What is one of the most common things that you will see when you walk into the office of any powerful executive? If you said Oak Desk, you win the funny little stuffed animal. Oak desks have long been associated with success and there is a very good reason for it. They exude strength and have an appearance that makes people respect the person that is sitting behind it.
It doesn’t matter if your office is in your basement or in a prime building in center city; you still have to feel important and look important if you are going to be taken seriously. You would be hard pressed to find a better wood to make this statement than oak.
Can you picture the owner of a major company taking interviews sitting behind a plywood desk that is covered in laminate? Absolutely not! Then why are you settling for anything different. This is not to say that you have to go out and spend a fortune on the same set up that they have, but you can get something nice that lets people know you are to be taken seriously.
The last thing you want is to make the impression that you do not take your business seriously. What you want is the total opposite. You want people to walk into your office and see you with your chest puffed out and full of confidence. This is when they think that they have finally found their guy and start handing you their bank ATM card.
Will you spend a little more money for oak? Yes, but it is more of an investment than anything else. Do you want to have to buy a new desk every couple of years or do you want one nice one that will stand the test of time. Do you think the value of the dollar is going to be the same 5 years from now? A dollar spent today may be $10 saved tomorrow.
Your desk is going to be the place where you spend a lot of time. Think about it, the average work day is now about 10 hours a day. That is more than half of your woken hours spent behind a desk. Do you really want to do that behind something that is embarrassing?
While the laurels of oak are being applauded, you can add the fact that it goes with just about everything. Old style décor, classic décor and modern décor are all easy enough for oak desks to blend in with. You may have to play with some fabrics or paints to lighten the room, but the mighty oak desk will stand strong in all of these settings.
What it really comes down to is how you want people to look at you in the business world. If you want to be considered a joke, by all means buy that $100 piece of plywood that is slapped together with 2 cent screws. If you want to be taken seriously, spend a few extra dollars and get that beautiful piece of oak that is screaming success.
