When you are getting ready to equip your very first office or warehouse, or potentially simply re-stocking your existing one, there are a number of things you need to take into account, whether it be supplies, furniture or equipment.
If your business has recently received funding, such as early-stage funding or perhaps series A, you will likely receive a lot of guidance from the investors providing the funds to help you set up your office and place of work.
Regardless of the help you receive, it is worth creating a checklist so that you can tick off items one by one. To help you prepare, we have put together a list of the essential items you will most likely need.
Computers
Of course, it goes without saying that computers are likely to be one of the fundamental pieces of equipment for your office. However, the decision you will need to make is to whether to choose laptops or desktops or maybe a mixture of the two.
You should think about your business requirements when making this choice. For example, will you and your employees be needing to travel regularly in and out of the office? Then perhaps prioritise laptops.
If your employees will be mostly office based, then researching reliable, long-lasting computers on the market may be your best bet.
Desks
Equipping your office with desks is vital. You want you and your employees to be comfortable and to be as efficient as possible, so think about layout when you choose desks.
Moreover, desks and employee workspaces are likely to be some of the most important pieces of equipment you will purchase when setting up your business. You may be stretched at one point or another and may even require additional funds, for example in the form of payday loans. However, wen it comes to desks, an integral part of any office, these should be one of the first purchases for the business that are made.
For example, will the office be open-plan, or do you want each person to have their own individual desk? To keep costs down, look at getting second-hand desks, or perhaps buying office desks from a company that has gone into insolvency, and is looking to sell off their office equipment.
Storage equipment
Whether it be for an office or a warehouse, storage facilities are going to be key. After all, where are you going to put all your documents and other items needed to run a business?
Take into account the size of your office or warehouse when choosing your storage equipment, as you don’t want to end up with equipment that does not actually fit the space that you have.
You should also make sure that shelving is professionally installed and has been securely attached to the walls and floors of your building. This is vital, as you want to make sure that you and your employees do not end up having any unfortunate accidents as a result of poorly installed shelving equipment.
Printers
Buying a printer, or multiple printers for your office or warehouse is likely to be important. When deciding to purchase one, think about the likely needs of your business.
For example, if your office will have multiple employees and computers, then it would probably be wise to invest in a network printer in order to fully accommodate the size of your company. If you have a small office, then an all-in-one laser printer may do just the trick.
There’s a lot to choose from when it comes to printer copy machines, so make sure to choose the one that suits your needs the best.
Office supplies
Don’t forget to buy all the general office supplies that you are going to need on a day-to-day basis when running a company.
The same goes if you are setting up a warehouse, as this is likely where you will be storing them! Buying these items in bulk can also save you money in the long-run too for your business. Typical items that you will need to purchase will include the following:
- Notepads
- Envelopes
- Business cards
- Stationery
- Postage stamps
- Printer cartridges
- Scissors
- Staplers
- File folders
- Paper
- Pencils and pens
Nevertheless, do keep in mind that when you are buying new office materials to only buy the basics for now. Deciding to purchase a load of unnecessary items all at once as soon as you set up an office will simply crowd the space you have and decrease its functionality.
It will also increase your budget. Therefore, get the basics first, and you can always buy more in the future should you need additional supplies.
Flat panel displays
These days, flat panel displays are standard pieces of office equipment.
Depending on the nature of your business, think about investing in dual monitors or those with larger screens for jobs that will typically require a considerable amount of work with multimedia, databases or using multiple programs at once, in order to make the life of your employees easier and also so that they can be more productive.
Bins
A boring but absolutely essential item to purchase for your office or warehouse, and you will definitely need a number of them. The last thing you want is rubbish cluttering the workspace.
If your company uses a lot of cardboard, consider purchasing a compactor, and check with your local recycler to find out their requirements too.
Also important to consider is that if your business is medical services business, you will more than likely need special sharps and hazardous waste bins too (source: GlobMed.) These will be important so that the correct safety measures required are adhered to.
Forklift
If you are setting up a warehouse, it may well be the case that you will need to get a forklift to manoeuvre items around the space. Make sure that you take into consideration the size of the space so that it has plenty of room to move items around.
Safety notices
Health and safety are key when you are setting up an office or a warehouse, and you should make sure there are safety signs and notices around the space in prominent places.
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