Office desks and other office furniture are important pieces in the workplace. Not only do desks function as a sturdy piece of equipment that employees need to do work, but they also need to look professional. Pricing and costs for office desks vary widely; but if your business is on a budget, there are many options for office desk furniture you can find online and through wholesale distributors.

Functionality is the most important thing to consider when choosing a desk manufactured for office use. An employee must be able to work comfortably at the desk, otherwise it is just taking up space. And because a desk's function is different for every business, choose desks that match your employee's needs. Here are some questions to ask when making your decision:

1. Can your employee have a computer on her desk and still have room to work?

2. Does the office desk fit your employees' storage needs?

3. Is the desk comfortable for your employees?

Action Steps on Buying Office Desks
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find used office desks to save money

If your business is just starting up, you may have to save money wherever you can. The most obvious place to save money is by cutting back on office furniture. You can still find all the things you need in an office desk without having to pay retail prices.

I recommend: Conklin Office Furniture has many styles of used desks available. Hopper's Office Furniture sells used computer desks, writing desks and corner desks.

Buy reception desks wholesale

Wholesale prices will save any business a lot of money when they look for office furniture. This is the best way to get new products without spending a lot of money. It's a great option if you're just starting up your company and need to supply furniture for an entire office.

I recommend: Calibex has a large selection of wholesale reception desks, from corner desks to smaller models. Polmarco offers wholesale reception desks that you can customize for your particular office space.

Choose business desks designed specifically for laptops

If you are a business that primarily uses laptops and not desktops, buy laptop station desks and provide employees with other tables in a conference area when they need a flat surface to write on. This will free up a lot of space in the office and allow you to spend half the money on office furniture.

I recommend: Ergonomic laptop computer desks and work stations are available from Smart Desks. You can find many similar models at Cuzzi.

Tips & Tactics to Select the Right Office Desk

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While high-priced executive desks look great in any office, some offices are not big enough to handle a large executive desk. Remember to measure the room before you buy any desk.

It’s hard to find a more basic piece of work furniture than an office desk. But desks come in almost infinite variety - from executive desks to reception desks to pods — with price tags to match. Setting up a new office and want to buy a high-quality desk affordably? Or do you need to buy a group of desks for employees? Before you choose the least expensive desks, make sure they’re going to be durable and ergonomically sound. A cheap desk is not a deal if it breaks your back or falls apart. By outfitting your business with good office desks you can:

1. Have a workspace that’s exclusively yours and help make your employees productive.
2. Maintain good ergonomic health.
3. Project a professional image to your employees and customers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Ask for quotes on office desks

To get a feel for what's available - and sate your desk desires with little effort - have vendors respond to your needs.

I recommend: BuyerZone.com has a ten-question survey to get you started. Indicate the type of office desks you want, your price range, your desired materials, delivery date and more. Up to four local vendors will answer your request. Respond B2B offers a similar service.

Shop where the office desks are

Big-box office supply stores are everywhere, and in addition to paper and pens, they sell a wide range of office desks, both functional and decorative, from executive desks on down.

I recommend: Before you make a trip, check out the office desk selection online at Office Depot, Staples and Office Max. For inexpensive office desks, plus an online space planner and delivery services, try Ikea's 'For Your Business' pages. Find specialty sites for computer furniture and workstation furniture on Business.com.

Watch for liquidation sales

Pick up cheap executive desks, office desks or reception desks from going-out-of-business sales.

I recommend: Their loss can be your gain. Check National Content Liquidators (which handles surplus hotel goods), American Merchandise Liquidators (which sells truckloads of furniture) and Liquidation.com (an eBay-style site in which you can bid on liquidation lots). Many liquidators, such as Office Liquidation Center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Jack's Warehouse in the greater Miami area, sell only locally, so check your Yellow Pages for liquidators.

Check with movers for surplus office desks

When a business goes bust, it needs to move its possessions out of the building, which brings moving companies into the picture, some of which sell liquidated goods on their own.

I recommend: Find movers near you through MoversDirectory.com or the Yellow Pages.

Buy used office desks online

If you only need one office desk or two, a search of the obvious online sites always yields good finds. Specialist firms sell used office furniture, as well.

I recommend: Find furniture for sale in your local area by searching the closest Craig's List or eBay. Used office-desk vendors are listed on Business.com.

Keep your eyes open

Unfinished furniture stores are good sources for an office desk for a home-based business (and for bookshelves, tables, chairs, etc.). If you really want to save money, try a Salvation Army store, a local used furniture store or even a garage sale.

I recommend: To find an unfinished office desk online, try #1 Unfinished Furniture, Pop's Unfinished Furniture or Unfinished Furniture Expo. You can also try unusual carpentry programs - look for a voc-tech high school workshop or one at your state's prison. The New Hampshire Correctional Industries teaches inmates skills they can use after being released, including furniture building. If you purchase these models, you get a great story to tell along with your executive desks!

Take it for a test-sit

No matter how much you feel like a bigshot trying out executive desks, if you can't work comfortably, you won't be productive.

I recommend: Test the desk to see whether it's ergonomically sound. A good office desk should include a keyboard shelf so that your forearms can be level while you type, and the monitor should be high enough that you can look straight at it. Look for desk dimensions if you're buying online.  Find ergonomic furniture dealers at Business.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure desk drawers open and close smoothly while empty and while weighted down. Check how far they slide out to make sure you can use most of the space.
• •  The edges of office desks show the most wear, so test them (carefully) to see whether they resist chipping.
• •  Choose a non-reflective surface to reduce glare and eyestrain from office desks.
• •  When assessing executive desks, look for a top with deep overhang so everyone will have room for their legs in a conference.

There are many ways for making the most of office desks when you pick out furniture for the workplace. You want to make a stunning first statement to your customers, and you also want to give you employees a comfortable workplace that's pleasing to the eye.

There are many trends in office furniture. The newest, most stylish furniture is not always the best idea, unless you first check to see if the pieces are also functional.

The office desk furniture seen most by customers should be your first priority as you consider buying trendy furniture. These are the areas that will make statement and give your customers the feeling that they're working with a very successful company. Here are some areas where you may want to concentrate your resources:

1. The reception desk area.

2. Any desks where customers will talk or work with employees.

3. Tables and chairs in the waiting area.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase modern office desks that offer style and comfort

If you pick something too trendy, the corner office desk turns into an art piece rather than a functional piece of equipment for the office. To turn things around and mix style with functionality, look for modern styles with enough room to hold a computer and still leave some workspace left over.

I recommend: Strong Project has many modern styles of office desks, including some receptionist desk styles. Modern Office Furniture also has many styles of modern reception desks that will make a strong first statement.

Choose custom made executive desks for a more personal touch

Another trend that is popular in offices around the country is custom made desks for the office. This allows those who need special features on their desk to get what they want, which hopefully leads to better productivity for the business.

I recommend: Dumonds Custom can put you in a stylish, modern or traditional custom desk that will fit all your needs and add to the overall aesthetics of the office. Custom Made Desk has a sleeker modern style that will easily fit into any type of office.

Consider work station office desks for large areas

These days, business desks do not have to be separated by three cubicle walls. While workstations look similar to cubicles, you can find styles that are much more open and allow colleagues to easily interact with each other. This will also help people who feel that standard cubicles are too confining.

I recommend: First, you can read about all types of office furniture, including workstations, in the article "What to Look for When Buying Office Furniture." Styles from My Office Furniture allow for multiple people to work in the same space.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure that any style desk you choose can function both as a writing desk and an office computer desk, at least large enough for a laptop computer. This way, your employees won't have to change desks every time they need to work on a computer.

Office desks have come a long way since the basic metal filing cabinet models of not long ago. Today, office desks come in a wide range of options, styles and building materials. One of the primary concerns with modern office furniture is developing earth-friendly designs from eco-friendly materials that don't release toxic chemicals or gases into the work environment.

Another trend is recycling or reusing old furniture. No matter what sort of office desks you're shopping for, make sure you understand the following key terms.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Ergonomics

Ergonomics, or something being ergonomically correct, refers to the practice of tailoring the workspace to fit the worker, instead of insisting that the worker adapt to the workspace conditions. This includes tailoring the office desk to fit the worker and making sure that the office chair fits both the desk and the worker well.

I recommend: Oklahoma State University details how the principles of ergonomics can be applied to office desks and workstations.

VOCs

VOCs or volatile organic compounds are emitted as gas from some solids and liquids. This is of particular concern with office desks and other furniture because VOCs might be present in office desks made of pressboard, plywood, particleboard or wood veneers, and also in the finishes applied to almost any wood or metal surface.

I recommend: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gives a detailed explanation of volatile organic compounds, what they are and what their potential side-effects are.

Cradle to cradle

The cradle to cradle certification was created to give companies a tangible, reputable measure of their success in creating environmentally conscious designs and products. Look for this certification if you want to purchase the most prestigious green or earth-friendly office desks.

I recommend: MBDC created and maintains the cradle to cradle certification, and publishes a full set of criteria for the certification and lists of companies that have received it.

Laptop desks

If your company employees work primarily on laptop computers, not desktops, you might consider replacing full-sized office desks with laptop desks. Laptop desks are office desks designed specifically to hold laptop or notebook computers and their accessories, thus reducing the commitment of space and resources needed to install full-size desks.

I recommend: LapWorks pioneers laptop desks, trays and stands to create diminutive, space-saving laptop desk work surfaces.

Workstations

Workstations are exactly what they sound like: A work-dedicated space. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems.

I recommend: ABCOffice details the purpose of workstation furniture.

Eco wheat board

The furniture made from compressed straw material is referred to as eco wheat board or straw board. Because eco wheat board doesn't use the same chemical resins made in pressboard, plywood and other conventional building materials, it is a popular, earth-friendly material for building office desks.

I recommend: Holistic-interior-designs.com explains what eco wheat board is, how it's made, and its advantages as compared to conventional building materials.