying in bulk since some suppliers give great discounts when you buy huge orders. You should also shop around before making a purchase. Ask previous customers about their purchase experience.
Online purchase is one of the best ways of saving on office furniture. You can get unlimited options and deals when you buy online, more so, when you buy from the right supplier. Nonetheless, to get the best deal check out verified customer reviews before making a purchase. You should also be keen on shipping costs and verify the time it takes to receive the furniture.
You can bring out the best design in your office by employing some simple tips and strategies. Furnishing your office will be too expensive for your business only when you lack the knowledge of making the best out of what you can afford.