Guest post courtesy of Naomi Webb
Upcycling is something that’s taken the world by storm in recent years. There are entire enterprises dedicated to taking old, unloved and unwanted pieces of furniture and turning them into something practical and useful. But have you ever thought about upcycling things for business?
Desks, chairs, shelving and so much more can be given a new lease of life at a fraction of the cost of buying brand new things, and best of all, upcycling will allow you to inject a bit of your business’s personality into your office ware. However, to make sure you’re using your time and money wisely, you need to know to upcycle on a shoestring. Here are some useful tips to get you started…
Shop what you’ve got
It’s better value for business to upcycle their items if they can, rather leave them to gather dust in the corner.
The key to thrifty upcycling is to take stock of what you already have. Are there any items in your office that you’re bored of, or aren’t using? If so, get your creative cap on and focus your energy on upcycling things. It might mean giving a piece of furniture a fresh coat of paint, or re-imagining its use altogether so that it actually gets utilized. It’s better value for business to upcycle their items if they can, rather leave them to gather dust in the corner.
Think about function
A great money saving tip for busy businesses is to think carefully about the of the items you’re upcycling. What do you need your furniture to do in your office, and is it possible that the items you have can be upcycled to deliver that for you? If not, it’s going to be a waste of time and money doing them up.
Only take on upcycling projects that will ultimately make something practical for you and others to use, but do try to think outside the box: would a set of wheels fixed to the bottom of a storage unit make a piece of furniture far more useful than it currently is? If so, check out where you can find castors online, and get upcycling accordingly.
Check it has ‘good bones’
Similarly to the tip above, save your business time and effort by making sure that you’re only upcycling items that have ‘good bones’. This term refers to something that has a good, solid structure and isn’t going to fall apart within a few uses. Check out the condition of the joints, and make sure that metal isn’t rusting or that wood has become rotten. If the bones are good, it’s probably worth upcycling – but if they’re not, perhaps don’t bother.
Check out car boot sales, garage sales, charity shops and online groups
Finally, be prepared to invest a little bit of money by buying old items to upcycle. Businesses can do this in a thrifty way by only buying them from people who are trying to flog items, so check out car boot sales, garage sales and charity shops if you want to get a great deal. You could also have a look online at sites like Gumtree for second hand furniture for sale, but consider approaching other companies directly too – especially if they’re moving to a new premises, downsizing or closing down altogether.
Source: Naomi Webb is an enthusiastic freelance writer specializing in the latest technology trends, with a keen interest in business technology. She has written a broad range of content for a variety of audiences and loves to take on a writing challenge!