Choosing and purchasing business office furniture can be an exciting, yet daunting task. Which items do you need and what should you expect to pay for each piece of furniture? While you should always set your budget before you buy anything at all, sometimes this first step of setting a budget can be confusing if you aren’t clear on exactly what pieces of furniture your office needs.
In this definitive guide to choosing business office furniture, we’ll discuss the types of furniture that a business office typically requires.
Table of Contents
Desks
The most obvious piece of furniture your office will need is desk space. However, there are many different types of desks, and the type of desk you choose will influence almost every other aspect of your business, including privacy, noise level, productivity, and even the health of your employees.
- Basic Computer Workstation. This is the budget-friendly option for the sole proprietor or small business owner. Often called student desks, these provide high privacy and usually cost less than $100.
- Executive Desk. This is the upgrade to the basic computer workstation for the office, requiring a high amount of privacy with only one desk per room. An executive desk is often made as part of a matching suite with optional bookcases, tables, and storage space.
- Standing Computer Workstation. As research continues to mount concerning the health dangers of too much sitting throughout the day, standing computer workstations are becoming increasingly popular. They usually have adjustable height settings to accommodate for sitting and standing throughout the day, and many are compatible with treadmills for walking while at the computer.
- Corner Desks. A corner desk may be a good choice if you’d like to provide private desk space for two or three employees inside one office room. While a desk in each corner may feel a bit crowded, two or three corner desks can be a better option for privacy than a cubicle desk. Expect to pay between $500 – $2000 for each corner desk.
- Telemarketing Station. If you have a telecommunications-based sales organization that needs to accommodate multiple employees in an efficient space, you’ll need a telemarketing station. These usually have fabric panels that help absorb sound. A good telemarketing station with four desks usually costs at least $5,000.
- Quad Workstation. For a maximum amount of both space efficiency and privacy, a quad workstation can be an excellent choice. With a quad, each employee can have computer, phone, and storage space, as well as privacy and reduction of visual and sound distractions coming from other desks. A quad is one of your more expensive options, with four-person modules starting at around $10,000, but they may provide great return on your investment by providing greater employee productivity and job satisfaction than options that provide less comfort and privacy.
- Efficiency Workstation. If you need to make maximum use of space, and employees don’t require a high degree of privacy or noise barriers, an efficiency workstation can be a budget-friendly option. If employees are not making sales calls at their workstations, or if they wear noise cancellation headphones, you may not have a high need for panels between co-workers. An efficiency workstation can be purchased for less than $2,000 for four desk spaces.
- Reception Desks. If you see clients or customers in your office, you’ll also need a reception desk near the entryway. Depending on the nature of your business, a reception desk may be as simple as a standing computer desk or as structured as an L-shape desk that has some storage and counter space. Prices can vary considerably depending on what you actually require.
Storage
While many business offices are either already paperless or moving towards having a paperless office, you may still have old files that have not been transcribed electronically and saved to the cloud. There are many reasons why you may still need offline storage space. Some of the different options for filing cabinets are included below.
- Binder Carousels. A rotating carousel makes your binders more accessible than stacking them in a drawer, and is more space efficient than a regular bookshelf. Therefore, if you feel lost under a mountain of binders, you probably need a binder carousel.
- Blueprint Storage. Even with today’s technology, these are virtually indispensable for architecture firms and construction companies.
- Fireproof File Cabinets. If your files aren’t backed up in the cloud, or if your files are kept somewhere near the kitchen, consider a fireproof file cabinet an investment in your peace of mind.
Audiovisual Equipment
It would be difficult to have a business in the modern age without audiovisual equipment. Do you make You Tube videos, or give sales presentations, have conferences either in-person or online? Do you need photos of your business, employees, and products on your website? You’ll need high-quality audiovisual equipment. Here’s a brief checklist of the essentials.
- Cameras and camcorders. Any business with a big marketing budget can hire a photographer and videographer to make professional footage of your company to use for advertising purposes. However, in this age of online social media, one of the best ways to make a real connection with your future customers is to create your own videos and Instagram photos to place on You Tube, Pinterest, Facebook, Vine, Instagram, and other places where your best customers are hanging out. Invest in a good camera and camcorder so your “amateur” videos and photos with look good enough to be engaging.
- Headphones and headsets. Whether you are creating online content such as podcasts and videos, or consuming it, you’ll need great audio equipment. Make sure you have an excellent microphone and an iPod docking station in addition to headphones and headsets.
- Projectors and projector screens. A projector screen can serve as a professional background for You Tube videos, or as a presentation tool for both online webinars or meetings and offline meetings. Depending on the quality you desire, you can find a screen as cheaply as $50 or spend up to $600 on a high-end screen.