Define your furniture requirements by what you and your employees need to work effectively.

• This calls for a stronger emphasis on mobility and adaptability, a new blending of ownership and sharing. You need to consider open displays for shared information, as well as support for shared technology and storage. As the employer, your goal should be to help workers communicate more effectively and function better in teams. In providing more collaborative environments, you need to ask these questions: What kind of furniture do we need? Tables for meetings? Acoustical panels for privacy?

Generate a list of the minimum furniture you require

• To avoid buying things that you do not need. Space, for one, is a problem for most home offices. Oftentimes, you will need to furnish your office vertically to maximize every square inch of your office.

Buy furniture for its functionality

• Not for image. If furniture is not appropriate for the way your people work, it becomes impractical.

Consider leasing or renting furniture

• Particularly if you need 100 percent financing. This will increase your flexibility as your company grows or shrinks. Leasing is best if you expect to upgrade your furniture quickly and if you don't expect to cancel your lease before it is finished. However, if you can afford to pay cash, then buy the furniture to avoid the financing and leasing expense. Buying the furniture is also advisable if you plan to own it for quite a while. Another advantage of buying the furniture is if you want to keep your balance sheet clean of liabilities and keep your credit line open for other purchases.

Think about the health and safety of your employees

• Be sure to consider comfort and ergonomics. The wrong desk and chair can make you and your employees susceptible to ergonomic disorders such as backache, headaches, eyestrain and other irritations and inconveniences. Fatigue, loss of concentration.