How To Choose The Right Furniture For Your Business.

Often the importance and influence of good office furniture is underestimated and not thoroughly considered. Furniture affects your business more than you think and it should be considered as an investment.

Whether you are setting up an office or just refurbishing one, you must plan it carefully considering the impact on your colleagues, your clients and your business.  First of all you need to organise your workspace defining the spaces: meeting rooms, break room, entrance and then make a list of the things you need such as number of desks, chairs and so on, considering the number of people working and also the additional space you may need in the future. Then you want to think about what type of furniture will suit your business and the new workspace best.

Think about the reasons why you are refurbishing your office: was the old furniture uncomfortable? Did the design not suite your company? Did the office look tired and unattractive? Ask yourself these questions and also ask your colleagues, they may highlight points you hadn’t even thought about.

Every piece of furniture you buy needs to benefit your workspace, whether is a chair, a desk or a cabinet; your employees will often be working for eight hours a day, so chairs and desks have to be ergonomic and comfortable, preventing injuries or strains. Make sure you have enough space for storage, you don’t want to end up having boxes around the office or spend hours looking for documents.

Once you have a rough idea of what you need, start thinking about the style. When choosing the style try to match it with the business you are in: a law firm for example is lightly to prefer a very different type of furniture to a media company.  Don’t be tempted to buy budget furniture, it is likely to give off the wrong impression and may require replacing in just a few years.  Make sure the furniture used throughout the office is consistent to ensure the office is smart, professional and uniform.

Investing time and money on furniture has a number of benefits; an attractive and pleasant workplace will make your workforce happier and more motivated. Employees are more likely to have a positive attitude, and be more satisfied with their working environment which will undoubtedly contribute to their work and their productivity.   Also bear in mind the effect that good office furniture may have on your visiting clients; your office reflects your business and a well-organized, attractive and stylish office will reflect more positively on your clients than a chaotic, messy and tired one.

Written by Oscar, a guest author who writes on behalf of OfficeMan.co.uk - a London based office refurbishment company.