The Right Furniture

May 12, 2010 - Author: Tony

Choosing the right furniture for your business depends essentially on the type of business. Cheap, second-hand desks and chairs may not be good business sense. If you think it possible that customers or suppliers will visit your premises at regular intervals, it is crucial to select furniture which projects the image you have planned for your business. People are very affected by appearances, even other business people. Choosing good-quality furniture can suggest to customers that your business, smart offices are crucial.

Suppliers, too, can be affected by appearances. Well-planned and smart offices suggest that this is how you run the business and can help in your negotiations on credit terms and prices. In the case of furniture, cheap may mean expensive in the long run. However, what you choose is obviously determined by what you can afford. But don’t forget that tidiness and cleanliness play an important role in appearances.

THE RIGHT CAR

A car can arouse great emotions. It is one of those peculiar purchases where it can be difficult to disentangle desires from needs. The car you drive somehow projects something about your own personality; it is often regarded as an extension of it. Nevertheless caution is needed before personal desires get confused with business needs.

It is often argued by business owners that a prestige car is needed to project an image of credibility, for exactly the same reasons outlined above for furniture. But a cool, hard look is needed at that claim. Will customers and suppliers really see you driving into their car parks? To project the image that is needed, is the souped-up version essential? Will not the same effect be created by the slightly cheaper version? The argument that one car will only cost ?50 more a month to lease than another is weak. You need to look at the cost over a longer period of time, say two years, or however long you intend to keep the vehicle. It would, of course, be a mistake to swing too far in the opposite direction and choose a second-hand car which is rusting or requires excessive maintenance.

If you run your business as a company, you will either have a company car or be using your private car on business. Either way, from 2002, the tax system encourages you to choose a fuel-efficient vehicle.