Putting the finishing touches on your office is important, but it can get expensive. Remember, there’s a difference between necessity and luxury. Here are some questions to help you keep spending in line while you’re outfitting your new biz:
- Do you really need that swanky office? Who is going to visit? If it’s just you — your customers or business contacts won’t ever set foot in your office — you could probably find better ways to spend the money. Equip your work space to suit your needs and basic comforts.
- Do you really need that fancy car? If you don’t plan to chauffeur your clients or customers, spend the money elsewhere. Dependent transportation is a necessity; a Jaguar may not be.
- Do you really need that cellular phone? Who’s calling you? Could you use a pay phone just as easily? Every time you use your James Bond shoe phone, it costs money and it’s tempting to keep on dialing.
- Do you really need a multi-colored logo on your letterhead and business cards? Maybe. Branding is key. This is your chance to build your image and it can be a promotional tool. You want to look professional, competent and be memorable.
The list could go on and on. Thinking about what matters to you as a consumer will help guide you in your decisionmaking. Image is important. It tells your customers how much you care about them. For instance, if you find the interior of an airplane to be a mess, you’ve got to wonder what kind of shape the engines are in.
Remember, you’re a start-up. Spend your money wisely. Use it to create an image, and use it in a way to impact your customers. For the back rooms of the operation, buy secondhand furniture and put the money you save back into your product.
Annabelle Dickens Annabelle Dickens, raised Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, graduated in 2000 from University Of Hull United Kingdom. A United Malayan Banking Corporation Scholar, she graduated in late 2000 with a MBA as an Marketing major, with an emphasis in Financial Studies. Violet Glade currently is a product review writer for various household products and a poet. She writes for many article directory and article websites such as Moneymattersonline.co.uk, Articlehoopla.com, Manipalonline.com, Articlesprey.com and many others.
