10 Must-Haves Your Small Business Couldn’t Survive Without

You’ve come up with the business plan, you’ve got the loan, you have a name and you’ve just signed the lease on the office. After years of dreaming and planning your new business is ready to open its doors.

10 Must-Haves Your Small Business Couldn’t Survive Without

There’s just one thing. The office you’ve rented is looking a bit bare. Here are ten of the most vital (and, perhaps obvious) things you’ll need in your office to really make your new company work and create a friendly and professional buzz about the place on your journey to the top.

1. Staff

A gentle “must-have” to begin with, but you’ll need people working for you if you are to achieve the goals you set yourself, as well as the ones you told the bank manager you’d reach in the first year. Remember, you can’t do everything on your own!

2. Furniture

Unless you have opted for a fully-furnished office, you’ll need some chairs and desks at the very least for your new employees to work their magic. Otherwise, you could always save yourself some cash and just tell everyone that you are going for the trendy, Silicon Valley, minimalist look.

3. Computers

Depending on the nature of your company, it’s pretty likely that you’ll need at least one computer or laptop in your new office. If you need a large amount of machines you’re better off buying in bulk or even leasing in order to keep costs down.

4. Phone

Although it seems the old fashioned “dog and bone” will soon become a redundant thing of the past, no office should be without one. It’s always good to have a landline phone number for your company, as this shows stability and professionalism.

5. Printer

Despite the fact that most documents are transferred electronically now, any office worth its salt should have a printer. A good printer can be used for a whole host of things, other than just reeling off documents. A number of printer leasing companies will be able to provide you with the best models on the market, as well as providing all the maintenance and upkeep your new company needs.

6. Kettle

Another simple one, but no office should have to do without the traditional coffee break to keep up the energy levels after a late night! A simple kettle will suffice though a shiny new hot drinks dispenser will create a great vibe for the company, as well as impressing clients.

7. Water Cooler

Very much a creation of the past 15 years or so, the water cooler is now a pre-requisite for any office environment. Of course you could just make do with a cold tap (assuming your office has one) but then where would your staff congregate to talk about last night’s TV?

8. Radio

Okay, a radio might be a little dated and you might want to go down the route of a flat-screen TV to keep your staff entertained during the day. Whatever route you choose, you can be sure everyone in the office will be debating what channel or station to have on after a week.

9. Stationary

Despite advances in technology there is still a place in any office for pens and paper. It’s always good to have a decent selection of stationary, not only for practical reasons, but personalised pens and headed paper can be a great way of promoting your new business.

10. Whiteboard

If nothing else, a whiteboard gives you the chance to call meetings in the board room where you can talk about “blue sky thinking” and have “brain-storming sessions”.  A good whiteboard will allow you to organise your workflow effectively and make sure everyone knows what needs to be done.

Source: smallbusinesscan.com