A few gallons of paint would normally be the answer to that statement. But your office has cubicles that are looking old. No worries, cubicle walls can be updated, too.

There are 3 major issues here. They’re dirty. Some are torn. The color is out of style.

Often cleaning, which can be completed on site, is all they need to look great. If they’re in good condition, this is probably the answer to the grungy look. If some are torn, those specific panels can have the material replace. And if the color is out of style, all panels can be updated.
 
One other item that often goes hand-in-hand with old panels is that some don’t fit together correctly any more. This can be addressed, too. Either small repairs or replacing a few frames will take care of unstable, uneven or damaged panels.

A good cleaning or a few minor adjustments, and they’ll be good as new!  If they actually do need replacing, save money and the environment by using refurbished!

As a business owner, whether you’re a power tools kinda guy or can’t shoot a screw in straight, your time is not well spent installing and maintaining your furnishings.

If you’ve purchase new furniture, you’ll have chairs to put together, bookcases to construct and tables to assemble. A huge task if you’ve just moved to a new location. Or, if you’re remodeling or just re-furnishing many pieces, the same scenario exists. Consider making your purchases from a company who will complete these tasks for you.

On the other hand, maybe you have fairly new furnishings, but some need adjusting, fixed or a piece replaced. Once again, not a good use of your time – or your CEO’s, CFO’s or Operations Manager’s time.

Making initial purchases of either new or refurbished/remanufactured furniture from a full-service company will provide you with the installation and maintenance of these items. So you can do what you do best.

You just purchased new carpet, put new blinds and curtains on all the windows and added some new furniture to your office space. Everything looks great … except the colors don’t match or blend properly with your existing furniture! The swatches looked great, but now that everything is installed, it just doesn’t look “right”.  What to do?

There is no need to replace all the old furniture. New paint on the cabinets and new stain on the wood furniture can be a great make-over without the cost of new. Did you have upholstered furniture that looked great before, but now look old and drab against the new? Have those pieces reupholstered to mix or match the new.

For a fraction of the cost to buy all new, you can make these quick and easy changes to the old to give a completely new look throughout.  Maybe you want to throw in some used or refurbished furniture to change it up a bit – contact us at RDS and Associates.  We probably won’t paint for you, but may be able to find something to make the look come together.

Business has been good. It’s time to hire another employee. You have your projections of continued growth, and you just can’t squeeze many more people in your current office space. However, it’s not just the people, it’s the computers, printers, copiers, etc., that will also be required – that also take up space.

But how do you know what size (how many square feet) you’ll need? And when you set up your new facility, will you be ADA compliant? Do you know where you should place the office equipment to be most efficient for all? Are there electrical outlets where you’ll need them?

Project management is essential to create a space plan that considers both your budget and personnel. Rely on a professional full-service team from the very beginning and each step throughout to the final installation. Be sure you’re working with one that will deliver and set up your office. You’ll be busy with other matters (like running your business); you don’t want to have to stop to put office chairs together!

Questions about this – contact us at RDS and Associates.

Today many marketing and advertising companies want a very creative, eclectic environment. CPAs, lawyers and architects are getting away from the formal look and prefer a homey atmosphere. Some medical doctors are removing the sterile feel from their offices. And even if not the entire office, many professionals choose to have a few unique pieces to accent and soften the formality.

This allows for fun furniture shopping – garage sales, auctions and used furniture stores to name a few. These pieces can be functional or decorative, or both. Shelves can be installed or removed as needed. If you love the piece, but hate the finish – not a problem. Have it refinished. Add a marble or stone top. Remove the wheels from a cart to make it a stationary table or add wheels to a dresser to use it as a serving table (with drawers) for the conference room.

Your imagination is the only thing stopping you from having a unique office or just a couple accent pieces. The price will be minimal, and the refurbishing costs will still provide you with a low-cost, functional unique look to what might have been a run-of-the-mill office.

Consider used or refurbished furniture - you never know what you might find!

Are your employees complaining about desk drawers that jam? Or a table that isn’t stable? How about a rocking chair that isn’t supposed to rock? You’d like to replace these pieces, but your budget is tight.

 You want to take care of your employees because you know that providing good furnishings shows you value them. And you know they’ll respond through efficiency and creativity. The feeling of “new” is everywhere. Employees have a little extra lift in their step.

 But your budget … what to do? Consider repurposed used furnishings and save approximately 25% and even as much as 50 to 75% off new list prices.

For example:

Let’s say you have 50 workstations that need replaced. New ones would cost you $3500. Remanufactured pricing would be approximately $2250, and refurbished, $1750. That’s a huge savings, and when delivered, it’ll be a huge change in attitude with your employees.

This way, you can stay within budget and still take care of your employees.

Research shows that more than 33% of today’s employees prefer working for companies that show a commitment to the environment. Buying used and remanufactured office furnishings is one way to be eco-friendly.

Additionally, repurposed furnishings can help you achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

You’ll save money, help protect the environment and also be an employer of choice. Who would think you can do all that so easily?

Contrary to Kermit the Frog’s belief, it actually IS easy being green. It’s as easy as purchasing preowned, refurbished and remanufactured office furnishings. These items are in great like-new condition. Few would know they aren’t straight-from-the manufacturer.

Additionally, another way to be green is rather than throwing your old furniture away, you can give it a face-lift. Changing the colors of the wood, painting your file cabinets and having new upholstery installed will give your office a new look for cents on the dollar.

And there is another “green” that is very good. You’ll save money – and that isn’t always easy!

Functionality is the key word when purchasing furniture. When choosing one piece or an entire floor of tables, desks, chairs, etc. it’s important to consider what function each will serve.

If you have a waiting area that is rarely used (because your staff is so efficient), you would not need chairs that come with a 10-year guarantee, for example. Tables that hold just a couple magazines do not need to meet a weight requirement. On the other hand, if you place all of your awards and trophies in the waiting room, the cabinet, trophy case, bookcase or wall shelves that will display these treasures must be extremely sturdy.

Before purchasing your furniture, take the time to assess the need it will fill. This will be time well spent.  Any questions, contact us at RDS and Associates.

Many business owners see the need for new furniture, but feel they don’t have it in the budget. Never-been-used isn’t always necessary. Remanufactured and refurbished furniture looks new, and you can achieve the fresh look at a fraction of the cost of new.

So, how do you determine whether you should 1) buy new, 2) buy refurbished and/or remanufactured furniture or 3) give your own old furniture a facelift?

If you choose to give your own furniture a facelift, there are a few things to consider. Solid wood furniture is almost always worth refinishing. Replacing the upholstery gives a new, bright look to chairs and sofas. Metal cabinets, desks and utility carts can be professionally painted. But if the style, size or functionality isn’t what you need, then consider purchasing refurnished or remanufactured. You’ll be able to replace furniture that no longer meets your needs, without paying the full price of straight-from-the-manufacturer prices.