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Setting Up Your Office On A Shoestring Budget

One of the early challenges most entrepreneurs face is the expense of putting together a working office. If you're starting from scratch and trying to build a business part time from home, you've no doubt been hit by the sticker shock of such basic accoutrements as a desk, computer, and supplies. So how can you get started when your time and resources are in short supply? By being a tightwad and spending carefully. They're habits that will benefit you immeasurably in the years to come.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Improvise

Remember when you were a kid and your imagination was in overdrive? Like when a round pillow could double as a steering wheel, a hairbrush was your personal microphone, and an empty shoebox with a string attached could take Barbie™ anywhere she wanted to go?

Well, dust off those creative juices and put them to work in your office. A folding table makes a suitable desk, and boxes can hold and sort files. A spare room doubles nicely as an office, just as the kitchen table makes a good conference table. In short, you can make a little do a lot.

One entrepreneur I know actually used an old door balanced on saw horses as his desk for years. When did he finally upgrade? The first year his company hit $1 million in sales.

2. Opt For Seconds

Looking to upgrade a bit? Go to second hand furniture stores and watch the local classifieds for moving sales. People hate to move stuff, like desks, filing cabinets, and chairs. Use that to your advantage, and pick up office furniture for a song.

Another great place to look? Scratch-and-dent shops. A big, 4-drawer filing cabinet retails for somewhere close to $500 in our town. With a dent and a few scratches on it, it sells for roughly a third of that and works equally as well. How do I know? I have one sitting in the corner of my office.

3. Look For Going Out of Business Sales

Keep an eye on your local paper for news of businesses that are going out of business. If you need clothing racks, industrial shelves, display cases, etc., these are great places to pick them up. Like the people who are moving, these folks are usually anxious to clear the walls. Use this to your advantage.

4. Shop Surplus

When others upgrade their office equipment, they usually sell the old stuff to surplus dealers. Check your yellow pages for dealers in your area. If you have a military base, college, or university in or near your town, call to get on their surplus auction mailing lists. They usually hold them 3 or 4 times a year and you can get some amazing stuff at bargain-basement prices.

Another great way to find surplus auctions in your area? Type in the keywords: +your town+surplus into any search engine (I like Google, www.google.com) and see what it returns. You may be surprised by what kinds of things are for sale in your area.

5. Hit The Auctions

Local auctions are almost always a good place to find quality goods, including office equipment. Check your local paper and yellow pages for auction houses in your area.

Also take time to scan the online auctions, like:

You might find some real deals here, you might not. It never hurts to look.

6. Barter and Trade

Creative financing comes in all shapes and sizes and doesn't have to involve hefty interest fees at all. Don't have the money to do everything you need to do? Barter or trade your service for someone else's.

A deck builder I know decided to start his own business, but couldn't swing the lawyer's fees to incorporate his start up. After a little negotiation, he got his "Inc."...and his lawyer got a new deck.

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Setting up an office can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be if you get a little creative.

"It's not the occasional dinner out that will kill you," a successful entrepreneur once said about spending habits, "It's your everyday silverware that will do you in." How true. You don't need the "best" that money can buy, particularly when you're starting out. Keep your expenses small and reward yourself with upgrades once you set and achieve your business goals.

Not only is it sound business, it also makes a great success story as well.

Good luck!

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