Every business has a budget to follow to successfully manage its cash flow. If your business has an office, some of that budget should be devoted to office expenses. There’s more to office expenses than just paper and ink though, and different expenses should have different levels of priority. Do you know where you should prioritize your spending?
Keeping the Kitchen Stocked
No one works well when they are hungry. If you have a kitchen in your office, devote a portion of your office budget to keeping it well stocked. That doesn’t mean that you need to provide meals for every employee, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep a variety of snacks available.
Fresh fruits, veggie snack packs, chips, crackers, and a few sweet treats can be a good place to start. Poll your employees to see what they’re interested in snacking on. Don’t forget to stock up on essential office kitchen supplies too!
Make Your Office Look Nice
How nice does your office look? Employees don’t want to work in a place that is visually boring or drab. Sure, you don’t want to fill their workspace with visual distractions, but that doesn’t mean you should make everything look boring. Besides, your office’s appearance should enforce your brand. You aren’t a boring business, are you?
Consider adding a mural to one of the office walls. Murals can do a good job reinforcing your brand’s image. Some tasteful potted plants and thoughtfully chosen art can also make your office more inviting and visually appealing.
Purchase or Rent Quality Office Furniture
You can’t overstate the importance of quality office furniture. The best office furniture doesn’t just keep your employees and any customers who enter the office comfortable. It looks nice, furthers your image, and most importantly, it protects your employees’ health. Quality office furniture protects employee health by supporting good posture and reducing office-related injuries like back pain, repetitive strain injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, and even eye strain. Don’t settle for whatever’s cheapest. Commit to only purchasing or renting quality office furniture. Your employees will thank you for it.
Figuring out where to spend more money in your office can be tricky. Supplies are a mundane expense that will never go away. While necessary, there are other places where prioritizing spending could make a bigger difference. Talk to your employees and see what they like or dislike about working in the office. That may give you some direction on where to focus your spending.