How to Deck Out Your Startup Office on a Shoestring

| sleek and modern small office space |

Hi Guys! Today I’m thrilled to have a guest writer on my blog. Meet Hollie Jones, she’s one of the two voices behind Hollie and the Ivy. Hollie is providing us some great and helpful tips on how to deck out your startup office on a shoestring. Your office space can be one of the most overlooked areas of your business, but, if you are planning on meeting with customers – your office space needs to project a professional image. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, or cost a lot of money to look amazing! I’ve included a roundup of some of my favorite office spaces, they’re small but have a big impact.

TIP – For some reason, cactus are HUGE lately! Add a piece of artwork with cactus, buy a cactus vase, or go for the real thing with a live cactus. I am obsessed with this cactus vase, I found it online at Trouva for $52.50. Trouva is based in the UK but they ship internationally for about $15.00. My only concern is that the green glaze will be a little more olive colored than this bright green, which I much prefer.

How to Deck Out Your Startup Office on a Shoestring

So you have started up your own company and everything is moving very fast. Your company has grown and you have decided to move into your very own office or create a home office. The costs of taking the plunge and starting your own company can be high, but it doesn’t always have to be. There are lots of tricks to keep spending to an absolute minimum and still transform your office space.

Cutting down the costs at the start of a new business venture is always a high priority. So here are the ways you can deck out your first startup office space on a shoestring budget.

| an office area in an industrial space with a pink backdrop |

Paint

A lick of paint will go a very long way. Brighten your office space with light or neutral colors, and take this on as your own little project. Painting the space yourself will cut down on costs and help to make your office look professional and clean. The photo above is a small office area and you can see the wonderful impact that a coat of paint makes to frame the space.

| simple office with an inexpensive table that you assemble yourself |

DIY

Anything that you can do yourself, you should. Putting office chairs together or fitting shelves in your office, try to do these things yourself to minimise the outgoing costs of setting up your new office. Flat pack furniture is always super cheap and usually lasts a while. Get your hands dirty and assemble a bookshelf or a desk for your office. Check out places like Ikea, West Elm, CB2 and Flor to stock up your office. Once they are assembled you will feel a great level of achievement too.Don’t hire someone else to do it for you. Above, this table is a quick DIY that assembles in minutes! Here is a link to a similar table for only $65.00 via IKEA.

Buy Second Hand Furniture

Don’t pay full price for desks and drawers. Furniture can be one of the biggest costs when starting a company. So have a rummage at your local flea market or second-hand store. If pieces are looking a little worse for wear, then you can always upcycle and repurpose them. This link will take you to a directory of flea markets in your state.

Damaged items

Try and dig out any damaged items by asking at your local furniture store. Many items that have a tiny chip on their surface may be deemed ‘unsellable’. By asking around and keeping your eyes peeled, you may be able to pick them up at a very low price. Even just the packaging can drop the price of certain items.

What Do You Have?

Look at bits and bobs that you have already, maybe lying around the house or at a family’s home. Do you have things you can utilise at your new office? If a piece of furniture is not quite right for your space, try upcycling. This can be a really good way to cut the costs and still pimp your office.

Finding ways to do more with less is a core part of starting your own company. And this should be the same with your office space too. Use your initiative to come up with creative ways to minimise the costs and still get your office space decked out.

Have you recently decked out your startup office? Did you find any of these tips useful? Let me know in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this post, please take a moment to “like” us on facebook – click here to go to our facebook page – Thank you for your consideration!

By Hollie Jones

Hollie Jones is a freelance writer and one half of the Hollie and the Ivy blog. She loves writing about interior design, upcycling and organic living.