An Office Manager’s Guide To Purchasing Office Furniture

There are many things to take into consideration when purchasing furniture for an office. Since the office furniture you choose to purchase directly impacts the comfort and productivity of your staff, it’s important to be strategic. Before you spend days visiting office showrooms and browsing the internet, read Totally Furniture’s list of things to consider when buying office furniture.

#1 – Consider Your Budget

It’s likely that you have an allocated budget to outfit your office with new furniture so it’s important to consider your budget before you go shopping. It can be helpful to break your overall budget into smaller pieces to avoid overspending on one type of furniture. Maybe you set aside 10% for chairs and 20% for desks. Breaking down the total budget will make sure that you don’t overspend in any one area.

Once your budget is in order, keep in mind that price is not everything when it comes to buying office furniture. Sure you could choose the lowest-priced vendor for all of your office furniture needs but if you do, you may be sacrificing quality.

Some questions to ask yourself when considering your budget include:

How much should I spend on each piece of office furniture that I need?

How many of each item do I need?

What pieces are worth spending more on to get superior quality?

When it’s time to scale, can I easily afford the same pieces?

Thinking about your long term needs ensures that the office furniture you buy now is durable and scalable.

#2 – Consider Your Office Space

Clearly, you can’t buy more furniture than fits the office space you currently have. To expand on this, you need to make sure that the furniture you purchase does not cramp your office space. It’s important to give your staff and customers the ability to move freely.

We recommend that you take measurements of your office before you start shopping. Try to visualize the setup of your space once all of the furniture you need has been setup. Should desks be near windows? Are the electrical outlets and phone jacks near where you want the desks? Making a mental note of the space you’re purchasing for is an important part of the process.

#3 – Consider Your Company’s Identity

Designing your office is an opportunity to show off your company’s identity. You should choose office furniture that reflects your company by considering how professional your company is and the brand’s colors. If your company is highly professional and you’re designing a conference room, you may want to choose a material like leather for the chairs and hardwood for the table. In a laxer environment, you may find that mesh chairs and a hard plastic desk is suitable.

If your company’s colors are not important to include in the furniture you purchase, consider the psychology of the colors you choose. Green promotes relaxation, blue creates trust, red inspires energy, and black shows power. Think about the environment you want to create for your customers and staff when choosing the color of your office furniture.

Picture of Bush L Shaped Desk w/ Hutch from TotallyFurniture.com

#4 – Consider The Needs Of Your Staff

Your staff will likely be using the office furniture you purchase for 40 hours a week and providing them with furniture that makes them comfortable is important. Ergonomic chairs and desks increase productivity by making work easier and making your staff healthier.

In addition to comfort, make sure that the office furniture you purchase is easy to use and practical. Consider things like how much storage space you need and if everyone needs their own desk or if a communal table makes more sense.

If possible, include your staff in the final decision to make them feel valued. Plus, if you include your staff in the decision-making process, they will likely take ownership of the furniture and treat it like their own.

#5 – Consider The Reputation Of The Supplier & Manufacturer

Make sure that your supplier is reputable. As your business grows, your office furniture needs will change. You want to choose a supplier who will be there to offer exceptional customer support for years to come. If you choose a supplier like TotallyFurniture.com who partners with many manufacturers, you will also need to consider the reputation of the manufacturer. You ideally want to be able to continue to purchase from the same manufacturer for years to come so that the quality and look of your office furniture is consistent.

Picture of Bush L Shaped Desk from TotallyFurniture.com

Our team recommends Bush Business Furniture (BBF). Bush Industries has been in business since 1959 and operates the Bush Business Furniture, Bush Furniture, and Kathy Ireland brands. With multiple manufacturing facilities and steady growth, it’s easy to be confident in the longevity of BBF. Bush desks are durable, affordable, and easy to build so go ahead and check them out at TotallyFurniture.com.