Office - Office Equipment
Ask Bob

Ask Bob About Office Equipment

?Why are some file cabinets so cheap and others so expensive?

Much of the furniture designed for home offices is junk. File cabinets are an excellent example. The cheaper file cabinets feature drawers that jam even before you leave the store. I am surprised the warrantees don’t promise breakage before you even get home!

A good filing cabinet that really holds up can be quite expensive. So, it is better to buy a better-quality used item than a cheap new one.

?Should I rent furniture?

The rates that furniture rental companies charge are usually exorbitant. It is better to buy.

?Whom can I arrange to lease equipment from?

Consider the leasing options available from the manufacturer first. Then check the options available from a leasing firm. Banks also offer leasing, but this may affect your borrowing limits in the future.

You can also approach any friends or relatives who have helped you finance your business—and even those who refused. They may be willing to purchase your furniture and lease its use to you while retaining title. It may be viewed as less risky than actually lending money.

I once had my attorney buy an inexpensive typesetting machine and lease it back to me. As we sat over breakfast, after ironing out the details, he only had one complaint. We had just eaten all of his profit!

?What about buying through the mail?

You can usually negotiate a better price with a local dealer than you can get through a mail order house. But check it out. Mail order may be your best route, especially if you don’t live in an major metropolitan area where furniture pricing can be highly competitive.

While I certainly have purchased furniture and equipment through the mail, I offer one caution. One prominent cut-rate electronics mail-order dealer I once used went bankrupt. You should know that if you prepay for merchandise and the company goes belly-up after you have sent your check but before they have shipped your merchandise, then you are a general creditor. In other words, you have no special claim on the item you ordered and the check you sent is no longer yours. You are merely one of many on a long list of creditors and you would be extremely lucky to get a full settlement on your claim. To avoid this situation, ask to be billed or pay with a credit card.