What office machines and technology will I need in my office?

Setting up a business can be a challenge, particularly if you've never done so before. It can be hard to work out what things you might need to have in your office or where you should purchase these items. There are so many different types of office machinery available that it can be hard to even know where to start looking for what you should get. In order to solve the problem we have looked at the main areas that you need to focus on in terms of what you need when you're getting started.

Printers

If your office has computers then it will also need printers, it's as simple as that. There are many types of printers available, but the first thing that you should consider is whether you need a colour printer or a black and white one, there is no real point to having both if you don't use them. Remember, setting up your business is costly and you shouldn't waste money buying extra printers that you won't use.

Telecommunications

This includes things such as fax machines, answering machines and telephones, all of which are extremely important if you are running a business that involves dealing with customers. Fax machines may not be as popular now due to emailing, but they will still be used by some people so it is important to consider your clients before choosing to buy one or not.

Presentation devices

Presentation devices such as overhead projectors and projection screens are necessary if you are planning to have big team meetings in your office as they allow everyone present to see what is going on. If this isn't something that you are planning on doing, presentation devices probably aren't something that you'll need to purchase.

Data storage

Ranging from USB sticks to external hard drives, data storage is important for any business as it ensures that all the information that you need is stored safely. Whether you use this storage as back up or just as general storage, it is definitely worth having additional data storage, particularly if your business is largely computer-based.

Filing

The basic things are often very important in business and items such as hole punches, binders and dividers shouldn't be forgotten. It is important that you remain organised in order to run an efficient business and filing is essential to this process. They may sound like small, simple things, but they really will make the biggest difference to how you run your business and how efficient it is.

All of these office machines and technology and many, many more items that you may require for your business can be found in plenty of high street stores at extremely reasonable prices. This is by no means an extensive list and the needs of each business do vary depending on what the business is. These are, however, some good basics to get you started and help point you in the right direction.