15 Essential Office Supplies For Business Start-ups

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When starting a new business, you’ll need some essential office supplies to ensure your new company gets up and running as smoothly as possible. So if you’re asking yourself, “What office supplies do I need to start a business?”, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’ve listed the top 15 stationery and office furniture items you will need to stay organised and be productive in your new venture.

Essential office supplies for your new business include ring binders, lever arch files, file dividers, punched pockets, ballpoint pens, copier paper, envelopes, Sellotape, notepads, diaries, wall planners, filing cabinets, office desks, pedestals, office chairs and coffee, lots of coffee! These basic office supplies are available online or through retail stationery outlets.

Filing Essentials

1. Lever Arch Files

Lever arch files have a larger capacity than ring binders and are useful for storing paperwork that you need to keep referring to or removing from your files during meetings or accountancy. Due to the larger capacity and internal rings, you can locate your desired file, open the lever and retrieve your document with ease.

2. Ring Binders

Ring binders are smaller in size than lever arch files, with smaller internal rings, therefore they are perfect for storing information and documents that are used for reference, such as instructions and presentations. It is harder to retrieve files from the centre of a ring binder without having to remove all the documents first.

3. File Dividers

File dividers come in a range of varieties including A-Z and numbered options ranging from 1-5, 1-10, 1-20. Dividers are also available in plain tabs, so you can organise your filing around what you find important.

4. Punched Pockets

Punched pockets are vital for keeping your filing safe and protected. These plastic pockets have multiple punched holes on the left-hand margin, allowing them to fit into every possible file available including Lever arch and ring binders. Simply slip your paperwork into these transparent pockets and they then perfectly fit inside your files for safe keeping.

Stationery Essentials

5. Ballpoint Pens

Ballpoint pens are available in wide range of brands and colours including black, blue, red and green. Leading brands such as Bic and Pentel supply these in bulk packs of 50 pens or alternatively own brand Q-Connect offer smaller packs of 20.

6. Notebooks

Notebooks are useful for jotting down notes, ideas and meeting actions. Always have a good quality notebook on hand when attending customer meetings as having a good quality notebook makes a good first impression.

7. Staplers

Ideal for keeping paperwork together, instead of spread out across your desk losing pages of an important contract or document. Staplers are available in half strip or full strip variations with the latter holding a full strip of staples inside.

8. Staples

Staples are available in various sizes to suit both the size of the document you are stapling and also the stapler you are using.

9. Diaries

Never miss an important deadline, meeting or task. Diaries are available from leading brands such as Collins, Filofax and Letts and come in various formats including week to view, page per day and 2 pages per day, depending on how much you are wanting to write on each day.

Paper Essentials

10. Copier Paper

Depending on what you are printing, copier paper is available in a wide range of weights and colours. For everyday printing in the office, 75gsm copier paper is low cost but compromises on the quality of the paper. For customer documents and presentation, 90-120gsm is a better choice, it is slightly more expensive but will make a better impression when your prospect or customer holds your document.

11. Envelopes

Envelopes are available in 3 main sizes: DL, C4 and C5. DL holds A4 paper folded 3 times, C4 Holds A4 Paper with no folds and C5 holds paper folded once in half. You can choose your envelopes to have a window for the address to be visible through, or alternatively without a window if you prefer to hand write your address or use a label printer instead.

Furniture Essentials

12. Office Desks

Choosing a suitable office desk for your new business can be a daunting task with so many sizes, shapes and colours available. The most popular office desks are rectangular and radial/corner desks and our most popular colours are beech and white, however you can choose from a range of 7 wood finishes.

13. Office Chairs

If you are sitting all day at your desk, it’s wise to choose an office chair that is comfy and promotes good posture. Office chairs are available in fabric, mesh and leather, with optional arm rests and head rests for added comfort. Chairs are available in a wide range of colours including the most popular - black, charcoal and blue.

14. Pedestals (Drawers)

To keep your desk free from clutter and distraction you can store all necessary items in a pedestal. Pedestals are available in either under desk or desk-high varieties to extend the size of your desk.