Buying Used Office Furniture? Here’s What You Should Know

If you are thinking of buying used office furniture in Toronto, you should be prepared well beforehand in order to avoid any pitfalls or other issues down the road. After all, your office furniture will have an impact on employee morale, which will affect employee retention rates and productivity.

Here, we will discuss some tips for companies that are thinking of buying used office furniture, as well as other important things that you should know before you begin shopping.

Tips for Startups

Startups, in particular, will need to be careful before they decide on what to buy and where. The pursuit of optimal profits drives most companies and, as such, will usually cut corners to lower their overhead.

However, even the cost of used office furniture can quickly add up if you purchase many pieces, so startups need only to buy the essentials. Then, as they expand and enter profitability, they can use some of their profits to purchase additional pieces to accommodate their growing team.

Thus, you will need to have a uniform theme or vision before you begin shopping for used office furniture. As well, you will need a sound floor plan to maximize your office space.

Design trends are also something that you should keep abreast of. Some design trends are subject to change rapidly, so you should try and avoid any styles that will quickly become obsolete.

If you are planning on moving to a new office, then you should take the time to ask your employees what they liked and didn’t like about your old furniture, and what they would like to work within the new office to boost employee morale.

Create a Sound Budget

Every business should have a sound budget, and the same can be said for an office furniture budget. You will also need to factor in certain additional costs that may not be an issue with new furniture.

For example, while you may save more initially on pre-owned office furniture, the long-term costs may be just as high, if not higher, in some instances. As such, you will need to create a monthly allowance to prepare for maintenance and repair costs. Such costs are almost inevitable with used furniture unless you received a remarkable deal, and the pieces were in immaculate condition upon purchase.

Also, given your budget, your focus should be on the essential items first, such as filing cabinets, desks, and comfortable chairs. This is because your employees will need to maintain optimal posture and comfort levels to be productive.

Then, with any money left over, you can purchase nonessential furniture items or accessories that can enhance the aesthetics of the office space, without compromising pragmatic issues.

As for brand name furniture, they tend to be a mark of high quality and durability. But, you should also consider other important factors, such as installation costs, shipping costs, and warranties.

Ergonomics Can Make or Break Your Office...Literally

Ergonomics should also be a top priority before you decide on which furniture items to buy for your office. For those unaware, ergonomics refers to the process of arranging or designing systems, products, or workstations so that they optimally fit the end-user.

Thus, poor ergonomics can cause a myriad of problems, such as workers that end up frustrated, fatigued, or even injured while on the job. This can lead to high turnover rates and even possible litigation in severe cases.

Conversely, superb office design and comfortable and ergonomic office furniture can drastically reduce the number of claims and, also, markedly augment productivity. After all, a happy employee is not only a loyal employee but also a productive one.

In sum, many people make the mistake of prioritizing aesthetics over pragmatics. However, in the long run, this will lead to a plethora of problems. Therefore, we would recommend that you focus on the comfort levels of your workers, as well as your clients when they visit the office.

Aesthetics are important, but you must remember that your employees will be sitting and working at their workstations for eight or more hours per day, so they need to be comfortable in order to work without any back issues, arm and leg pain, or fatigue.

Remember to Test Furniture

While you should first test all brand new furniture, it is even more important to test used office furniture before deciding if they are a good fit for your company. Hence, we would suggest that you try every chair to determine its comfort and mobility.

The chairs should not be too heavy, and should not show any visible signs of rust or wear and tear. Also, ensure that no strong odours are emitting from the furniture, and check for signs of termites, bed bugs, or other vermin that can quickly infest your office.

Furthermore, you should test each office desk to make sure that they meet all of your office requirements. Finally, as looks are also important, we would recommend that you order accessories from the same manufacturer of your used office furniture, as doing so will help you avoid any odd mismatches in the future.

If you are in the market for used office furniture in Toronto that boasts optimal ergonomics while not compromising on visual appeal, then please visit Michaels Global Trading at our website, or call us at 888-471-5066.

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