No matter what kind of business you’re running, your office plays a pivotal role in your organization. Without a well-designed office, you wouldn’t have a place where you can plan your operations and put them to action. While large corporations can afford to spend a fortune on office design, most small businesses have to be frugal. But how exactly do you equip and furnish your office on a budget? Here are five tips you might want to be aware of.

Go for an open plan design

Take a look at any modern company and you’ll probably see they operate from an open-plan office. This type of office is extremely popular at the moment as it encourages collaboration and makes the time which the employees spend in the office more fun. However, the open-plan design is also a perfect option for companies that want to save money on designing their office. It takes less money to create an office with as few individual rooms as possible. Another great thing about this type of office is that it allows your team members to share equipment, meaning that you can opt for more quality devices.

Buy in bulk

Having office supplies is essential for keeping your everyday operations running. You can’t expect your team members to be productive without items such as pens, folders and paper. But the problem is, buying office supplies can often turn out to be quite expensive. This is why small businesses often decide to buy in bulk. Although this means you might need more space to keep your everyday stationery, it has the potential to cut your costs significantly. Even in case the company that sells these doesn’t offer discounts for buying in bulk, you can always try to renegotiate prices. If storage is an issue, consider renting a storage space for supplies you buy in bulk.

Invest in quality

There’s a huge difference between frugal and cheap. If you want to design your office on the cheap, you could buy just any inexpensive piece of equipment and hope it lasts long enough. However, when going frugal, it’s all about finding the best deal possible. This means you should still go for quality and ensure you spend as little as possible. In order to do this, you have to do plenty of research online and keep comparing those prices. For example, when investing money in PCs for your employees to use, turning to an online computer store can help you save a lot and still get equipment that’ll last for a lifetime.

Go for budget office furniture

Ask any interior design expert and they’ll tell you there’s nothing wrong with budget office furniture. These things may not look fancy nor they have all those extras expensive furniture has but they’re exactly what your team members need to get their work done. For example, why not get post-frame desks for your employees? They’re big enough to fit anything your employees may use when working and are stable enough to hold more expensive pieces of equipment such as PCs. When it comes to seating options, task chairs are something you just can’t go wrong with as they’re both comfortable and cost-effective.

Ditch the reception area

Many business owners decide to include a reception area into their office. While these things may be necessary if you have clients over all the time, you might be able to get away without one if most of your communication with clients happens online. Eliminating the reception area can do wonders for your budget. Just think about all the space you get to save by getting rid of the reception desk. Moreover, you don’t have to invest in equipment your receptionist would use. Even if clients come to your office on a regular basis, you can use colors to navigate them to the individual they should turn to.

Final thoughts

Designing an office on a budget isn’t an easy thing to do. Sometimes, you may feel like you’re saving money but you also make it more difficult for your employees to get their work done. Follow the five tips covered in this post and you should be able to create a workplace environment you were hoping for and still spend as little as possible.