Feng shui balances the elements of wind and water and creates good energy. You can use feng shui to do up your office and inculcate a good and positive vibration in the work place.
The first step in doing so is to get rid of anything that might be considered as clutter. Remove dead or wilted plants. Clean the desks and the room. Do not keep any sharp-leaved plant. Keep plants which have round leaves or those which are bushy. Get rid of sharp corners and edges. Your desk should be kept facing the door. This gives a welcome feeling to anyone who enters the office. For good luck place three Chinese coins wrapped and tied neat in a red ribbon bow.
Do not use sharp colours for the walls. You can use natural materials like leather, glass, bamboo and straw. Try and keep water elements like a small water fountain. This will add tranquility to the office and also a relaxing effect.
Small office appliances are portable units that run on electricity, batteries or gas and are tailor made to perform a series of functions to ease the workload at the work place. These appliances are used in most offices regardless of the office size and or location for communication, operational or security reasons.
Typically small office appliances used for better communication are telephones, fax machines, computers, answering machines, recorders and microphones. Computers, printers, scanners, cameras and camcorders, paper shredders, copiers, clocks and projectors fall under the operational category and are an intrinsic part of day to day business dealings.
Likewise security cameras, metal detectors, burglary alarms and identity card and handprint scanners are used to secure the workplace from unwanted offenders and indiscreet dealers. Whatever the type or make of small office appliances they are mandatory for all offices to increase productivity as well as to provide peace of mind to office workers.
The internet offers an extensive market for all types of old and new goods ranging from used designer wear to used office furniture and equipment. Selling what you don’t want is simply not the same as it was before the advent of the internet.
To sell unwanted units collect and assess all the items of furniture, appliances or equipment you want to sell. Make relative lists and add detailed photographs of the same. Maintain a folder of the sell list on your computer or online and create a website to sell them on your own.
However it’s a better idea to register with popular sites such as eBay and Craigslist to name just two as they have guaranteed buyers and reliable payment options. On the other hand you could also place online advertisements that will be posted on group websites and other common web pages to garner the right kind of responses.
With so many companies donating, used furniture and office equipment it has become easy for non profit organizations to get the necessary items for no price at all. Finding the right donor has also become easier with the help of used equipment and furniture stockists who work in manifold ways to get the products across to the deserving benefactors. Often they create catalogues of existing items and hand them out to non profit organizations.
Or they ask the non profit organization to provide a wish list of sorts and find the required products for them within a reasonable time frame. Similarly large offices as well as furniture and equipment companies also offer the same services through their websites or site visits.
In addition to the above most companies, educational institutes and other profit organizations offer grants to non profit organizations to help meet their needs for office furniture and equipment.
Donating unwanted office furniture and appliances is often the most socially responsible thing you could do as a business undertaking. Donated furniture and appliances find their way to other organizations in need of such items or are sold at discounted prices to the less fortunate members of society without your actual involvement in the project.
Finding a reputable and humane non profit organization or thrift store takes a little research. The internet is a good place to look for suitable candidates that are most likely to benefit or put to good use some of the items that you have so wisely donated.
Once you have a list of modest suitors check their requirements and speak to them about the items you have on your inventory that are of no use to you. Once the deal takes place ask for receipts to enable tax deductions on account of donation from the establishment.
Furniture is not the only essential of an office. Equipment plays and equally important albeit expensive part of any commercial set up. While you can build your own office furniture to save costs you cannot build your own office equipment to achieve that end. Which is why buying used office equipment is a wise decision to make.
To buy good quality used office equipment find a well known dealer who works largely in used office furniture and equipment. Most often you are likely to come across items that have been discarded by companies that have undergone a major upgrade in recent times or you might even find a few refurbished items.
Select pieces that are in good shape and ask for a little history of each piece before you make the final purchase to know exactly what you are getting. Ask for the warranty and run an actual check before leaving the premises.
Office electronics require completely different care and cleaning to keep them at their best working state. Switch off all power supply to the equipment. Remove all dust and food or dirt particles with the help of a compressed air device from crevices in electronic gadgets. Using a lint free cloth and anti static cleaner wipe all plastic device surfaces and disinfect the same with a quality disinfectant.
Wipe down glass surfaces of said devices with distilled water on a lint free cloth as a final step to keep away mites and germs. Distilled water is a mild and affordable cleanser.
Electronic equipment must be cleaned regularly to prevent dust and mold build up. Essentially a cover also works to keep the dust from entering nooks and crannies of such devices. However in the absence of the same maintain a good cleaning schedule to keep things neat, clean and germ free for longer periods of time.