Buying Office Furniture: 10 Mistakes to Avoid (Part 2)

Not Buying with Future Growth in Mind.
· Whether you are starting a new business or adding furniture due to expansion, you should take into account how every piece will fit into your current and future environment. Explore the entire line to see what you may be able to do long-term, even if you can only afford a few things at a time. Consider: How will the furniture adapt to Technology & will this furniture keep my workspace flexible? Also remember, most office furniture dealers will offer leasing options to help offset up front out of pocket expenses.

Not coordinating the Products Life with the Accountants Depreciation Schedule.
· Ensure your depreciation schedule is in line with the products life expectancy. For instance, purchasing a chair with a 5 year warranty and you have a 10 year depreciation schedule your purchasing will be out of sync with your accounting practices.

Not Evaluating the True Cost of Ownership.
· The base price of the furniture is just the starting point. In order to fully evaluate true costs, add in such items as: freight charges, taxes, packaging or special handling. Even the term “delivered price” can mean many things. Will the product actually be installed or just dropped at the dock? Also, who will take care of my warranty issues if the need arises? These are just a few things that account for the true cost.

Not Having Your Dealer keep Your Standards on File.
· Once you have established specifications for your office ensure that your dealer provider keeps a record of your standard choices. This will allow authorized purchasing agents to call and order “task chairs” when in reality it will be the Multi-function task chair with #55 Navy fabric. This will save time and labor hours in the long run.

Not Doing Business with a Vendor that Offers Support after the Sale.
· Ask the simple question “do you warranty the installation and for how long? This may save you time and energy down the road when making your purchasing decision. Many times we receive calls regarding product purchased through a different company and they no longer support the product. This can happen quite often due to purchasing through the internet or with large warehouse environments. Ask your sales consultant to provide a copy of their companies warranty not only on the product but for their installation services.