There is a huge range of office furniture suitable for work and at home. It is worth taking time to consider the needs of the company and the employees before ordering new furniture.
What Are The Considerations When Establishing A New Office?
- It is helpful when looking for new items for an office to know what budget is available.
- It is necessary to have an understanding of health and safety issues. Risk assessments will be needed to establish what work will be done in the office and how long staff will be sitting in chairs.
- It is important to know how much storage space will be needed. These days, many files and documents are stored online, but that doesn’t mean there is no need for storing paper copies. Before ordering shelving units it is a good idea to calculate how much space will be needed.
- If part of the office acts as a reception area, there may be a need for comfortable seating and low tables whilst visitors are waiting. Instead of a formal desk, a curved desk looks welcoming and also adds style; this may be the first contact a new client has with the company.
- It may also be worth providing a soft seating area for staff to use when they are not sitting at their desks. This will be more comfortable, having a change of sitting position is a good way to relax muscles and it can be a boost to morale.
- A single supplier can be used to provide all the office furniture. Suppliers will also provide single items. – Consideration needs to be given to the extras that may be needed. Staff will need somewhere to store personal items. This may be possible in a desk drawer, but in many modern offices desks are shared, so it may be preferable to have individual lockers. These can be used for outdoor coats and shoes as well as bags, purses and lunch. Coat stands are ideal to have somewhere to offer visitors to leave their coats.
- When buying items which will not have a permanent location such as tables for meetings which will be rearranged or moved into another room, consideration should be given as to who will actually move them. Moveable items need to be light weight and easily moved.
- There needs to be sufficient storage for moveable items which may not be required all the time.
Choosing A Supplier?
- A supplier who is available by phone in the case of queries is useful. It is worth considering a company with a good reputation for dealing with any complaints, such as furniture at work complaints, should the need arise.
- A supplier with a good range of furniture will mean there is less need for time shopping around. Ordering everything from one supplier saves time and money.
- Choosing furniture for a new office is a great opportunity to establish a comfortable and efficient working environment.
AUTHOR BIO
Jenny Black writes for a number of blogs and websites. She has designed and furnished many offices and recognises the need for dealing with suppliers with a good range of products as well as being responsive to queries and complaints such as furniture at work complaints.