From a small, home-based start-up to a huge multi-national corporation, the same rules still apply when it comes to modern office furniture: is it comfortable, secure and solid, and will it help keep your office organised?
Comfort, comfort, comfort
They say the success of a
shop is based on three things: location, location and location. Office
furniture is a similar deal. Most staff sit at their desks for the
majority of the day, often under great pressure and stress. The last
thing you need is the added worry of not being comfortable because your
company wanted for save a thousand rand by buying a cheapo chair!
Consider how much you pay Joe in Accounts over the course of the year?
If you spend R3000 extra on a good chair, consider the increase in
productivity, not to mention the reduction in sick leave due to back
pain and other health problems that stem from staff being uncomfortable
at work. A chair should be sturdy (especially at the base), able to
withstand sudden movements as well as adjustable to accommodate
employees of different sizes (for the day when Joe decides to go!).
Find a good office desk
This is where the work
happens, so the space needs to be just right. Does it provide sufficient
space to spread out and store all the paraphernalia needed for each
specific staff member? Does it look professional and appropriate for
your company and your industry? For the top brass you can invest further
by buying a quality wooden desk (think cherry, walnut, mahogany or oak)
with drawers that run on steel ball-bearing slides. Such a desk will
last a lifetime and will have a far higher resale value than
run-of-the-mill desks.
Space and style
You
set down long-term business plans for income and expenditure… so why
have you always bought your furniture on a whim based on the latest
styles? Trends and fashions change, so be careful about investing in
über-fashionable equipment and furniture that will be out of date before
the end of the fiscal year. If your business relies on being cutting
edge, however, you might need to bite the bullet and keep upgrading with
each new season, in which case you’ll probably also look towards
hi-tech modern designs rather than traditional woods. Most important is
that staff have enough space to do their work, are not crowded on top of
each other, and that an open plan office should be split up into areas
where people are able to chatter at their desks if their work makes it
possible, while staff with phones slapped to their ear all day need
their own space (not to mention a hands-free headset!). The look of
office furniture can affect the staff mood and morale, so why not splash
out on one or two colourful designer chairs for the meeting room or for
visitors to sit in.
The price of success
Check your budget carefully
– if your creative accountant can swing the figures to allot enough
money to new office equipment then don’t think about it, just order it.
The best you can afford. It WILL pay for itself 10 times over in terms
of productivity. No budget? Feeling the credit crunch? Sadly, hundreds
of businesses have gone under in recent times… although that opens up
opportunities for you to pick up pre-owned furniture at a snip of the
original price.
Source: SA Decor and Design
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