Ergonomic: Understanding the Office Furniture of the Future

Although it may sound like a boring topic at first, office furniture is actually a huge part of creating a successful office. Choosing the right furniture is more than just going shopping and picking out something that looks nice—it is about finding the best prices, finding something functional for your type of office, measuring your office to get the right sizes, and worrying about employee comfort. After all, office furniture is going to be a major purchase for any startup company. In other words, you can’t buy office furniture and then realize it doesn’t work. Once you buy, you’re committed.

Buying the right office furniture can help make a difference in your office in several ways:

• Office furniture helps dictate whether or not your office is conducive to collaboration or better for individual work.

• It creates the vibe for your office. Certain furniture will cater toward creative employees, but other furniture might produce stricter and more to-the-book type employees.

• Comfort has a lot to do with office furniture. If your employees are not comfortable, it will be hard to be as productive.

• How you setup your office furniture will determine how many employees will fit in your office.

Because office furniture is such an important part of creating a successful business, there are tons of different options for business owners. Not only are their different styles to choose from, but there are different avenues one can take to purchase office furniture.

Choosing the Right Office Furniture in Three Easy Steps

A big part of office furniture is up to the owner, but there are a few steps an owner can follow to make sure he/she thinks of everything before making such a large purchase. Consider below steps that will help:

Step #1: Consider office culture, preference, and measuring
Your first step is to think about the type of office culture you want to create for your new business. Ask yourself whether you want an open layout for a lot of collaboration or closed layout for a lot of individual work. Many companies will have a combination of both, so consider the noise level and where you want these two types furniture to be located. You also want to make sure that your furniture sets the tone for the type of company you want to run. If you’re a design firm and really want to foster creativity, get creative with different styles and colors. If you’re a law firm that often has clients visit the office, go with something more neutral and traditional.

Step #2: Consider whether you want to buy new or used office furniture.
New and used furniture vary in price, selection, and warranties. Going with new furniture means that you will have a large selection of colors and sizes, be able to choose from some of the latest trends, and you can usually order any replacement parts necessary. However, new furniture is about 25-35% more expensive than used. Although used furniture may be less expensive, you have a smaller selection of choices and there can be hidden damages. It is up to the business owner to decide what works for the company, but most recommend buying new furniture if you are planning on staying in an office for at least 3 years. In the long run, it will be worth the money.

Step #3: If you’re going to buy used furniture, consider whether you want to work with a dealer or a broker.
You can buy used furniture either through a dealer or through a broker. A dealer is typically an established business that has a showroom for you to test out the furniture. There is usually a good selection of choices and the dealer is there to answer your questions. However, if you’re really looking to save money, you may want to consider going with a furniture broker. A furniture broker is usually all online and works exclusively buying and selling furniture. Although you can’t see the furniture, this can be a great option for a small company.

It is also a good idea to talk with your staff before making your decision. Once again, office furniture will have a direct effect on your employees, so you might be surprised at just how many people want to offer up an opinion. While the decision is ultimately yours, it’s important to really put thought into the furniture—get past just the way it looks and think about functionality.