What Tough Times Can Teach Businesses

There is no getting around it. Times are tough. You simply cannot sugar coat a 9.5 unemployment rate and a volatile stock market. Being an office furniture company, we have seen first hand how badly hit our customers have been by this downward trend. Many have closed their doors or are close to it. Others have cut way back. Many regretfully had to downsize. It is all very sobering but we feel there are always positive points to concentrate on and constructive lessons to be learned.

Optimistically, Gator Office Furniture has been called upon to assist customers with ideas on how to redefine their office space so that the empty desks are not so obvious and employees can work in a more positive environment. More modular office furnishings are used and movable walls are employed. Coworkers are consolidated into one area of the workspace. We believe this helps a business keep afloat during this flood of negative business trends, while also ensuring they will be prepared to expand when the economy regains stability.

Still, why stop there? There is a term called “shadow space” which is the practice of subletting office space to smaller companies. Know someone who has taken up entrepreneurship after losing their job? Rent out an office or a desk to them for a nominal fee, their business services, or for the promise of a solid business relationship. For all you know, your helping hand might be exactly what this person needed to succeed. And, gratitude is priceless.

After all, business is not just about making money. It is about finding satisfaction and meaning in your life’s work. It is about being a contributing member of your society. It is about the relationships you make. We adamantly believe these things. So, the silver lining to these hard times is that it makes us all step back and see this bigger picture. Solidarity in the business community has always been very important to Gator Office Furniture. Now is the time for all of us to reach out to your colleagues and create bonds that will reimburse you throughout your life.

Follow us on Twitter as GatorOfficeFurn, explore our website or just give us a call with any questions or comments at (904) 724-6400.

Adopt-A-Workstation Drive Week 2!

Last week, Larry Scruggs Sr. and I toured the new Small Business Center on 3 Independent Drive and got to meet Sarah Boren of the Green Team Project. They will actually come to your business and consult you on how to run things in a more earth friendly way! Larry was very interested in them and mentioned that we recycle tons of used furniture a month. Since a great deal of this furniture is made of plastic, it would have wound up a permanent fixture in a landfill if not for us. So, once again, we would like to ask you to support our Adopt-A-Workstation cause that we wrote about last week, as well as help us find homes for our other used office furnishings.

Yesterday, Urban Jacksonville Weekly shared some photographs of what some were calling an “art project” on its Facebook page. The anonymous artist decided to take a stand and open our community’s eyes to the state of furniture homelessness in Jacksonville. Curbside tossings and Craiglist ads are easy to overlook. These photographs, however, bring attention to the squandered existence and unattractive ruin of these furnishings. Fortunately, from what I have learned, some of these items were adopted.

Still, it is sad that many were left out in the rain. We here at Gator Office Furniture are glad that we have an indoor area for our office furniture. The furnishings we are spotlighting this week are twins. They are two maple wood U Groups going for only $999. Perhaps you can help us find this pretty pair a home?

As always, you can learn more about our Adopt-A-Workstation cause and the many office furnishings we have available for adoption by calling us at (904) 724-6400, visiting our website, or following us on Twitter.