Tag: office furniture

Are Cubicles Barriers of the Past?

While cubicles can be helpful in some contexts, it’s important to take some time to figure out if this common piece of office furniture still has a place in your office.

For better or worse, cubicles, the slightly padded half-walls forming barriers between office workers, are quite ubiquitous. As office trends change, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the question becomes if cubicles will still reign supreme in the future. While cubicles can be helpful in some contexts, it’s important to take some time to figure out if this common piece of office furniture still has a place in your office.

Lack of Color

One of the most noticeable traits of many cubicles is that they lack color. Beige and gray are the two most common colors of cubicle walls, resulting in an ultra-boring office environment. Colors, both exciting and calming, are an important part of a well-designed commercial space, meaning that colorful cubicles, or the lack of cubicles entirely, are the best options.

Focus

While cubicles certainly have their drawbacks, there is one area in which they help greatly: employee focus. If employees can only see what’s immediately around them, they will be less likely to waste time talking to other employees about items unrelated to work. Of course, since cubicles do offer some degree of privacy, there is always a chance that your employees will take advantage of this privacy to waste time anyway.



Difficulties During Emergencies

Although cubicles might not seem dangerous at first glance, they can cause issues in the event of an emergency. If your employees need to evacuate, the multiple rows of cubicles will make it more difficult for them to find a direct path to an exit. If you choose other types of office furniture for your company, though, your employees will have a much easier way out if something goes wrong.

Stigma

If you’re seeking to develop a modern office environment that is inviting for younger employees, it’s a good idea to ditch the cubicle. Modern employees want open and inviting spaces that remind them of home. Although cubicles might be the easiest option for furnishing your office, you don’t want your company to be outdated and risk losing top talent simply because you’re unwilling to change.

Look Before You Leap

Making changes to your office can be a big investment. That’s why you want to take time to work with a professional designer before you make the leap and perform office renovations. If your current furnishings are in good condition, try to see if there’s a market for your existing equipment before spending a lot of money on new equipment. This will help you get the most bang for your buck and ensure everyone wins. A great way to save money is by going through a liquidation or wholesale company. For example, National Office Wholesale offers both decommissioning and liquidation, which can be a great resource for companies looking for removing your old furniture such as cubicles and getting new furniture too.



Recycle, Sell, or Donate? What to Do with Old Office Furniture

Businesses have a major role to play in ensuring that old office furniture stays out of landfills.

Offices cycle through furniture with a high level of frequency.

In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 11.6 million tons of furniture and furnishings waste hits municipal waste streams every year. That’s a slightly dated estimate. But since no nationwide recycling measures have forced policy or behavior changes, it’s fair to assume that the amount of waste from furniture is now even higher.

Businesses have a major role to play in ensuring that old office furniture stays out of landfills.

But what should we do to solve the problem? Here are a few tips on how to deal with old office furniture.

Find a New Use for It

Just because a bit of furniture is a little old and even a little outdated doesn’t mean that it’s beyond use.

The best way to address old office furniture is to redeploy it in some way, perhaps by selling it or by keeping it for future use in a new office.

There is a whole industry for after-market and second-hand office furnishings. Buyers for these companies are often looking for complete sets to sell to offices that want a total overhaul of their furnishings.

Keep in mind that you very likely won’t get a high price for your furniture. These furniture dealers are businesses too, and they need to keep their acquisition costs as low as possible to turn a profit.

If you decide your old furniture isn’t worth selling, it might be worth storing for later. If all goes well, your company will grow and you will need to furnish more space for new employees. Holding onto old furnishings will give you materials at no cost to get started.

Give It Away

If you can’t sell your furniture because it’s a touch out of date despite being in good condition, consider donating it to charity.

There are are several ways to handle this. One way is to seek out charitable organizations that accept donations that you can write off. These organizations will sometimes even haul the furniture away for you, making cleanup that much easier.

Even if you can’t write off your donation, you’ll be contributing to a good cause and building your reputation in the community.

Throw It Away When It’s Dead

Figuratively, “dead” means that old office furniture doesn’t work anymore. It isn’t serviceable and others can’t use it because of its state. If your furniture is dead, it’s time to get rid of it for good.

Same-day rubbish removal can make an office purge easy and efficient. Set aside a day of cleansing the office and you can get it all out of the way at once, and give it to rubbish removal.

The furnishings that hit the local municipal landfill won’t likely degrade over time. So make sure to think before you toss them—if there’s any other way they can be recycled, the landfill space isn’t worthwhile.

Give Your Old Office Furniture New Life

There are many ways to make the most of what could be considered waste. If your business cares about being ecologically and economically responsible, it’s time to recognize that even old office furniture can have value.

Finding how to extract that value requires the same genius it takes to get a startup off the ground and how to run a growing business. For more great business and startup content, make sure to check out the rest of our site.