Now that I’ve discussed Section 179, and also made a (wrong) Superbowl prediction, it’s time to get back to my “why financing <business asset> matters”. Because I do think it’s important to discuss these particular pieces of equipment and industries.
Office furniture financing is something that is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. The reason it gets overlooked is because it falls into that category of “nice to have but not really profitable” equipment. Thus, it gets pushed down the “what do we need to buy” list.
However, I’m going to make the argument that office furniture is very important, and a perfect candidate for financing or leasing.
Office furniture, for starters, is the physical link between your employees and your company. Desks, chairs, breakroom furniture, storage cabinets, conference tables, cubicle walls… the condition of these things all tell your employees how healthy your company is. Trust me – if your furniture is shabby, your employees notice. Phrases like “they don’t care”, “they let stuff slide”, “this place is falling apart”, etc. – these are all uttered in the breakroom.
That’s not good for morale, and it’s not good for production.
Likewise, the look of your office furniture is also important for visitors to your company. They will immediately notice if your office furniture is old or worn. That could influence decision making (just like you are influenced by a retail store’s look. If it’s shabby, you might not want to shop there.)
I do understand the push to “get by” with older furniture. After all, an older table still functions as a table, right? But then again, a board with two sawhorses would do the same… see my point?
Fortunately, financing office furniture is really easy. Equipment financing companies finance or lease office furniture all the time. It makes sense to spread the payments out, since the office furniture is not directly tied to profits (but it is indirectly tied, as I pointed out above.) So paying for it over time is very smart.
Take a look around your office and objectively look at the furniture. If it’s older in any way, I’ll bet you see a big improvement in morale if you upgrade it.