Whether you are starting out or are part of a well-established business, there are some standard pieces of office equipment that are essential to help you perform your everyday duties.
Take a look at some of the items that we think are vital to your business operation.
No matter what you do at your company, a computer is an essential piece of equipment. There is likely to be a computer programme that will help you regardless of your role, such as Sage for accounting, Adobe for creative offices or Microsoft for just about everyone. PCs can be fairly cheap to buy or upgrade, with powerful desktop machines costing as little as £250. However, you could always use a combination of a laptop and monitor, which may cost more, but you will also have the portability of a laptop.
The type of computer you choose for your business can depend of what kind of work you do. Apple Mac products are widely accepted as being some of the best on the market for creative purposes. However as a more cost effective option, most PCs with a Windows operating system will suffice.
Whilst not using a printer, and trying to keep your work digital, is more environmentally friendly, sometimes you may need to print documents. Having a scanner at your disposal will also allow you to replicate documents, but it can also be useful if you want to create digital versions of papers which may need filing electronically.
You can pick up an all in one printer with a scanner for as little as £24, but you may need to be prepared to pay more for an industry standard office printer.
As an office worker, it is likely that you will spend a lot of your time in a chair, so to avoid posture problems, it is worth investing in a good office chair. To choose the best chair, make sure that you have a look for features such as lumbar support, adjustability and the type of fabric used.
Having the right chair should be part of your Display Screen Equipment checks, where you should check that your chair is supportive. Your chair needs to be adjustable for height and tilt and should support your back. You should be able to rest your feet flat on the floor and you should have arm rests which keep your arms horizontal.
Whether you work for a small or large company, it is essential that you have access to a telephone. Being able to use your telephone for both internal calls as well as taking calls from customers is essential for your business.
With the introduction of GDPR, not only has it become important to protect sensitive data, you also need to make sure that any information that you need to dispose of is done properly. Whilst we would recommend trying a digital approach to as many aspects of your business as possible, sometimes it is unavoidable that you will need to use paper.
Use your scanner to process documents into a digital format, ensure electronic documents containing sensitive information are stored securely and then use your shredder to destroy the paperwork. Whilst you should take further steps to destroy confidential information, using a shredder is another precaution which may help to keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands.
Whether you work from a home office or your company’s business premises, having the right insurance cover in place can protect your business in the event that something goes wrong.
Premierline has a wealth of experience in arranging bespoke insurance packages to suit a range of business needs. Get in touch with one of our trained insurance experts to find the insurance cover that suits you.
