Working from a home office is a productivity strategy that has been gaining popularity in recent years  - and the coronavirus outbreak has hugely accelerated this trend.
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There are many great benefits to working from home, including traffic-free mornings, having a few more minutes to sleep in, and the potential to save on your monthly office rental.
But before you put your office wear away for good you’ll need to make sure that the ergonomics of your home office are set up for productivity and good health.​

Here’s what every work from home executive needs to know about high-quality office furniture and how it can make a huge difference to your health and the
quality of your work.

​2020 was the year when we all had to learn how to work from home - and fast.
As billions of people around the world took to their homes to avoid the coronavirus, board rooms and office cubicles were quickly swapped for kitchen tables and couches - not to mention the Zoom meetings that took place with kids and pets being hushed in the background.

• Most of us have figured out how to work from home in the past 12 months, but many people are still using home office furniture that’s not designed for extended periods of sitting, typing and other work activities.

• Using the wrong type of office chair or a table that’s too low could be bad news for your back - and almost every other region of your body too.

A remote working home office should be a place where creativity flows and high quality work gets done. To avoid injury and perform at your best, you’ll want to make sure that your workspace is set up ergonomically for optimal back support and comfort. 

Office furniture is designed to be used for hours at a stretch without causing strain to the body. Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy by opting for spine-friendly chairs or a bench desking system.
 

• Things will be at the right height. To maintain a healthy posture and avoid a case of “text neck” you’ll need to keep your head upright and your eyes in front of you as much as possible. Ergonomic office chairs with a desk that matches their height can help you achieve this.
• Your entire spine will be supported. The spine works as a connected whole - and it needs support from head to foot. An ergonomic office chair will keep your entire spine aligned for optimal health and productivity. 

If you’re worried about the aesthetics of your office, there’s nothing to fear with Office Concepts. As a manufacturer and registered exporter of office furniture, we pride ourselves on our designs that combine cutting edge design with ergonomics and build quality. ​

We’re proud of our range of ergonomic office chairs - and we’d love you to experience their comfort and eye-catching appeal for yourself.
 

With many countries in the world moving towards local manufacturing in the wake of COVID-19, now could be the ideal moment to reduce our reliance on imported furniture from the East and other regions of the world. 
Recently, the South African government has begun to recognize the importance of local furniture manufacturers and is taking steps to support the industry.
We are hopeful that this will encourage investment in local manufacturing capacity to produce office furniture of the highest quality for our domestic market and kick start furniture exports. ​

Africa‘s economy has made great strides in development over the past few decades. While this growth hasn’t always resulted in lucrative trade, a new agreement plans to change the situation for the better.

• Many African nations find themselves in a tricky situation when it comes to imports and exports.
• Due to high tariffs and a backlog in development on the continent, it has often been extremely expensive and burdensome for furniture manufacturers and their customers to buy and sell products despite being geographically close to each other.
• In many cases, retailers in African countries I have been more likely to import furniture from Europe, the US, South America and especially China in recent years.

 
This situation is not only bad for trade in Africa but also prevents local businesses from reaching customers in nearby markets.
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To address this challenge The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is designed to eliminate all of the tariffs between countries and encourage African nations to trade with each other more efficiently. The goal of this agreement will be to create a trading block similar to the one that currently exists in the EU.

​The following features of the continental trade agreement should help develop furniture manufacturing as a job creating industry across Africa as well as boosting regional economies.

• Tariff reductions. These will be phased in over a number of years and should significantly lower costs when buying from a registered exporter of office furniture.

• Trade infrastructure. This will include construction of roads and freight networks as well as legal infrastructure like common customs and tariff systems (as mentioned above) that will eliminate tape red tape as time goes by.

• Encouraging local industry. More efficient trade between African nations should encourage local manufacturers to set up shop and expand their operations. This should create better opportunities to trade with distributors and clients in neighboring countries.

1 Ergonomy
Perhaps the most vital reason to have a computer monitor arm is the importance of working in an ergonomic environment. By working in an ergonomic environment every piece of equipment used, whether it be your office chair or in this case the monitor which you use, is tailored to be adjustable to fit the unique individual’s body. Creating an ergonomic office environment will help you avoid neck and eye strain as well as shoulder pain and poor posture.

2. Clutter free office 
With a flexible monitor arm  you can move your monitor out of the way when you're not using it. Reading, writing and proofing hardcopy documents can now be done right in front of your keyboard rather than off to the side. Transforming the dead space behind a flat panel monitor into usable space is instantly accomplished with a flexible monitor arm.

3. Versatility
Beyond just the standard monitor arm adjustments, like height, depth, and angle, many monitor arms also allow you to quickly and easily switch from landscape to portrait mode or to quickly adjust dual monitors from a side-by-side configuration to stacked one over the other, both in portrait mode, both in landscape mode, or one of each. Monitor arms allow you to customize your workstation and working style.

4. Collaborate more effectively
It's easier to collaborate when both of you can see and share the monitor easily. No matter where you're sitting, your monitor can flex to the best possible position so your meeting is more productive.

5. Accommodate an aging workforce and varied visual abilities
With a monitor arm you can position your monitor at your eye level, swivel, rotate, tilt and fold it to fit perfectly. Increased flexibility benefits bifocal wearers and aging workforce.