Equipping a first time small office

Many businesses start life on the kitchen table - but there comes a time when graduating to an office becomes inevitable – and it’s usually at the time when a business takes on its first employees.

But just how much furniture and electronic gadgetry will you need?

Karen Pugh, Facilities Manager at Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) who manages over 40,000 square feet of serviced office space across the north east of Scotland says, “There are certain basics which everyone needs regardless of what type of business they are in; a desk large enough to work easily at and a comfortable and suitable chair are pretty essential. But few new employers give much thought to the type of workstation which is appropriate. It’s also easy to get carried away and buy furniture before measuring up to see if it will fit and give enough space around it for movement.”

“Every person is different and will have different workstation needs,” continues Karen. “Important elements are the height of the desk, shape and size. It is essential that the user sits directly in front of their monitor, and that the distance between eye and screen is at least 25cm.”

“Not everyone will need the same size of desk,” continues Karen. “The amount of space required will depend on which items are necessary for each employee to have easily to hand, and give enough room for working. There should also be plenty of room for adjusting the monitor, keyboard and mouse so that each person can adopt a comfortable working position and correct posture. You should also consider wrist rests for the keyboard and mouse. These can be either gel or foam and will help prevent RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).”

“A filing cabinet will be needed to store business paperwork and if you have employees, a locking cabinet will be required for keeping confidential employee files within. Second hand filing cabinets can be picked up at a reasonable cost, but if you buy one, do check that the keys work and the cabinet locks. In fact, this advice goes for every piece of second hand furniture you buy – check that drawers open and close, key board racks move and so on.”

If you expect clients to visit your offices, then you will need to have a meeting table depending on the space available in your new offices.

“For a small business, buying a meeting table and chairs is a major investment at a time when cashflow is critical,” continues Karen. “A meeting table and chairs for eight people can cost in the region of £1 000. Small businesses should consider hiring meeting space instead. This works out to be far more cost effective than purchasing meeting furniture. Hiring a meeting room at one of the eight Enterprise business centres costs from only £35 for a half day and these come as a complete package with teas and coffees, flipcharts etc.”

At the heart of every business is the telephone. When businesses are moving from a home based operation to an office with more than one person, choosing a telephone system which suits is a big step. You need to decide which features will be important for you – caller ID, direct dial numbers, voice mail etc.  It is also important to integrate all your communication needs- including broadband access.

“Many small businesses will have operated with one phone line and one handset before they move into office premises,” explains Karen. “Having to choose a phone system which can transfer calls is an important investment and one which shouldn’t be rushed. It is a good idea to ask the advice of other businesses about which system works well for them, as well as asking the communication professionals. It’s also a good idea to bear in mind a ‘virtual office telephone service’. This service gives you telephone answering in the name of your company and message taking. It can be a useful service if you will be out of your new office a lot in the early days and gives a professional image to your clients.”

But according to Karen, planning for a new office begins long before the steps of choosing furniture.

“Many businesspeople who are considering taking on office space for the first time do a minimal amount of financial planning for the move. They are attracted by the office space and only see the headline cost of the rent. They forget to cost in the rates, legal fees, removal costs, new furniture, waste removal… the list is long. Once you have found the perfect office space for you, take a step back, a deep breath and start to calculate the REAL cost of the move before committing.”

Enterprise operates eight fully serviced business centres across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. The all inclusive monthly fee includes rent, rates, utilities, telephone answering, secretarial support and access to professional meeting and conference rooms. Meeting and Conference room hire is available in Aberdeen, Inverurie, Westhill, Ellon, Banff, Aboyne and Peterhead from £10 per hour, £35 for half day and £70 for a full day.

Further information on Enterprise Business Centres is available by calling Karen Pugh on 01467 672530 or karen.pugh@enetrust.com.

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