Kitting out a business office may seem pretty straightforward on paper. Furniture, IT equipment, phone lines, and some fire extinguishers will be at the top of anyone’s lists. But what about other equipment that can so easily be overlooked, yet may make a massive difference to your overall long term efficiency? It is surprising how even experienced business owners can overlook some of the absolute essentials, so here’s a selection of four essential additions that can benefit businesses of all sizes.
1) Ergonomic Office Chairs
Long gone are the days where managers could just furnish an office with cheap and durable chairs. Ergonomic chairs can be easily modified to promote good posture and lessen stress on the inward curve of the lumbar spine. Thousands of office workers are forced to take time off due to back pain every year, and a modest investment in better quality seating can play a huge role in preventing this. As anyone who has been unfortunate enough to suffer recurring back pain will testify, feeling constantly uncomfortable for several hours a day will hinder productiveness.
The last thing any business needs is a distracted team member, so check out affordable ergonomic chairs before any problem presents itself. Look for models that allow for as many adjustable components as possible. Footrests are also a sensible addition.
2) Networked IT Equipment
Even the smallest businesses will benefit from making use of a basic network that connects all IT stations, laptops and smartphones together. Forward-thinking companies, and especially those with employees regularly out of office, should make use of cloud-based storage. Not only can this be used to host essential daily resources and documents, but it can even securely backup your entire database. Not only are these services more convenient than hosting them yourself on-site, but in most cases, they are cheaper too.
Look for solutions that allow all of your devices to efficiently communicate with each other. Many companies tend to forget that having employees using a mixture of operating services can present logistical issues that are not going to go away on their own. Encourage (or provide) standardized phones and computer hardware across the board to enhance your network efficiency.
3) Backup Power Solutions
No business should be happy to tolerate any downtime. Power failures do happen, and having a portable generator can not just serve to power your office, but even provide the energy to work remotely should the situation/need arise. In such circumstances, you will be looking to choose between the quietest generators on the market – after all, nobody wants to be on the phone all day with a constant racket going on in the background. The good news is that generator technology has come on a long way recently and modern models are capable of producing little more noise than a large office fan.
Portable power sources can also be useful for businesses where you need to set up an ad-hoc office on site (construction, landscaping, utility services are just three examples).
4) Electronic & Physical Mailing Systems
Something which surprises many young small businesses is the sheer amount of documentation that they are going to be sending and receiving. Dispatching thousands of letters/brochures/samples at a time can present a huge logistical hurdle. There are plenty of software programs that not only help companies to manage their email lists, but can be used to print off address stickers, or even incorporate the addressee’s details on the documentation. Not only do high-quality mail shots improve the image of your business, but automating the process allows for consistency and no embarrassing mistakes.
There we have just four examples of straightforward and easy to implement additional equipment that can massively help businesses perform more efficiently. Very few new companies manage to get everything right from day one, so always keep an eye out for ways which simple adjustments can enhance your productivity. Margins are going to be tight during those early days, so try to use technology and high-quality office equipment to your advantage. Not only will your team’s efficiency improve, but it will help foster a sense of professionalism that is going to be essential in further expanding your operation.
