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Is It Time to Buy New Office Furniture?
There is a tendency to put off buying new office furniture over and over again, as the decision to do so can be challenging. There are a lot of business owners who look around their surroundings and see office furniture that still works just fine even after years of use. Business owners are also aware that the workplace has changed rapidly over the past few years, and as a result, they are also aware that it is impossible to hold onto anything from the old modern workplace anymore. When it comes to upgrading your office, how do you know when it’s the right time to make the investment?
When it comes to office furniture, how long does it last?
Even with the best of care, office furniture eventually wears out and needs to be replaced. Generally, commercial furniture has a life expectancy of around a decade. There are many items that are on the high side of the average, such as desks and cubicles, but chairs, for example, that an employee uses every day, and ergonomic chairs specifically, should be replaced every five years if they are used each day. The comfort of the employee is one of the most important factors influencing employee productivity, and discomfort is one of the first signs that the chair needs to be replaced.
Wear and Tear
You can see visible signs of wear and tear on your office furniture, which is one of the easiest signs that it is time to replace your office furniture. If you walk through your office and you can see that the furniture is worn, then you can also tell your clients and employees if they walk through your office too and this is especially important in the current employment market. Recruiting and retaining the best employees is already a challenge and worn or worse broken furniture could serve both as a deterrent to new employees as well as a trigger for current employees to leave the organization.
Some office furniture can be repaired and maintained, and regular maintenance should be performed to ensure that it is functioning properly. In the event the repairs go over a few bolt tightening’s and the application of grease to drawers to make them slide more smoothly, it may be more cost-effective to make an upgrade instead of making repairs. There is a good chance that you haven’t bought office furniture in a long time, or if you’ve grown used to the chips and scratches in your pieces of furniture, now is the perfect time to upgrade.
Dated or Mismatched?
There may not be visible signs of wear and tear on your office furniture, but if you spend every day at your office, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time. Unless you are going for a retro look for your office, this might be a sign that the time has come for you to purchase new office furniture. It is important for your office furniture to reflect your company’s image as an innovative organization.
There is a good chance that if your business has been in business for more than a decade and has been a success, then your numbers have grown over time. It is possible that you will have furniture depending on the type of company you are, for example, if you are a newer company that has inherited furniture from the building, you may have furniture in various styles, colors, and materials. The growth of a company often necessitates the purchase of new furniture so that all members of the team have desks, chairs, or cubicles so that they can work together as a team effectively. The issue here is that sometimes the same style may no longer be available for purchase, and any variation, no matter how small, can cause the office to appear disjointed and disorganized. By investing in updated office furniture, you can achieve a clean and consistent appearance in your office.
Is Your Brand Reflected?
It is important that your branding sets you apart and creates a memorable impression for your company. This branding should be reflected throughout your office from the reception desk to the break room. The office furniture you choose should match the image you have created for your organization as an innovative modern organization. Especially in today’s fast-paced world, your clients and employees will make judgments about your company within the first few minutes when they walk through the door of your company. There is a fair chance that they won’t even be able to hear from you what your company is about during those minutes, but they will be able to see the office furniture around them as they walk through.
Another thing worth noting is that you may be in the right place to buy new office furniture if you have recently been through the rebranding process, drafted a new mission and vision statement, and chosen new company colors and logo. Having a facelift completed to your branding and website may be proving to be a great boost to your business, but if you aren’t investing in an upgrade to your office, it may not be making the impact you were hoping it would.
Are You Moving Soon?
As you are moving into a new office space, it may be the best time to leave your old furniture behind since you are moving into a new office space. Updated office furniture is a great idea if you are starting fresh in your new space or moving locations. Many people find it difficult to adapt to change and they may have been used to the familiar space, but an updated office can have your team excited about the potential of the upgraded look and feel that it will bring.
Let’s look around your space today, and if you see any of these signals in your space, that means it’s time for PVI to help you bring a whole new look to your space!