How to ACTUALLY Save Money on Office Furniture in Chicago
Saving money on office furniture is often at the top of any list of concerns for customers. Reducing costs has been a hot button topic even when the economy is doing fairly well. But furnishing your office in a pleasing way is vital. It creates the kind of environment and culture your business needs to attract and retain your best workers.
How can you save when buying office furniture with inflation, tariffs, and prices climbing as a result? It seems impossible to some for these very reasons, and it can actually discourage a company from making the investment in their workplace.
It doesn't have to be the case! Here's how your Chicago business can actually save money when buying office furniture. Do these things and you'll be more likely to and more secure in following through with your next office upgrade.
1. Talk to an office furniture dealer about planning services.
We know what you're thinking – what? How can bringing in planners actually make my office furniture purchase (or office furniture upgrade project) less expensive? It's a great question with a better answer – because that's their job. The top office furniture dealers in Chicagoland are full-service, meaning that they also offer design and planning services in addition to selling the actual office furniture you're buying.
By stopping in to a showroom and talking to a planner, you can describe every aspect of what you're looking to do - your space, your goals, and the budget you're trying to meet. While shopping for office furniture online is convenient, getting it done right (and saving money) means stopping in to a showroom and meeting with an office furniture planner.
2. Shop around – and TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! Before you look at things like shipping, price match, style, etc.
We have a saying in the office furniture industry – the internet price is the market price. This probably goes for just about anything e-commerce. But it's particularly true for us because of the size and scope of most office furniture installation projects. We can't just toss an entire conference table in a box and drop it on the front door-step of your Chicago small business. We can't just show up at your office suite downtown and have the receptionist sign for 35 new ergonomic task chairs.
After you look at things like shipping, price matching, styles, etc. - don't just click “Add To Cart” and go. The best quality office furniture dealers give you the chance to actually TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. It's just like test driving a car. Feel free to stop into any office furniture dealer showroom and ask for a “test sit” in your new task chairs. Ask the showroom floor supervisor for a demo on the actual height adjustable tables you'll be adding to your collaborative office space. The best ones will be happy to do it for you!
3. Check your email for referral discounts.
Discounts on office furniture? You bet! It's actually really common. While you're shopping around for your next conference chair or executive desk, make sure that you take a moment to sign up for each office furniture dealer's newsletter. They're usually chock full of coupons and one-time offers that you can't get anywhere else. Stop in to any quality office furniture dealer's showroom with a copy of their newsletter coupon and guarantee you – they'll be ecstatic!
In addition to being experts in their products, high quality office furniture dealers are eager salespeople that WANT to GIVE YOU the BEST value for your investment. We love to advertise bulk deals, percent offs, and other “buy a chair, get a table” type discounts that get you the dream office space you want and get us the valued connection that comes with your business. We'll work with you to make sure that you get the kinds and quality office furniture that you're seeking.
4. Look at pre-owned, refurbished and re-manufactured office furniture FIRST.
Trendy office furniture always catches the eye. Everyone wants the newest, most modern task chairs or height adjustable tables for their project. But while styles can change rapidly, they are also repetitive. Some of the top office furniture dealers like Herman Miller, Haworth, Steelcase and more base their new designs on their most well-received designs of the past. People say that the classics never go out of style. It's true for office furniture too!
Pre-owned and refurbished models (like Herman Miller Ethospace Workstations) continue to be some of the most popular office furniture buys out there. Modern office furniture designers have made it a trend to take old furniture and either repurpose or rearrange it in new, edgy ways that give modern offices a real sense of flair and uniqueness. Office furniture designers pair re-manufactured chairs with new, colorful upholstery and give office spaces brand new life. The best part about some of these refurbished office furniture items? They're MUCH more budget friendly than some of their new counterparts. Your office can achieve a wholly unique aesthetic at a fraction of the price simply by talking to your planners about refurbished options.
Now that you know how to ACTUALLY save your Chi-Town business money on your office furniture project, what is really going to hold you back? Stop in to a local showroom and talk to a planner. They'll help you transform your office space into everything you envision it could be – and more!