Business Values
What is the purpose and vision of Podia?
Our purpose is to enable people to thrive in work and life. Our shared vision is for a future where workspaces are transformed improving productivity and wellbeing for everyone.
What products and services do you offer?
We bring together premium technology, stylish furniture, and supportive employee wellbeing content so everyone can thrive in work and life.
Personal Solutions include; Desks and Tables, Seating, Storage, Professional Webcams, Headsets & Speakerphones, Video Collaboration bars, Screens & Display, Control panels, Keyboards & Mice, Mobiles, Computing and other accessories (e.g. Basically all the essential AV equipment for effective working and collaboration at Home)
Business Solutions include; Huddle and Meeting Room Furniture, Video & Audio Solutions , Furniture Accessories, Cloud Subscriptions, Furniture for Offices and Homes, IT Products including Mobiles & Computing and other accessories (e.g. Basically all the essential AV equipment for effective working and collaboration within the hybrid working world)
We also provide a full holistic solution for employee wellbeing which is available for both business and personal use. Solutions include installation, training, warranty support, and access to online content to help you thrive in work and life.
What is the difference between Business and Personal?
To take the complexities out of choosing workspace solutions, when you visit our store you are able to shop either for business or personal needs.
Podia Business solutions are available for pay monthly prices, do not include VAT and our entire portfolio of assets can be explored.
Podia Personal can be used by anyone who is not a registered company and as such prices are shown as the total cost which includes VAT and products that reflect our remote portfolio.
I love the Podia offering but I would like to tailor my solution for my exact requirements – can I still work with you?
Of course you can.
Our experienced advisors will walk you through the process and ensure you are happy with your choices and design a deployment program that meets your requirements. Contact the team to discuss your requirements today on 01635 798620 or at
sales@podia.work.
We also offer free hybrid working consultations which offer you a great opportunity to obtain valuable advice which can ensure you make a powerful transition to a new way of working.
How does Podia contribute to good causes?
We all have a responsibility to try and make the world a better place, so at Podia, we're stepping up to the challenge. We've partnered with environmental and community charities around the world to give a little back every time you buy a workspace.
For all Micro and Swift home workspace bundles purchased, we proudly plant one tree. For every Professional, Executive, Huddle and Meeting Room Workspace purchased, we proudly make a donation to help support a rural community in Ghana.
Read more about our ethical promises by clicking here.
Podia Business
What size of businesses work with Podia?
We have designed our offering to be suitable for small businesses with a handful of staff, all the way up to the big enterprises with thousands of employees.
We carefully crafted ready made bundles, along with thousands of individual items which can be purchased online. Or for larger projects, we work directly with our sales consultants to deliver a more tailored solution.
How does Podia support employee well-being?
Podia supports employee well-being in several ways:
Firstly, our high-performance workspaces for both business and personal use have been created to address the challenges employees are facing whilst working from home. Having poor equipment and tools leads to user frustration which negatively impacts their well-being. Providing employees with best-in-class technology, stylish and ergonomic furniture will allow them to have greater job satisfaction and wellbeing.
Secondly, Podia supports employee well-being through our intuitive Rise platform. Rise is our well-being content and community platform which has been developed by our team to do just that – support employee wellbeing. Both our Rise for Business and Rise for Personal Platforms also offer a FREE 14 day trial so that you can ascertain if the service is right for you.
How does Podia help businesses demonstrate a clear duty of care to all remote employees?
Employers today have a fantastic opportunity to seize the moment and genuinely provide employees the flexibility to work at home, in the office, or in a hybrid model. Employees need to have access to the same quality of equipment and services they would have in the office to maintain productivity but also retain their sense of belonging, purpose, and well-being. At Podia we enable Employers to deliver this to their employees in a full end-to-end solution. From the point of installation where we check and report on their home environment right through to the content, we deliver to them when up and running employers can clearly demonstrate that remote doesn’t mean removed.
Does Podia provide solutions to the Office as well as Home?
Yes, we do. Our purpose is to enable people to thrive in work and that isn’t limited to just working from home. We believe that a big part of employee wellbeing and productivity is offering a seamless user experience and building genuine human connections between the Home and office. After COVID-19 employees now expect to walk into an office Meeting room or huddle space and have the same quality experience they have on their PC. We want to make it easy to deploy huddle and meeting spaces and take the complication out of this area and deliver a consistent and seamless user experience.
Do you only offer complete bundles?
Whilst we pride ourselves on our complete solutions when you visit our business site, you can also find a wide range of individual items to suit existing setups. Whether you require some storage, IT assets, desks, chairs or even just Zoom licenses, our portfolio allows you to shop for all needs under one supplier.
Finance for Business
What is included within the monthly cost?
Quite simply everything! All the products and services from Podia are included into a fixed term lease or provided “As-A-Service”.
Who owns the products and are they rented?
The standard solution for on-line purchases is a fixed term lease. This effectively delivers a rental arrangement between Podia and our customers.
The products are not owned by the purchasing entity at any stage and at the end of the term Podia collects the Products and can then provide a new workspace solution as part of a technology refresh solution.
If required the products can be owned by our Customers at the end of the lease with a small final settlement payment which is typically only 2-5% of the total lease value.
What is the benefit of leasing the asset over purchasing outright?
Podia provides a competitive rate of finance via third party partners and just simply ensures that the monthly cost per solution is very cost effective for all businesses and preserves cash flow as investments are made in remote working and office upgrades.
What is the minimum lease period?
There are various options available from one (1) year, but the recommended option is three (3) years.
When does the lease start?
On the day of delivery and/or installation.
What happens at the end of the lease period?
Podia collects the workspaces and can deliver a new solution as part of a new agreement. Technology moves fast and we will recommend a new workspace solution as the term comes to an end.
Podia can also provide further solutions as required plus provide continued access to Elevate and Rise platforms as part of an on-going further agreement.
As previously stated our Customers can also assume title over the workspaces at the end of the lease with a small final settlement payment which is typically only 2-5% of the total lease value.
What happens if the employee leaves before the end of the lease period?
It's inevitable that at some point you will experience staff leaving (even if you are the best employer in the world) but when this does happen, we take the burden from you. With the Elevate platform employers can simply request that we collect the workspace and redeploy it to a new employee (there is an additional charge for this). We can also take the workspace back into our logistics centre and hold the workspace until the employer instructs us to re-deploy again using the Elevate platform. There is no charge for this for up to three (3) months (as long as the payments continue to be made).
Is the finance agreement directly with Podia?
No, we leave that stuff to the experts! Podia choose to partner with Propel who are one of the UK's largest independent finance houses. Helping more than 40,000 businesses acquire finance for over 20 years.
Propel acts as a credit broker or a lender for business customers only. Propel Finance Group includes Propel Finance Plc and Propel Finance No.1 Limited. Propel Finance Plc is registered in Wales, Company no 04015132 Propel Finance No. 1 Limited is registered in Wales, Company no. 10003271. Registered offices are at Unit 5, Langstone Business Village, Langstone Park, Newport, NP18 2LH, vat no. 252089996. Propel Finance Plc and Propel Finance No. 1 Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What are the tax implications for workspaces for remote employees?
There are numerous things to consider and Podia can provide this guidance to both employees and employers.
As long as the workspace remains the property of the company then it can sit as an asset of the company that is treated the same as any desk or chair in an office.
If an employee keeps a workspace that has residual value when they leave or it is provided to the Employee as a gift then this may need to be included as a gift and reported on the employee’s payroll and tax return
Under the term of the agreement the workspace does not sit as an asset and remains the property of Podia and any 3rd party finance provider so no implications to consider at all in this scenario.
Is asset finance suitable for me?
The options for financing the purchase of Podia assets are:
• Take out an asset finance agreement. A funder (Propel) will purchase the goods from the supplier you have selected (Podia), at the price you have negotiated. You will then hire or lease the goods from the funder (Propel).
• Purchase outright via Stripe or PayPal
In deciding which option to select, relevant factors may include:
– Whether you have the money to buy outright
– How long you need the goods for
– Costs of the different options
Asset finance is unlikely to be suitable if you are not sure if you will need the asset(s) for the minimum contract period or if the asset is unlikely to be maintained and kept in a useable condition for the minimum contract period or if you want to change the asset(s) during the minimum term.
You should be aware:
• You will have to continue to pay for the goods for the agreed period or settle the outstanding balance early even if you no longer need the goods, or if the goods cannot be used (funders usually offer a small rebate of interest charges in the event of an early settlement).
• If you change the goods during the agreed minimum rental period, this could lead to higher charges
For more help in deciding whether to select asset finance, see the Government’s Business Finance advice (https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-explained/overview)
What type of asset finance does Propel offer Podia customers?
Most asset finance arrangements involve paying a deposit and then monthly or quarterly payments, with interest payable. The key difference between products is what happens at the end of the agreement and who owns the goods.
Lease also known as a “Hire Agreement”:
At the end of the agreement, you do not own the goods. The agreement can often be extended, you may be offered the option to buy the goods, or the goods can be returned. Any alternative arrangement that we can offer will be discussed with each customer individually.
Podia Personal
How can Podia support my own well-being?
Podia supports well-being in several ways:
Having poor equipment and tools leads to user frustration which negatively impacts their well-being. Providing you with best-in-class technology, stylish and ergonomic furniture will allow them to have greater job satisfaction and wellbeing.
Secondly, Podia supports well-being through our intuitive Rise platform. Rise is our well-being content and community platform which has been developed by our team to do just that – support employee wellbeing. Why no try our FREE 14 day trial to see what you think?
Home working is new to me and you have lots of choices, how can I choose what is best for me?
We understand that no two requirements will be exactly the same which is why we offer plenty of choices. If you are looking for advice or inspiration, you can check out our handy guides which have plenty of remote working tips and product suggestions.
Do you offer individual products?
We do indeed. Whilst we have lots of complete bundles, we also provide a range of Desks, Chairs, Storage, Furniture Accessories, Cloud Subscriptions, and AV products. The beauty of our range is that you can shop for a hybrid approved complete bundle or choose your own efficient solutions to make a home office setup that is completely unique to your needs.
Finance for Personal
What payment types do you offer?
All products on our personal store are available for complete purchase via either Paypal or Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
Ordering
How do I place an order?
For businesses, simply visit our
store section here
to place any orders.
For Personal requirements, you can shop via our
store section here.
Need more help or advice? You can contact us here.
How do I order for large volumes of employees with different delivery dates and addresses?
Firstly talk directly to our advisors who can deliver you a full proposal for your business. After this has been completed you will then have access to our Elevate platform to manage all your on-going requirements.
Read more about our Elevate platform by clicking here.
How quickly will my order arrive?
We have Complete bundles that can be supplied in different timeframes but on average we aim for no more than ten (10) working days. We have a Swift bundle for example that is available in just a few days through to more premium solutions like the Elite bundle that can be up to four (4) weeks. We work closely with our customers to deliver a solution that fits their requirements, and we have national logistics centres to support any size and speed of rollout.
Our individual products are supplied with various lead times but the standard times from confirmation of order to delivery are below.
• Technology (IT consumables) 1-3 days
• Technology (IT infrastructure) 1-10 days
• Furniture (Express items) 1-10 days
• Furniture (Premium items) 2-4 weeks
• Furniture (Meeting Room) 4-6 weeks
Sometimes due to issues beyond our control lead-times can be delayed. Any delays will usually be identified at the outset of the project but can also occur later and we will endeavour to work with customers to communicate any delay or to suggest an alternative.
Where do you deliver to?
Right now Podia is only available in the UK. We are working after launch to expand into other new territories and we work with global logistics and vendor partners to support any company wishing to deploy Podia solutions overseas.
Service
What services are included as standard?
We provide installation and warranty support services with each solution bundle plus then access to our Elevate and Rise platforms. We also provide a free Podia branded welcome pack with all home packages (which subject to additional costs can be re-branded for businesses as an onboarding welcome pack for new employees if required).
What does the warranty cover?
It covers normal wear and tear and we provide three (3) year warranty support for every product we sell except headsets which are two (2) years. This gives employers total peace of mind during the term of the agreement and simply send back the affected products to Podia and we will deliver new ones. Terms of the returns process can be provided upon request.
Can you visit business sites for ad-hoc work upon request?
Yes. If any customer requires us to do this it can be scheduled on-line as part of the Elevate solution. This is useful for employers who would like us to off-board employees and collect equipment and redeploy for new employees.
Are all the products new?
Of course! We believe employers want both value for money and to deliver a best in class workspace solution for their employees. The only time they won't be is if an employer specifically wants to re-issue previously owned kit to another member of their team.
Are your products safe for both business and domestic use?
Yes. We have worked closely with our vendor partners and selected products that only are certified for both business and domestic use.
How does Podia help businesses ensure workspaces are suitable for remote employees?
Quite simply we have crafted our workspaces with this in mind from the outset. We have published the size and dimensions of the Products that make up the workspaces plus we install them with our trained engineers to ensure they are set up perfectly. We even provide sign off documentation after the installation is completed for employers which is then uploaded into the Elevate platform.
Can you take away old furniture and equipment?
Yes. But only office equipment and subject to a fair use policy. No trying to offload fridge freezers! We will dispose of any unusable items and look to recycle or donate other items to good causes.
Technology
What collaboration platforms do you work with and support?
We are able to supply licenses for Zoom for both business and personal purchases. predominantly and have a close partnership.
Obviously a chair and desk can work with any technology! Our partnerships with leading hardware manufacturers means also that the Podia technology solutions can work with any technology platform too including Microsoft Teams, Google and Pexip.
What hardware partners do you work with and support?
We chose to work with Poly (formerly Polycom and Plantronics) and DTEN as our primary video hardware devices. This combined with LG Screens, Logitech IT peripherals, and computing devices from the likes of Apple, Samsung, Acer, and HP means we have the best solutions in the industry and with our partnerships at the best pricing.
Do you have asset tags on all products to support effective asset management for businesses?
Yes we do. All products are asset tagged in our staging facility (including furniture) and you can track who has what by utilising our remote management platform, Elevate.
How does a business manage their remote workspaces with Podia?
Businesses can manage all their
workspaces, both home and office, through our remote management platform,
Elevate. Elevate has been built from the ground up and can help businesses view
and manage all equipment provided as a single pooled inventory.
Suppliers & Affiliates
How do I become an Affiliate for Podia?
The process is easy:
1. Complete the 2 minute online application form
2. Once approved, sign and return the short Podia partner contract
3. Arrange a on-boarding session with the Podia team (To train you and your team for the agency model, and/or to show you how to access the portal for the affiliate model
Become an affiliate by filling in our form here.
Why should I become an Affiliate?
The benefits of becoming a Podia affiliate include:
-
Up to 10%* commission on orders placed off the back of your referrals
-
Generous Champion discount to use for your own home and office
-
Exclusive partner incentives and rewards based on performance
-
Stickiness with your existing customers, with another reason for them to speak to you
-
Increased credibility by being associated to brands such as Zoom
-
Satisfaction of helping people improve productivity and well-being
I have a great Product to augment the Podia offering – how can I work with Podia?
Contact us as we always want to
deliver the best solution to our customers! If it sits well with our offering,
values and vision then we would love to speak with you.
Contact Us
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