Friday, January 14, 2011

How To Select Your Office Furniture

By Gordon Wallace


Whether you are buying new office furniture or upgrading your old ones, it can become costly. There are also some things to consider when selecting the things you need, like functionality and size. The large selection available today is sure to make fitting your personal budget easy.

First and foremost, develop a budget. Unless you are a well established company with a large cash flow, a strict budget needs to be laid down. Put all the items you need on paper and an approximate price you are willing to pay then total it all. Writing it down and taking it with you shopping will help you stay on track.

Visit a handful of different local stores or ask someone you know for a recommendation. People are willing to suggest a company they had a good experience with. When shopping online, research legitimate stores that have secure shopping carts. Often a website will have a badge on the bottom or side that states they are a reputable establishment.

Your specific furnishing needs will depend on the nature of your business but every business requires desks and chairs at the least. Browse and pick your favorite style from a selection of classic, traditional or contemporary. Go with a style that appeals to you and fits into your price range.

Along with desks, you will need chairs. Basic chairs with upholstery will cost about a hundred dollars. Products that are fully adjustable and made of expensive fabrics or materials like leather will cost more. It is best to spend a bit more money for quality products as the chairs will be used on a daily basis and need to handle years of use.

Perhaps specialized desks will be needed for your business, for instance drafting or computer related desks. Employees that do data entry or other computer tasks will need a computer desk that holds all the necessary equipment. It will also need to be comfortable for them to sit at for hours on end. Otherwise the risk of work related injuries and back pain will escalate.

Every busy office uses book shelves and filing cabinets. Keep in mind the size of the documentation to be stored before buying a cabinet. Standard filing systems hold legal and letter size papers and specialized cabinets will hold larger documents like blueprints. Book shelves will hold things you need to reference regularly and open concept shelves are great for storage.

After you have chosen your purchase, it is time to decide how you will pay for it. Usually big ticket purchases for the office are financed. Make sure you can afford the monthly loan payment in your budget. Also ask about warranties on the product.

Local shopping will include shipping but out of town deliveries will have a shipping charge. Shopping online will cost you and the prices should be listed on the website, as well as the shipping time and information about returns. Ensure they offer shipping insurance and a good return policy. It is hard to know how your office furniture will be handled once it leaves the store.




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