Furnishing an office, whether it’s for a startup or you’re redoing an existing space or moving, can be tough. You have to think about so many factors. For example, what will be aesthetically pleasing but also functional? How will you ensure your maximizing employee productivity?
What about your budget? How will that factor into the equation?
The following are some tips to help guide you if you’re in the process of selecting office furniture, whether you have one employee or 100.
Choosing Cubicles
For a long time, cubicles didn’t have a great reputation, but that’s going in the opposite direction now. More businesses are moving away from the open office design and are instead going back to office furniture that offers more privacy, such as the flexible design of Sunline office cubicles.
Cubicles, such as what’s available through Sunline, are optimal because they can be reconfigured as needed, quickly and easily.
When selecting cubicles, you want to think about what’s going to afford employees the maximum amount of privacy when they need it, as well as storage. Also consider what not only your current needs are, but choose scalable cubicles as well so you can only change the layout but add more as you grow.
When you’re choosing individual workspaces, it’s important to think about not only employee comfort and preferences but also technology requirements and needs. You’ll have to think about things like where computers and other tech accessories will go, where power cords will be, and where cords can be hidden. You’ll have to keep the same considerations in mind in other parts of the office as well such as the conference room.
Know Where to Splurge and Where to Save
A good rule of thumb is to splurge on things that are most likely to improve employee comfort and productivity because those are key strategic objectives. For example, splurge on employees’ individual workspaces, such as cubicles, desks, and chairs.
Make sure the chairs are comfortable when someone’s going to be sitting in them all day, and ergonomic issues aren’t going to lead to declining productivity.
If you have to have a reception area, you might splurge there as well since it’s the first impression, but if you don’t necessarily have to have a reception area, you might think about skipping it altogether.
Don’t splurge on things like art and accessories, because a minimalist look tends to be favored by employees anyway. A lot of these items are unnecessary and detract from the purpose of being in the office.
If you have a conference room, you might splurge there as well particularly if you’re going to be having a lot of client meetings. This can be the one place where you might want to add a little personality. Consider something like a statement-making custom table in the center of the room or a great piece of art that’s memorable, but not overwhelming.
When you’re deciding where to spend and where to save, you really need to think practically about the nature of your office and your employees. Where one business might splurge isn’t necessarily going to be right for another business.
Additionally, you don’t necessarily have to be afraid to go for used or refurbished office furniture, particularly with some items that might not be used as much.
Think Long-Term
The goal of any business is to grow and expand, and you want to ensure that everything you spend on for your business is going to have a positive return on investment.
It’s no different with office furniture. Think about not just where you are currently but where you want to be, and how your investment into certain furniture pieces can yield a positive ROI.
When you’re choosing furniture for an office, particularly when it’s for an altogether new office space, it’s tempting to want to do everything all at once. You go on a buying spree and get everything taken care of in a week or less, but is that the smartest way to do things?
Probably not.
Start with the foundational basics first. Get those items you know you absolutely have to have, and then work your way out from there. You can build onto your office design and choose new pieces as you go, and if you give yourself time you’ll be more aware of what your must-haves are versus what you can do without. It’ll also give you a chance to see how your office operates, and how other pieces of furniture could make it more efficient or hinder efficiency.