You might be a business owner who is currently establishing your business. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur who plans to have a business expansion. Or you are a small business owner who is thinking of refurbishing your office to have a new look. If you are any of these three, you will likely purchase furniture for your office soon. Shopping for furniture may sound like a fun activity, but have you ever considered the things you need to look for before buying equipment?
Buying furniture for your business office is no simple matter. Furniture brings quite an impact to your business or brand, not only to your clients and customers but also to your employees. It might seem unlikely and unimportant, but furniture can make or break their impression.
The impression of your clients and customers is critical for you as a small business owner. Thus, it is important to make them feel comfortable and well-accommodated to ensure a positive and satisfying effect. Seemingly trivial things that the customers experience while at your office may affect your ratings in terms of service and how you seem to take care of your business, including customers and employees.
Hence, buying furniture should be well-thought and considered. After all, you’re not only thinking about how you can decorate your office to look more appealing and presentable, but you’re also considering your budget and the money you are going to spend on it.
You don’t want to make a bad impression as a business, do you? This article will tell you what every business owner should know before buying office furniture.
What is the importance of furniture in your business office?
Furniture plays an important role in your everyday business because this equipment gives comfort and a relaxed ambiance to your office. Investing in high-quality, presentable, and comfortable furniture can also become a part of your business's success as a small enterprise.
Here are some of the reasons why furniture is important for your business.
Good furniture makes a good impression.
As a customer, how would you feel if you were asked to sit on a faulty sofa that was pretty torn? You’d probably feel okay, but you might not have a good impression of the overall business, including the accommodation service.
As you can see, the furniture in your office might also affect your credibility as a business. If you have poor quality furniture, your customers might think that you are not very good at doing your job service, or your products are made carelessly and clumsily.
Furniture can communicate your values as a business.
Your furniture's current state, quality, and how you arrange it reflect your business values. These may be pretty crucial for your clients and aspiring employees as well. After all, having a comfortable environment tells how you value your people.
Your customers will feel how you value them just by sitting on your comfortable couch or with the number of chairs available to serve them. Sometimes, the presence of television in your office lobby also tells how much you consider them. True enough, furniture could help you raise your clients’ morale and their impression of you, which can help you retain them in the process.
For hiring and recruitment of employees, your office shows how much you take care of your people. Do you have a comfortable working environment? Are you considering the employees’ health by providing ergonomic furniture, and are employees’ interactions and engagements easy? After all, your people provide great value to your small business.
Furniture contributes to your work culture.
Having good furniture in your office or workstation both plays and contributes to your business performance. In fact, it can be one of the reasons for your business growth. Your furniture, after all, is one of the main assets you have in your office.
Having good quality furniture helps your employees become more productive and effective. This can in turn generate more quality output and outstanding performance, leading to your business growth. The happier and more enthusiastic your employees are, the more your business continues to thrive.
Investing in the best high quality furniture can be a bit expensive for you as a business owner, but thinking of the returns, in the long run, would make them a good and worthy investment.
Having an ergonomic work environment for your people reflects your work culture, too. Its comfortability, efficiency, the effectiveness of business operations, and even your daily working routines in the office can be seen in your environment.
Presenting a good work culture and environment also helps you attract more employees in the long run and establish a good business reputation in your industry.
Things That Small Business Owners Must Consider Before Buying Furniture
Buying furniture is not a simple matter, as there’s a need for careful thought and consideration before finally purchasing it. You might spot a gorgeous leather sofa, a luxurious chandelier perfect for your lobby, or even a very comfortable chair, but are these things really the perfect furniture?
Remember that buying furniture does not solely depend on its color or aesthetic. Sure, as a business owner, you might want to appear presentable and credible. You might aim to receive the best compliment from your customers about your office, but looks should not only be the only thing to consider.
Here are a few things to consider if you’re eyeing for new furniture to buy for your office, especially for small business owners:
Figure out your customers’ and employees’ needs.
As a small business owner, it is likely that you will only have a limited budget for your furniture. Though they might be considered your assets, not every single available piece of furniture can be of use to you, so splurging may not be an option. The same goes with your customers, employees, and other people involved in your business.
Try to figure out what you could provide for your customers or clients while in the office. Your business or service might require them to wait on you, and a stream of customers could necessitate places to sit while they are standing by. In that case, consider the number of seats or the possible entertainment you can give them. Put yourself in their shoes, so you can identify which furniture should be considered essential.
The same goes with the people in your business. Is there any equipment they would need for their work, such as ergonomic chairs, tables, or lights? How many people are always included in a business meeting? How big should the meeting space be?
Reassess your daily operations and consider which furniture is needed to provide everyone with a comfortable working environment.
Determine your working space.
You might have determined that you need multiple large seats, a television, or a few plants and other decorations, but it will be pretty useless if you will not be able to organize them at all. You might try, but a cramped office is not good either.
Make sure that you consider the size of your working space. If you went for large furniture, your office might feel too small to move freely. No matter how beautiful or grand your office looks because of your furniture, it’s no use if they become a hindrance to everyone’s efficiency.
Check the comfort and functionality.
Always look beyond the aesthetic appearance of the furniture. Having presentable and good office equipment would indeed raise your reputation and impression. Still, you will not be able to maximize its full potential when there are features that are either lacking or in excess.
For instance, buying a luxurious and beautiful office chair that also causes you or your people back pain is not ideal. Nowadays, ergonomic furniture is a thing. These are worthy of purchase because of their aesthetic, comfort, and functionality.
You should also be careful not to buy furniture with lots of features that might only be in vain. Most of the time, furniture with many features is more expensive. It is also important to note that the furniture should be comfortable to ensure a smooth workflow.
Confirm the quality and durability.
When buying furniture, you should also know the quality and durability of the equipment. These two elements are pretty critical since they determine the life of your furniture. You don’t want to repurchase furniture in a span of a few months or years, do you?
It is best to go for the highest quality furniture since it would be more financially advantageous, especially for your small business. It might be pretty expensive at first, but if you think that it will last for a long time, it might be worth it to buy. Replacing furniture every once in a while will be more expensive in the long run.
Having quality furniture would also help your office look more sophisticated and professional. You don’t want to risk it being broken suddenly, especially when in use. In other words, considering the quality and durability of your equipment will prevent any office hazards happening to your clients and employees.
Balance the shapes.
There are wide variations of style now on the market. While you might have to consider the durability, quality, and functionality of the furniture, you can also try to think of the shapes and the style of your desired appliance. It might be all nice and functional, but it might put the outlook of your office a bit off.
If you can afford to hire an interior designer, that is better. However, we all understand that not all small business owners can afford their service yet. Luckily, there are a lot of design office tips available on the internet.
Be mindful of the styles and shapes of your furniture. It might be too concerning if you’ll have a particular dominant shape in your office as it can tamper your overall office interior.
Check the material used.
The materials used for your furniture and other equipment should also be thoroughly considered during your purchase. Not only does it have something to do with the furniture’s durability, but it can also contribute to the style and overall theme of your office.
There are a lot of materials to choose from. Some are plastic, wood, leather, and fabric, and other common materials are pretty trendy and durable. Materials used to make the furniture would also play a role in determining the price range of this equipment, so consider it carefully. Try to research which materials are the best for furniture so that you can assess their pros and cons better.
Depending on their material, some furniture might also need maintenance from time to time. This can be an additional expense on your part, so choosing the best furniture according to its function, durability, style, and material is essential.
Determine the total cost of the furniture.
One of the best considerations and needs that a small business owner should know is the price or the expenses of buying furniture. Remember that the more features, the more luxurious and durable furniture, the pricier it will be. Even if you can spot the perfect sofa, chair, or table for your office, having the price in a range that is out of your budget means nothing.
However, that doesn’t mean that you have to always go for the cheapest ones on the market while compromising the other important considerations. Just be prepared for the possible price range of each piece of furniture you need. Look for items that suit your taste and necessities while also fitting them within your budget.
Conclusion
Buying furniture should be done carefully and with consideration. It might seem like a simple matter and one might think that the pieces are just accessories in your office. But they actually contribute to the performance of your small business. After all, furniture is considered an investment and asset for a business. Keep in mind all the considerations mentioned above to maximize your office spending and make it worthwhile.