Portrait of a Startup Sherpa

by David Lasker | June 3rd, 2019

Attention, furniture dealers (and manufacturers): There’s a new underserved market niche for you to explore. In Toronto, Integral Business Interiors, a furniture dealership and workplace design firm, is a pathfinder in this new Wild West. Integral acts as a one-stop shop for startups making the transition from shared space in an incubator to their own office premises. “We mentor them once they’ve signed the lease,” said Integral co-founder Lorne Robertsduring a recent interview. His firm offers consulting and fulfillment for a startup’s furniture and other office infrastructure needs. “These are aspects about which most fledgling companies are babes in the woods,” said Mr. Roberts. “Their most common mistake is buying office furniture not suited to an expanding, vibrant staff with unique requirements. They need the flexibility of custom furniture to provide a fluid workspace.” With five to 100 staff members, startups are too small, and too financially strapped, to be …