Whether you’re the owner of a start-up or a long-standing company, there are certain things that you just can’t live without if you want your business to run smoothly. Many of these items can be found within your office space, where you and your employees will probably spend most of their time.
There are particular office items that are staples that every business should have, whether they are large pieces of equipment or smaller accessories. Ensuring you purchase these staples will increase your employee productivity, efficiency, and job satisfaction, all of which are essential if you want to experience true growth and success. You want to make your businesses hassle-free as possible, and buying the right office supplies is one of the best ways to reduce your stress as a busy entrepreneur.
It’s also important to make sure everything your purchase for your business if high-quality. You don’t want to spend a bunch of time, money, and energy buying expensive, heavy equipment for your office space, only to find it breaks after just a few weeks of use. Do your research and take time to consider which specific pieces of equipment are required to meet the needs of your business.
From the basic stationery items to the high-tech electrics, here are some office essentials that businesses in any industry will need to buy in order to succeed.
Scanners
Scanning is one of the most efficient ways to share important documents or forms with your employees, customers, or clients. Every business office is, therefore, going to benefit from high-quality office scanners to streamline the processing and delivery of important documents. You may wish to share company policy updates or upcoming deadlines with your staff members, or legally binding contracts for your clients to sign.
Computers
The majority of office work now requires a computer, whether it’s to input customer data on an excel spreadsheet or to upload content onto your company website. Aim to have one computer per staff member so everybody has their own space to work in. This will increase employee satisfaction and productivity. You may also wish to buy some company laptops, which will be helpful if you or your employees are working out of the office meeting clients or customers. Similarly, if you offer remote working, being able to office company laptops to your employees who don’t own a personal laptop will be extremely helpful.
Pens and Notepads
Although a lot of your work will be on the computer, you will always need to have some pens and notepads to hand. You might need to scribble down some important notes in an important meeting or write down a daily to-do list. Some people still prefer to write things down over typing them, so be sure to supply these essentials to every employee too.
Additional Writing Tools
Along with the pens and notepads, your staff might want some highlighters, sticky notes, scissors, cellotape, sharpeners, and erasers. All of the basic writing tools that can make their note taking a lot simpler and more aesthetically pleasing. Aim to buy a set of all of these items for every employee, and some spares to keep in your conference rooms.
Desktop Organizers
Most businesses are now using technology to collect and store data, advertise their products or services, and communicate with the audience. Despite this, the need for paper copies of important documents or branded leaflets is still very prevalent. Your employees are likely going to be writing a lot down and using various folders or files to organize their documentation. This is where getting desktop organizers for your office is going to come in handy. Your employees will be able to keep their workspace clean and clear of clutter by filing their papers into the mini storage units. In turn, this will boost productivity and efficiency in your office, and enhance your success as a business.
Calendars
It’s always important for your team to stay on top of their deadlines. Using desktop calendars is a simple, yet effective way for your employees to stay organized and keep up with their workloads. If possible, create your own company calendars with your name and logo printed onto them. This will reinforce your branding to your employees and boost company culture.
Fast WiFi
If you have multiple users on the WiFi at any one time, you’re going to need a fast WiFi server. This will ensure online websites will load quickly so that your employees can their work done in a timely manner. A slow connection can delay completion of deadlines or cause your system to crash or shut down all together, especially if you have a large and complex database. If your system persistently breaks down, it could result in financial losses if your clients or customer become unhappy, leading to a damaged brand reputation. Not to mention the financial costs that might incur if you need to get your database fixed or replaced. Slow WiFi is likely to frustrate your employees, which can further decrease their productivity and may have a negative impact on employee satisfaction. So, installing fast WiFi is highly important!
Paper Shredder
If your business deals with sensitive or confidential information, it’s likely that you will need a paper shredder. This way, you can properly dispose of any pages that contain important personal details about your customers, clients, or employees, such as addresses or financial information. You don’t need a fancy, high-tech paper shredder. A basic option will work perfectly fine!
Branded Envelopes
Envelopes are necessary if you regularly post letters and documents to clients or partners. Impress your clients and customers with professionally printed envelopes that have your company name and logo printed on the front of them. Using branded envelopes can increase your brand identity and help you to create a credible and trustworthy reputation. It’s a small detail that might seem insignificant, but these extra special additions to your office supplies can make all the difference to the success of your business.
External Storage
Many offices deal with high volumes of data. As computers have limited storage, an external hard drive can be used to keep this digital information in case it’s needed in the future. When your employees are dealing with large spreadsheet of data, it can detrimental if this information gets lost or the files get corrupted. Placing all of the important or confidential information within your business on external storage drives is a necessity to ensure you don’t lose data during a system shut down. It allows you to create a second copy of everything in case of an emergency.
Using an external hard drive also enables you to limit which employees have access to specific data by removing the need to keep everything on your company computers. Keep sensitive information safe and secure by limiting which employees have access to the external storage drives.
Whiteboard
It’s rare that you walk into an office or meeting room that doesn’t have a large whiteboard pinned to the wall. It’s no wonder when whiteboards are the perfect way to display important information, especially if this information is temporary or changes regularly. They can be used during meetings or conferences to note down upcoming deadlines, staff rotas, or important company updates or policy changes. You can also use whiteboards during your conferences to display specific statistics, draw graphs and pie charts, or brainstorm ideas in a simple and efficient way.
Water Fountain
Having a fresh water fountain in the office ensures all of your employees stay hydrated during their workdays. Although you will have a staff kitchen that supplies clean water, many of your staff members will probably prefer a fresh water foundation somewhere near their desk. To keep your employees happy, aim to install at least one fountain in the office area. You could also add some in your conference rooms for clients and customers to enjoy during meetings. Your fresh water fountain also enables you to offer a nice, cold cup of water to your visitors, which will enhance their customer or client experience with your business and leave a great first impression.
Kitchen Appliances
This isn’t necessarily an essential for your business operations, but it’s definitely an essential when it comes to increasing job satisfaction and productivity within the office. Your kitchen needs to be stocked up on all of the important appliances. That is, a kettle, toaster, and microwave for everybody to use when they’re on their lunch breaks. Even if your office is right in the middle of several cafes or fast-food restaurants, having the basic pieces of equipment in your office kitchen means your staff members can bring their own lunches into work or make a cup of hot coffee if they need a quick energy boost during the day.
