Take a look at the biggest commercial building in your city. It’s story upon story of offices, and each of those offices probably has cubicles, conference tables, desks, chairs, filing cabinets and a host of other office furniture. This type of furniture is incredibly expensive since it’s built to last. Don’t like that massive mahogany-esque desk from the 70s? That’s too bad, because that monstrosity will live on well beyond your retirement age.
When it comes time to update your office or lower your overhead (such as going digital), you’re faced with two big questions. How do you get rid of all that office furniture when you literally can’t give it away? And how are you ever going to find room in the budget to spring for new furniture when chairs alone can go for hundreds of dollars-and you have hundreds of employees? The answer is reduce, reuse and recycle, just like you were taught in elementary school.
Lighten the Load
You can try to sell or even give away office furniture, but that depends on a lot of luck. You’ll need to find someone local who has the capacity to pick it up. Buyers might only want a few pieces, and don’t even think of shipping it-those fees can cost more than your new furniture. Plus, all the time it takes to place ads and vet calls is also time and money wasted.
You don’t want to dump furniture either, because that’s horrible for the environment and also comes with exceptionally high fees. Imagine just how severe a mid-sized office’s landfill contribution would be. Dumping fees are luxuriously priced to deter you from doing just that. However, relying on the used furniture industry can work wonders (and fatten your business account).
Fill ‘er Up
Maybe your issue is filling an office space with furniture. Whether you’re a startup or a big corporation, nobody has excess money to spend on things like reception desks. Going used is a great way to score beautiful furniture and make your accounting team happy at the same time.
Used buying also helping the environment, because it means there was no additional power or energy used to create new furniture. You can even spin this to your advantage in PR campaigns. Being a “frugalista” is trending now, so why not help the environment, save some cash and earn a green stamp of approval all at the same time?
Make the Connection
You can save up to 75 percent when buying used, and that’s a number everyone can get on board with. Whether you need to ditch the 80s-era office desks, pick up something sleek and shiny, or a little of both, keep your budget and eco-friendly tune in mind. Sure, it’s dreamy to flip through those glossy images of high-end furniture or fantasize about dumping those filing cabinets you despise into a landfill, but neither are realistic or sustainable options especially if you are expanding your business or just starting out.