Setting Up a Small Office in Nairobi: The Equipment People Forget

Most first-time office setups get the laptops right and then get surprised by everything else. A few overlooked items decide whether the office actually runs smoothly week to week.

Printer: Inkjet vs Laser

Inkjet printers are cheaper upfront but expensive per page at real office volume, since cartridges run out fast. A laser printer costs more initially but usually wins for any office printing more than a few hundred pages a month, and toner lasts far longer than ink.

UPS Sizing, Not Just a UPS

A UPS bought purely on price often only buys five minutes of runtime, barely enough to save an open document. Size it against what you actually plug in: a UPS protecting a router and one PC needs far less capacity than one protecting a full workstation and monitor.

Networking Basics

A single router in the corner of the office often leaves half the desks with a weak signal. Running a cable to a desk that needs a stable connection, or adding a second access point, usually solves more daily frustration than upgrading anyone's laptop.

Toner, spare cables, a surge protector strip, and a second set of chargers are small, unglamorous purchases that prevent the most common half-day office slowdowns.