Starting a Business? Here’s your essential office checklist.

by Startacus Admin

As a business startup, this may be the first time you’ve set up an office, you’ve had ideas bubbling away for months and plans have flown full speed into getting everything off the ground and launching your new venture. Working from your desk at home, the garage or the box room worked with pulling your business ideas together but when you step up into launching your business officially into the world of work and have signed a contract on a rented office space you now need to fill it. Whatever type of business you are, you will need a professional office from which to run your business effectively and efficiently. Ideally, you want to try having this set up from day one so that you can have the admin side of your business up and running with as little stress as possible and can use your time to really get things off the ground. However, in these economic times, there are various ways you can give yourself the office and resources you need, without breaking the bank. To help make this as straightforward as we can, here’s our checklist of the key office supplies and equipment to get any new business you’ve started off the ground, with everything you need.

1. Furniture

Get the fundamentals of your office in place, not least because you need somewhere comfortable to work. If you have been working from home in your slippers and now stepping into the world of communal office spaces having a professional working environment can really help your business thrive. If you are running your business from home – clearly differentiate your work and play areas and don’t let these overlap. Although working on your laptop with your feet up watching the latest episode of Jeremy Kyle might feel like a luxury you’ll achieve much more with a dedicated work space.

- Desk

- Chair

- Shelving

- Filing cabinet

- Kettle

- Mugs

- Tea, coffee and of course biscuits

However, this needn’t be a huge outlay – most of the major home furnishing stores (including the budget ones) now offer a home office range at a reasonable cost. Also, think about the work environment – the Office of National Statistics states that 13% of us now work from home, so there is a proliferation of choice in options, from a desk and chair in a spare room, to dedicated office structures that can be placed in your garden without planning permission. Make sure you check out the official guidelines if you’re going down this route though.

2. Stationery

If you start with nothing else, start with the stationery because the paperless office does not actually exist. So make sure you have the basics to keep your office functioning from the start.

• Letterheads & Business Cards

These don’t have to be expensive, but it is important you have these from the start to promote you and your business and ensure you are taken seriously. The good news is that technology negates the need for the traditional visit to a designer, printer etc. Websites such as www.moo.com allow you to design your stationery, have it printed and delivered, professionally, at a reasonable cost and in small quantities. Also, think about the basics such as;

- Paper

- Notepads

- Envelopes

- Pens

- Binders

- Stapler

- Paperclips

These are all available at supermarkets and high street stores, without the need for expensive stationery contracts.

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Published on: 28th May 2014