Did you rent or buy your office furniture? Some people prefer leasing an office that already has everything needed and some would rather purchase the furniture themselves.
An initial criticism of renting is that your company will not be able to personalize your office as you would want it. This inability will prevent you from setting up a space that reflects your brand.
However, a little creativity can go a long way. You can still hire an office furniture company without sacrificing your office’s brand and identification.
Here are ten steps to hiring an office furniture company that you cannot skip:
1. Determine which pieces you will discard
This step may not be necessary if you are starting from scratch. If you are a startup, you don’t have anything to scrap. On the other hand, you may want to do this if you are an established business and plan to move to another office.
If you are moving to a new location, look around both the office you must leave behind and the office that needs furnishing. Does anything from the old office not fit in with your new location? If you can find anything that won’t function well in your new space, it’s time to let it go.
2. Identify what else you need
You should list the types of furniture that you need. Do you only need to buy a few big pieces and then rent the rest? Or do you need to rent everything?
When making a list, sketch a layout of where the furniture pieces are going. This way, you won’t waste money on items that won’t even make the final setup.
3. Determine a budget
A crucial part of preparing to hire an office furniture company is to know your budget. There is no need to close a deal with an office furniture business when you don’t know if you can pay them.
Make sure that the budget allocation includes other essential aspects of your company. At the same time, do not lower it too much. Remember that aesthetics also play a role in how your clients perceive your company.
4. Ask for recommendations
If you are hiring an office furniture company for the first time, ask other people for recommendations. Particularly, seek out the advice of those who have gone through the process before.
Make a list of the recommendations. Hopefully, your advisers can also provide you with contact details and tips when dealing with their suggested companies.
5. Compare and contrast the different office furniture companies
Analyze your list. Categorize the furniture companies according to price, location, promotions, and other things that matter to you.
Then check the ones that provide you with the most advantages over the others. Perhaps you can make a shortlist of about three companies that you can investigate further.
6. Find out what services are offered by each company
Using your shortlist, find out what services each company is offering. Highlight those that offer you more for your allocated budget. It does not have fancy services, just the ones that you need.
Do you want to rent furniture? The company you choose must enable you to do that. Do you want them to deliver the furniture? Then, look for those who have added delivery services. Finally, do they also provide furniture repair services? Maybe you don’t want anyone else to touch the furniture other than the company renting them out anyway.
7. Ask for a breakdown of expenses
You can never be too careful. Sometimes, companies advertise only the basic fees. Then, they will only talk about the other charges when you are already too deep in the deal. So, ask about all costs right from the beginning. Make sure that you are dealing with the total and not an initial deposit.
Knowing the breakdown of expenses will help you avoid getting into a deal that you cannot afford. It will also prevent any further misunderstanding between you and the company. You want to start on the right foot.
8. Inquire about the company’s policies
When you have decided on one of the office furniture companies, find out about their policies. Here are some possible questions that you can ask them during your interview or discussion:
● Do you rent out your furniture for a minimum or maximum duration?
● What happens when a furniture piece has been irreparably damaged? What are the penalties?
● Do you charge extra for furniture repair?
● What types of insurance do you have?
9. Schedule the delivery
If the office furniture company has a delivery service, find out how to have it delivered to your office. Are they available to deliver on the day that you need to set up? Can they guarantee the time?
It will help if the chosen company operates with a guarantee that they can bring the furniture pieces when you need them.
10. Facilitate the delivery of furniture from one place to another
While your chosen company may have promised to do what you require it to do, it is still your responsibility to facilitate the move.
Be there during the scheduled date so that you can check:
● If the delivery is done on time
● The condition of the different furniture pieces
● Vital documents that have to be signed
● Hidden charges and fine print conditions
● The delivery person and talk about final expectations
● If you can pay according to the scheme agreed upon unless you were required to pay ahead of time
● If they accept the receipt that you have been given upon advanced payment
Being there is not just about easing the job of the furniture company. You can also check if everything that you have agreed upon is what goes through. The furniture also gets to be placed in its proper spaces since you know the layout well.
Conclusion
Hiring an office furniture company can be one of the most stressful things you can do for your company. However, if you make the right choice, you should ensure that your office looks professional. The design and layout should be well-thought-out to ensure that employees are comfortable, and that essential documents and items are organized.
You can get the help of Planwell Strategies if you want someone more experienced in planning something as big as renting furniture. Office furniture can be an expensive investment. So, you don’t want to make the wrong move. However, following the preceding steps should help you get through this primary task with minimal issues.