By Brandon Davis
When starting a new business, it is key that you have all the required office equipment. These are things such as a telephone system, computers and software, a strong internet connection, a printer and a paper shredder. This equipment can be a huge startup cost for a small business. Therefore, I have researched what is the most affordable, yet does not lack in quality, office equipment for a new businesswoman.
Telephone System
Having a telephone system is a must for a new business. This will allow you to communicate with your customers, staff and vendors. For example, if a staff member is sick they will need to call in and let you know. RingCentral Office is an all-in-one cloud platform for calls, online fax, audio conferencing and SMS. The system is very flexible as it allows you to use any mobile device to run as a softphone. Features of the software include call logging, monitoring, recording and online faxing. The system also allows for team collaboration through screen sharing and HD video calling. There are 4 different plans of RingCentral, Essentials, Standard, Premium and Ultimate. The most popular is premium, costing just £17.99 per month which allows 100+ users.
Computers and Software
Computers and software are the most important office equipment when starting a new business. Having a computer will allow you to have 24/7 access to the internet helping you communicate faster with your customers and staff members. Also having a computer can reduce costs by automating routine tasks such as record-keeping, accounting and payroll. As well as this, having the right software on your computer can help your business keep track of files, documents, schedules and deadlines. The Apple MacBook Pro has a long battery life as well as a lightning-fast SSD allowing you to have different apps open at the same time without experiencing the laptop freezing and/or lagging. The MacBook also has a great webcam built-in which is important to use for video calling when on zoom or google meetings. The best software to use on the Apple MacBook would be google. Google has many built-in features such as Gmail which is used for email. Google contacts which is used for storing staff and vendors contact information such as their email address and phone number. Google drive is used for uploading, downloading and editing important documents that can be shared with your staff members. Google calendar can be used for scheduling meetings and deadlines as well as being able to add your working hours onto the calendar and Google meets/chat which can be used for creating group chats with your colleagues and having video calls with them.
Internet Connection
Using the internet is now an important part of every business. If you want your new business to run smoothly then having an internet connection that is fast and reliable is a must. Having a good internet connection will allow you to download and upload documents faster, make research a lot faster and easier without having your browser buffer or freeze and be able to have video calls in HD resolution. There are many different internet providers such as BT, Virgin Media and Sky Broadband. All of these providers offer different plans which vary in upload and download speed depending on the price of the plan. I recommend choosing a plan that has 30-50MB+ download speed and an upload speed of 10MB+.
Printer
A printer is a device that a hard copy of electronic data that is stored on a computer or other device. A new businesswoman will need a printer in their office for printing documents, scanning and photocopying and faxing. The best all-around printer for a new business is the Canon Pixma TR4550. Wi-Fi printing, scanning, copying and faxing are all available on this printer as well as double-sided printing. This printer is also small and lightweight which means it won’t take up much room in your office and is easy to move around. The printer is available for purchase on Amazon, coming in at a price of just £85.
Paper Shredder
A paper shredder is a mechanical device used to cut paper into strips or small pieces. Businesses use paper shredders to destroy confidential, private or sensitive documents. For a new businesswoman, having a paper shredder would be useful as they can dispose of any unwanted documents and also keep their office clean and tidy. After research, the best paper shredder for a new businesswoman would be the Bonsaii Evershred. This shredder has a 30-minute running time which can shred 3500 sheets of A4 paper in a single charge. It can also shred credit cards, CDs and even staples. The Bonsaii Evershred also features a jam protection system saving you from paper jams. The cost of the shredder is £110 and is available to buy from amazon.
Comment below if you have any more affordable suggestions!