Frugal furniture: Office design on a budget. (Small Business Advisor).

So, you've got a solid business plan in place, office space is lined up and you're finding the best staff you can to flesh out your business dream. What next? Now you've got to get all the desks, chairs, fax machines and more to allow your office to really run.

It's possible to equip

an office without going deep into the red, but you must first realistically assess your budget and needs, and then determine which of your options will best fulfill those needs. If you have limited startup cash, or are unsure what to expect for your company's growth rate, renting, leasing or leasing-to-own may be the best choice for you. The downside of this option is that it can result in greater long-term costs because of monthly rates that ultimately exceed what it would cost to buy equipment outright.

But as Jeff Cordell, Utah district sales manager for Cort Furniture Rental, points out, "As your company grows or shrinks, your furnishings can grow or shrink, too." Renting or leasing requires a minimal initial outlay and allows great flexibility for the shape of your business. Start with a fax-scanner-copier and opt for separate machines as your needs increase; start out with a staff of five and quickly expand to 25 without on-the-spot outlay for all those workspaces; and easily transition from stand-alone work areas to a modular system.

An in-between option for outfitting your office is buying used. Near-perfect pieces of office furniture can be found without as much outlay as buying new, and the stuff is yours free and clear. Check for used items in classified listings and auctions. But this can require a lot of time sorting through dead ends, and you may have a hard time creating a cohesive look for your office. A better choice might be office furniture-specific used furniture stores, such as Salt Lake City's Office Furniture Exchange.

OFE sells many individual office furnishings, but specializes in quality cubicles by Herman Miller, Steelcase and Haworth - some of the same names Cordell recommends as the best values. "We can equip an office for five or for 50," says Laurie Mauss, who established OFE about 15 years ago and now co-owns the company with his son.

And with the number of offices going bust in our current economy, it can be a buyer's market for those looking to buy used. Mauss says that in recent months he has seen a marked increase in the number of businesses contacting him to sell furnishings. Besides selling outright, OFE also rents and leases-to-own its used stock, as does Cort.

But if you are confident you can make outfitting decisions that will be appropriate for your business for some time, buying new furnishings and equipment may be your best choice. Warranties are available on some items, and it can be more cost effective than leasing, as long as what is saved by purchasing isn't lost in paying interest on a loan taken out in order to buy instead of lease.

Some companies, such as Linda's Residential & Office Furniture in Salt Lake City, combine many of these options in one storefront. Linda's has new and used furnishings in its showrooms. Linda's also offers the consulting and design services of specialist Michelle Fredrickson, who will go to an office to see the space, walls, carpeting and furnishings they already have, learn their target budget, and then make suggestions based on what Linda's has on hand and what can be ordered.

The business directory is a valuable resource to investigate more options (look under office furniture for subheadings on leasing, used etc.). And particularly if you are looking to buy new, the Internet should also be a close confidant. An excellent website to get price comparison quotes to equip an office is www.buyerzone.com, which has buyer's guides for, price quotes from, and links to more than 15,000 brand-name vendors. Just make sure you've fully considered the true "cost" of buying a particular item online vs. locally -- if a warrantied scanner from an online purveyor breaks down eight days after you receive it, what (possibly Herculean) steps will you have to go through to get it serviced?

Whichever route you choose to go, just be sure to get the highest quality you can afford. Ask around for recommendations, see how furnishings feel ergonomically, check the upholstery and finishes. Make sure you're getting something that will be long-lasting, attractive, and comfortable to use. Don't break your back trying not to break the bank.

Marcia C. Dibble is a Salt Lake City-based freelance writer and editor.