Four Good FF&E Tips To Keep You On Your Budget

Here Are Four Good FF&E Tips To Keep You On Budget

FF&E can be an expensive venture, especially for community centers and sports complexes that require a lot of seating and will provide services to a lot of people. It often happens that a significant chunk of your budget gets spent on FF&E instead of other important business investments. Sports Facilities Advisory wants to help you get the right furniture, fixtures and equipment for your facility while keeping costs down. In today’s post, we’ll give four helpful tips for keeping your furniture expenditures under budget.

1. Ask For Help

The first step you should take when looking for affordable FF&E solutions is to ask for help. If you are building a community center that will benefit the residents of that community, you might have some people who are willing to donate funds or pieces to your center. You can also get in touch with other local recreation centers or facilities and see if they have used pieces that they would be willing to part with.
For instance, if you are building an indoor soccer or baseball facility and need turf, check with local colleges, high schools and other facilities to see if they have used turf they could donate.

2. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

Another excellent way to save money in your FF&E budget is to reuse the pieces that you already have. For instance, if you host a yearly event or league, keep the promotional signage and posters rather than spending money on additional promo materials the next year. If you are printing signage, try to find something to print on the back of an existing sign so that you can avoid spending money on additional material. Reducing waste is an essential way to save money, and that applies to furniture and fixtures, as well.

3. Invest In Durability

Rather than investing in the flashiest FF&E, learn to find value in durability. When spending money, focus on items that will stay functional longer, instead of items that look great but are less durable. For instance, seat-back seating might be the most appealing, but replacing broken seats is expensive, as is installing these seats. Bleachers are a much cheaper and durable solution.

4. Spend Money With Growth In Mind

One common FF&E error is spending money based on where your community center or sports complex is now. Your business will be in a tough situation when you inevitably grow and run out of seating options. Spending money with growth in mind will save you money in the long run and can even save you money in the short term, as buying in higher quantities is typically more cost-effective.