Organisation may be crucial for your business (like most) so that you can find documents whenever you need them. If this is the case, then the solution is a filing cabinet. If you look around, you will be able to pick one up second hand for around £20. If not, you will be paying over £50 for a new one although small storage boxes can be purchased individually for around £5 each.
If you buy a second hand filing cabinet, you need to check whether the cabinets/drawers work properly. If there is a lock or locks, do not forget to check whether they work properly, and also if there is actually a key (and spare) for them!
Desks/Shelving
Almost everybody needs a desk in the workplace whether it is for paper work, a computer or perhaps simply for storage. Desks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so be sure that you find one that is most comfortable and practical for yourself and your employees.
Simple desks can be found for under £100 and can stretch up to £300 for something that offers more facilities, space and perhaps more style. Know how much space you have in your workplace or things could get too crowded and impractical if you buy something too big, one large desk may be ok, but six large desks in a small office could seriously affect the quality of the working conditions.
Is the furniture you buy comfortable? Remember that either you or your employees will be using the furniture for many hours a day; something stylish but uncomfortable or oddly shaped can affect the comfort and productivity of your workers.
It is vital to know whether an employee’s desk is right for them. Is it at the right height to allow comfortable work; are there drawers or keyboard racks that affect the space available for using the desk? If you are in doubt then either take the person who will be using the desk to test it, or get an idea of the space and height they need to use it before buying.
If you have bought a PC and a desk to use together, are you certain that they will fit the spaces you expect? There are many different types and sizes of PC, and many different types of desks, by measuring the spaces you intend to fill, you can be sure that your purchases will work together effectively.
If you buy an item such as a desk, you need to know whether it is adjustable. If an employee leaves, and a new one takes over the desk, can they adjust it (or other items such as their chair) to make it comfortable for their use?
Shelving (or storage units) will be something that you will need if your workplace is used to store information (books, magazines, discs, CDs, etc). Again, you have to consider what space you have available and nothing that is too expensive. Pine wood is always cheaper than alternative woods such as mahogany and black ash.
If you buy a desk or item of furniture second hand, remember to test whether the moving parts are working properly (E.g.: Do the drawers open, does the keyboard rack move properly. You also need to make sure that if there is a lock, that it works, and that you are given a key to it!
Chairs
When buying chairs for your employees it is important to remember that they will be using them for many hours a day. They should therefore be as comfortable and supportive as possible, with the aim of your employees keeping a healthy posture.
By paying a bit more for adjustable height chairs with arm supports and a high-back, your employees can setup their work environment to be comfortable, and therefore be more productive. This is especially important when your employees are using computers, and may be sat in the same area for long periods of time.
Office chairs cost from under £30 to well over £200, depending on the size, material, adjustability (Some have adjustable/inflatable back support), and features.
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