“It’s important to have a chair that adjusts in height and depth, offers recline and provides armrest options to avoid work-related injuries,” says Fred Colony, vice president of casegoods and seating for The HON Company, a designer and manufacturer of office furniture.  (Arenson Office Furniture is a HON Diamond Level Dealer – The highest accorded any HON Dealer)

From comfort and adjustability to style and longevity, an ideal chair exists for every worker. Some companies now allow employees to vote for different chair styles. “They have employees test out different sample chairs,” says Colony. “Testers then vote on the ones they like best. Chairs no longer simply appear in a workplace. Employees now have a definitive say.”

Ignition Series chairs, from The HON Company

Some Useful Pointers When Searching For A Comfortable Office Chair:

- A good chair allows you to use as much of the seat back as possible for support, especially for your lower back.

- Chairs should have adequate space between the back of your knees and the front edge of the seat

- Quality chairs should conform to the curves of your body, avoiding pressure points that cause discomfort. The Ignition Series chairs, from The HON Company, are a good example. The chair features one-time adjustments to seat height, depth and tension, as well as adjustable arm height and width, so it can suit different body shapes and sitting positions.

- Task chairs should be stable and have easily adjustable ergonomic controls that can be reached from a seated position or, better yet, passive ergonomic adjustments that maintain a comfortable configuration as the user moves.

- A lifetime warranty on the frame and mechanical parts and a five- to 10-year warranty on fabric are essential.

For more information, please call Arenson Office Furniture at (858)453-2411 and visit www.arensonof.com to view a few chair options.

The sweet stages of getting a startup off the ground include many hurdles.  After you find a place to work, whether that be home or office space, your employees and clients need to conduct business. This is challenging without furniture.  It is highly unprofessional to ask your potential business partners to sit on the floor during a meeting.  All across the board, companies need the basics:  A sturdy desk, comfortable chair, and good lighting.

Thrift stores are a common shopping place for cheap furniture finds. The problem is that you end up with a strange mash-up of colors and styles. While that is quirky for the cast of “Friends” enjoying a latte at Central Perk, your clients won’t necessarily enjoy sitting on a secondhand couch that used to be a scratching post for your grandmother’s feline companion.   Besides, you want to create trust in your abilities and look like you’ve been in business for years.

That aside, it is not wise to spend a small fortune on a lot of fancy furniture. Quality should trump quantity with a few strong pieces. You can treat yourself later to the high-brow pieces you really want once you start making money.

When you are a startup in a world of new business, standing out is important. Choosing the right furniture for your office is vital. Once you have the money to realize your vision, when should you purchase furniture?

Ask yourself the following questions:                                          

1. How much of your monthly budget can be allocated for furniture?
2. What pieces are must haves? (BE HONEST. You don’t need that aquarium if you don’t have a desk yet).
3. How many people will be working with you? Will they need a dedicated desk, or a communal workspace?
4. How long are you planning to stay in your current office? (Small hallways and doors can hinder the move of large furniture.  Easily moveable furniture is great for evolving offices).

Once you answer these questions, you will have a better idea of what to buy first.  Ideal first buys are ergonomic chairs, basic desks, and ambient lighting. Don’t skimp on your employees health.  A well-designed and ergonomically correct task chair pays for itself.   It is advisable to try out ergonomic chairs and other furniture before you buy.

Get decently priced items that will last, so you don’t have to buy it twice. Do your research so you find the right pieces for your business at a great price.   Arenson Office Furniture is happy to help you determine the best things to start with that you can add to in the future.   With the ability to help you design your impressive, and yet affordable office, with a CAD system, you can feel secure that you are starting to build your empire.

Good luck starting out!

Founded in 1986, Office Master has grown from humble origins in San Diego to become an experienced and established, mid-market seating manufacturer dedicated to serving the long-term seating needs of large and small business, institutions and organizations. From day one though today, their core mission and philosophy has always remained the same: To solve everyday seating needs with value-based and ergonomics-focused Smart Seating Solutions.

That commitment to value has made Office Master chairs among the most nationally acclaimed in the industry. Business Week cited Office Master as a recommended choice of noted experts in the fields of occupational therapy and ergonomics. The magazine also recognized their chair for its outstanding affordability, comparing its value with chairs priced two and even three times higher.

Office Master success is also attributable to the partnership between Office Master, dealers, and customers. Office Master offers quick production and delivery of a broad range of consistently high-quality products at affordable prices. Their fast response to market needs has led to more innovative products and the ability to create flexible specific solutions for unique user needs.

Today, with more selection, savings and service than ever, Office Master is a 21st century company providing ergonomic seating solutions for the diverse challenges and opportunities present in an ever-changing work environment. Arenson Office Furniture is proud to carry Office Master chairs in various categories, including Task-Intensive, Cross-Performance, Executive, and By Application, all of which provide superior ergonomic support for their respective uses.

For more about all our great chairs, visit http://www.arensonof.com/chairs.php

Call (858) 453-2411 to make an appointment to experience our complimentary computer aided office space planning service.

Employees spend the greater part of their lives in a work environment.  “Great office design gives staff unique environments depending on the tasks.  A well-designed office can energize employees and increase productivity, making people enjoy being at work and wanting to stay longer rather than dashing out the door at the end of the day, “  according to Perry Arenson, owner of Arenson Office Furniture

Arenson, whose family has been in the office furniture business since 1979, knows whereof he speaks.  “Office furniture and office design has evolved significantly over the years and reflects industrial engineering research and business owner experience.”

If you want your employees to be productive, natural light should be one of your major considerations in office design and layout.   Americans spend a significant amount of time indoors, often without exposure to sunlight.  This can negatively affect mood and efficiency.

Daylight makes it easier to see detail and helps with concentration.  Harsh, continual artificial light causes eye fatigue.  An open environment with fewer walls or glass walls can get more light into your office and improve production.

Claustrophobic workstations are rapidly becoming a thing of the past as manufacturers, such as Hon, offer office sophisticated modular products designed to increase productivity while making employees feel less enclosed.  These products can be used for one employee or multiple users and allow natural light to saturate the entire office, not just the otter perimeter.

Breathing space

When selecting office furniture most people first think about the size of a desk, but circulation space is important as well.  Adequate space between desks creates calm and the ability to concentrate.  Furniture too closely configured creates that same feeling you have on an airplane.  You want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Too little space and attention suffers.  Too much space and employees lose the active interaction so important to workplace satisfaction.

If your business depends on teamwork, you might consider bench desks or bench systems, office desk configurations designed to be space efficient in open plan offices.  Bench desking allows more people to fit on the work surface when required.

Do people in your office suffer from neck or back pain? Sitting in front of a computer all day can lead to many painful consequences. According to the ergonomists and chiropractors, when people are seated in a chair with a full, “normal” backrest, the body’s natural tendency will be to hunch forward. This predilection towards “scrunching” is – with near uniform agreement – largely recognized as an unhealthy position for the human body to remain in; especially in prolonged seating situations.

There are ways to prevent scrunching or hunching over while you work at your desk.

1. Move Around Periodically and Do Some Neck Stretches To Relieve Tension Starting To Build. If you are forced to be in an awkward position or have continued poor posture it creates misalignment and muscle strain therefore nerve pressure. The nerve pressure causes pain.
2. Watch Your Posture – Remind yourself to sit up straight every so often. It’s that simple.
3. Do A Few Neck Exercises While You Work. Every so often, take a break and stretch your neck muscles. Here’s a great article called “6 Neck Exercises to Relieve Neck Pain” http://ezinearticles.com/?6-Neck-Exercises-to-Relieve-Neck-Pain&id=1471443
4. Use A Chair That Promotes Range Of Motion. A benefit of chairs that address “scapular impedance,” is the promotion of an active “stretch-response.” When leaning into the backrest of a chair with tapered contours, occupants will experience a natural stretch-response. Because the shoulder blades are freed up to travel slightly further backwards than the central area of the back, occupants will experience a gradual stretching motion as they lean back.

Most Popular
Leather would be the most popular choice of upholstery with the most offerings in the executive line. The high end executive models offer top grain leather in a variety of colors and styles. When purchasing an office chair, the grades of leather can differ greatly. You need to make sure to pay according to the grade of leather ordered and the types of options featured on your chair.

Adjustability
Chairs can come with a variety of features for proper ergonomics and adjustability. Some features can be necessary for proper positioning for a larger or smaller person. Seat height adjustability and tilt mechanisms are standard even for the average office chair as chair manufacturer’s realize how long users are seated throughout the day in the 21st century.

Long Term
Tilt locking mechanisms, sychro knee tilt control, arm adjustability and headrests with adjustments are most popular on the more high end office chair. These mechanisms can help the user who spends most of their day seated to achieve the proper posture long term. It is important to remember ergonomics when purchasing an office chair and make sure to pick the right features to make your chair an ergonomic fit to your body type.

For Carpet or Hard Flooring?
Another option to consider is which type of casters you need for your floor type. The standard office chair will ship with casters designed for carpeted floors. However, usually the manufacturer of a custom or more high end office chair will offer hardwood or hard floor surface casters as an option for an additional cost. Some users might also have need for a stationary work chair and need to make sure that the casters will lock in place when necessary.

Whether you are interested in an executive, ergonomic, task, leather, mesh or traditional office lounge chairs, you are sure to find that your options seem endless. Once seated and you know you have that perfect chair for you, work is bound to get done quicker and more efficiently.

Traditionally, office chairs that were designed for executives did not have the ability to swivel, and this showed that the executive had no need to move into multiple places, and could reside in a single position. Over time, the executive office chair became large, and many of them also featured closed arms, and are made with luxurious materials. Most executives today have office chairs that are large and elaborate. While office chairs were first designed in the 19th century, it wasn’t until the 1970s when ergonomics was used in their design.

Because those sitting in office chairs for extended periods of time would experience back pain, an emphasis was placed on designing office chairs that would be as comfortable as possible, and would prevent those sitting in them from getting stress injuries. This led to office chairs that were adjustable in many ways. A person of a different height or size could adjust the office chair in a way that fits them. The best contemporary office chairs can be adjusted to fit a person of virtually any size. Despite this, sitting down in any office chair for extended periods of time will bring stress to the back. Even those who sit in the best office chairs will want to get up and move around once every 30 minutes.

People who spend lots of time sitting in an office will want to make sure they purchase the correct office chair. While being cheap with other forms of office furniture is generally not a problem, you should want to invest money in a good office chair that will bring comfort to your back. Using ergonomic office chairs can help you avoid back problems. The best office chairs are those which offer support to your lower back. There are hundreds of office chairs available on the market, and no one office chair is considered to be the best, even if it is the most expensive. In addition to back support, a good office chair should have an excellent amount of depth. The standard depth for office chairs is a maximum of 20 inches.

The height of the seat is also important. For most people a height about 16 to 20 inches is usually sufficient. This is a height which should allow you to rest both of your feet flat on the floor. It is also important for office chairs to support your lower back, because office chairs that don’t support the lower backs of those who site in them will cause them to slouch, and this will add even more stress to their lower backs.

Some offices replace their office furniture completely at one time whereas others ‘fill the gaps’ as it were when a new piece is needed. A lot of this depends upon the age of the company.

The ‘perfect’ office furniture does not exist. However, the right office furniture does. In our opinion this is office furniture that is affordable, comfortable, durable, versatile and attractive. Office furniture mainly consists of office desks, office chairs, reception, boardroom, integrated workstations, office screens, and storage. Each of these is important and the amounts of each category needed have to be carefully considered and prioritized so that money is not wasted.

10 Things to consider when buying office furniture.

1. Ensure your furniture fits! This may seem obvious but do include: walking around office desks, opening cupboards/ filing cabinets fully and adhering to any areas that may need to be kept clear for fire regulations.

2. Ensure the office furniture you choose is appropriate for your type of business and is not chosen for looks over comfort.

3. Remember to consider bookcases as these can be additional form of storage.

4. Ergonomic furniture is more comfortable and in line with health and safety guidelines for preventing work related aches and strains. This may be a good choice.

5. Wherever possible divide off the room so that different types of staff are working together.

6. Don’t be afraid to use color if you feel it is appropriate

7. Try to choose designs and colors that will stand the test of time. High fashion pieces can date very quickly leading to them becoming disliked or changed often.

8. Think about the impression your office furniture has to give to clients as well as staff. A design firm will want to appear creative and vibrant, while an attorney’s office will want to appear calming and welcoming.

9. Consider the versatility of the office furniture you choose. Can it adapt as your company adapts?

10. Remember the purpose. Good office furniture is comfortable, gives the right impression and improves efficiency. Everything should be at hand and workstations have to reflect the needs of their user.

Follow these tips to ensure comfortable, durable office furniture that gives the right impression as well as being able to promote an efficient working environment.