From Susan Ward,
Your Guide to Small Business: Canada.
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Setting up a small or home office can be a very expensive undertaking – but it doesn’t have to be. Office design on a budget is possible, and you can have a functional, attractive work space without spending a bundle.

There are two rules to office design on a budget:

1. Buy only what you need.
2. Spend the bulk of your office design budget where it will do you the most good.

You have to follow these two rules scrupulously if you want to achieve an affordable, workable office design. And it’s going to be difficult, because while you’re shopping for office furniture and equipment, you’ll going to be besieged with gadgets, gizmos and deluxe models that will set your heart throbbing. To help you accomplish the goal, however, I’ve put together a list of the office furniture and equipment you actually need to set up a small or home office with tips on making the most of your office design budget.

Office Furniture and Equipment Necessary For Budget Office Design

1) Office Desk

Wrap around corner office desk units are nice in terms of office design, but can be pricey. Look first at auctions, surplus stores or your local newspaper listings for office desks at a discount. The advantage is not just price, but often a larger usable work surface. For instance, I have a 66 by 36 inch rectangular steel office desk that cost me about $75 at a government surplus store. It has two drawers on each side, which is a great storage advantage.

On The Cheap – Can’t find an office desk at a reasonable price? Buy a plain rectangular pine kitchen table instead. These can be found at lower-end furniture stores or even used quite cheaply. You’ll end up with a fairly large work surface and can compensate for the lack of drawers by placing a single or two drawer filing cabinet under one side. Stay away from those computer desks or workstations proliferating at many lower-end furniture stores and retail chains; they’re often inexpensive, but they’re also pint-sized and flimsy.

2) Filing Cabinets

A usable office design demands places to store files, but even small filing cabinets, such as two drawer units, are hundreds of dollars new. Stretch your office furniture dollar by buying used filing cabinets at places such as surplus stores, auctions, or through the classifieds in your local paper.

On The Cheap – Go cardboard. Office supply stores such as Staples offer storage boxes designed to store hanging files for less than ten dollars each. Or choose a “Bankers Box” drawer, made of corrugated fibreboard and steel. They’re strong and stackable and a two pack costs less than $100.

3) Office Chair

Remember rule two of budget office design? This is one of the places to spend the money. You want to get the best office chair you can afford, best being defined as an office chair with excellent back support and the ergonomic features that will allow you to sit in it for hours on end comfortably. This will cost you hundreds of dollars.

On The Cheap – It is possible to find good used office chairs. Sometimes businesses go out of business and auction off all their office furniture, for instance, and surplus stores often have used chairs for sale. Check out any used office chair carefully for wear and damage.

4) Desktop Computer

Definitely not the lowest priced item on your office design needs list, but it doesn’t have to be the most expensive, either. Keep rule one of office design in mind, and buy the computer you need rather than the expensive model the salesperson wants you to buy. You can get a good desktop PC with all the power and features necessary to run business applications and do things such as surf the ‘Net and play music for under $800 at any chain store that sells electronic equipment. Laptop computers are not for the budget conscious. If your heart is set on having one, though, I’ve put together a collection of Top Budget Laptops.

On The Cheap – Know the features and configuration you want and shop around. Stores often have sales. You may also find the computer you’re looking for at a cheaper price on the ‘Net.

5) Computer Software

This is another area of office design where you’re going to have to spend the money. You can save some money on the software you need by looking for computer system package deals, where software programs such as office suites come bundled with your new computer. To see what kinds of business software I consider essential, see Top Business Software.

On The Cheap – There are no real options here other than shopping around. For some types of software, there aren’t even any real competitors. Software piracy is a crime.

Continue on to page 2 for more tips on budget office design, such as how to save money on printers, printer stands, phones and desk accessories.