Are you looking to upgrade your current office, or planning to relocate and trying to figure out how to furnish your new "home"? There are many pitfalls that small businesses run into when trying to navigate the waters in the office furniture market. And you can't (read: shouldn't) jump in with both feet before being prepared for what's involved in this complicated, and very important decision. There are a number of things a small business owner must think about before even starting the process, to help avoid mistakes that we've seen other clients make:
Project Team
Who is managing your procurement process? Is it you? Your office manager? Purchasing? Think of the hours the process will take, and then multiply it by the hourly cost of that employee, and add that cost into your budget. And what about their day-to-day responsibilities? And do they really know the complexities of the solutions available? Office furniture can be overwhelming and complicated, believe it or not. Think of large, often expensive Tinker Toys. You should know that there are ways to bring in an expert that will facilitate this process for you, often at little or no cost.
PricingWho is managing your procurement process? Is it you? Your office manager? Purchasing? Think of the hours the process will take, and then multiply it by the hourly cost of that employee, and add that cost into your budget. And what about their day-to-day responsibilities? And do they really know the complexities of the solutions available? Office furniture can be overwhelming and complicated, believe it or not. Think of large, often expensive Tinker Toys. You should know that there are ways to bring in an expert that will facilitate this process for you, often at little or no cost.
Speaking of costs, well-defined budget will go a long way. Your external team can’t help if they don’t know what they have to work with. Is it realistic? How can you determine what the cost may be? Are you including installation and delivery, sales tax, freight costs, finish level? Do you have cash on hand to make the purchase, or are you looking to finance the purchase? Would you rather spend your cash, or finance it and keep your assets liquid? There are many creative ways to make this type of purchase that will both preserve your cash and help you take advantage of the tax benefits of investing in your business.
Product Selection
How do you know what you want when there’s so much out there? Each metro area has multiple commercial office companies to choose from. And each of them carry different lines of furniture along multiple quality levels and price points. In fact, each dealership typically carries upwards of 100 manufacturers. And each manufacturer typically has 30-40 products within their line to choose from. Are you planning to get multiple quotes? How do you know they’re comparable quality? Unless you're lucky enough to have a staff member who is well-versed in office furniture, you should enlist the help of an expert to help you navigate the waters when it comes to choosing the right products for your space.
Consensus How do you know what you want when there’s so much out there? Each metro area has multiple commercial office companies to choose from. And each of them carry different lines of furniture along multiple quality levels and price points. In fact, each dealership typically carries upwards of 100 manufacturers. And each manufacturer typically has 30-40 products within their line to choose from. Are you planning to get multiple quotes? How do you know they’re comparable quality? Unless you're lucky enough to have a staff member who is well-versed in office furniture, you should enlist the help of an expert to help you navigate the waters when it comes to choosing the right products for your space.
Consensus-based decision-making has been identified as a major pain point for small business owners. Will you have buy-in from the rest of the team? . How do you get to a point where your team agrees that you've selected the right solution? It is nearly impossible to get input from your entire company about to get to the point where everyone is on board. How do you manage multiple perspectives, among the executive team as well as internal departments? Addressed properly, you can build excitement as well as consensus company-wide around the upcoming changes.
Branding
Are you giving the right impression to both potential clients AND potential employees? The cost of furnishing your space goes well beyond the initial purchase price - most companies find that their largest overall business expense is their human capital, and finding and retaining the most talented workers takes more than just a great salary. Talent also considers the work environment when choosing among multiple offers. And then there's the external client, which is the key to keeping your business alive. What do your customers think when they enter your space? Do you want to show how tech-savvy you are? Or that you're a solid company, not a fly-by-night operation? What do they think when they invest their time to come to your space to consider giving your their business? Branding your space properly will help you get the most out of your investment.
Flexibility
How did your last purchase work out for what you want to do now? Could it have been better if you’d planned for the future? It is very common that your existing furniture is in good shape, but it just doesn't fit into your current working culture. Who is doing the design work on your new project? Is it you with graph paper and a tape measure? Are they able to assess the trends and build a current, 5-year and 10-year plan, or are they just looking at what you need right now? Do you have the proper tools and resources to create a space that will scale to your current and future business needs? Most small- to medium-sized businesses only buy office furniture every 12-15 years. How will your business have changed 10 years from now? Get the most from your investment by implementing a proper plan that will accommodate your future plans.
Timing
When do you need to have workspaces ready for use? Do you know how long it takes from start to finish? There is so much more work that needs to happen before an order is placed. You MUST allow time for decision-making, choosing finishes, logistics planning, shipping time, warehousing (very important when moving into a new space), installation and punch list completion. That means you should start thinking about what you want to do and where you want to go with it RIGHT NOW.
I will be addressing these pitfalls and solutions in future posts. Sign up for my newsletter to learn more about how to properly plan and furnish your office space, or contact me to schedule a complimentary free consultation.
