Essential Office Supplies and Equipment for Starting a Business

Starting a new business is an exciting time but also quite costly, therefore researching properly the essential office supplies and equipment for starting a business is strongly advised - it is important to decide what supplies the business needs and what it does not.

In this day and age, the most essential equipment that a new business needs is a telephone system to enable the business to connect with its customers and suppliers. Broadband internet is now an essential part of the business and not just a luxury, with wireless becoming a very popular choice. There are a number of telephone and broadband suppliers so it is best to shop around.

The next essential collection of equipment includes a suitable and reliable computer, computer software, printers, copiers and scanners. When buying a computer, it is best to invest in a computer with high specification processor and high storage capacity. Also, investing in professional office software instead of just relying on the free package that comes with the computer is advisable, particularly to ensure compatibility when sending or receiving documents.

There are a number of printers and combined printers, copiers and scanners available in the market, so do assess the business requirements before buying one. If the business will only print basic documents and needs to be able to fax occasionally, then a basic all-in-one printer will do. When buying a printer, don't just compare the cost of the machine but also the cost of the ink cartridges which can be expensive to replace. It is more cost effective to buy a slightly more expensive printer that uses affordable ink cartridge.

The last two big buys for a new start up businesses are office chairs and desks. It is important to invest in a good office chair that offers support as employees will be using it most of the time. A comfortable chair will tremendously affect the productivity of the employees. It is not necessary to buy new desks, so shop around and compare prices of new and second hand desks.

Finally, a business needs stationery. For in house printed records and reports, there is no need to use high quality paper but printed correspondence with clients is ideally printed on high quality paper to give the business a professional image. Cutting costs can be easy by printing the businesses own headed paper using the quality printers chosen, and using a nice quality paper is essential.