If you are running out of room in your office, it’s only natural to look for ways to use the space more effectively.
With a premium price now demanded by office space, it can also be a smart move financially to properly utilize the area available to you.
Here are some great ways to make a smaller office feel larger.
Understand what your team needs
Every office is different and there is no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for everyone. That’s why you should take into account exactly what your team needs from the office and redesign according to that.
When you are changing your office space you should allow your team to have a say in what they would like to see from the office. Send around an email so that individuals can contribute ideas and keep everyone informed.
This is the best way to make sure that you are getting the best use out of the space available to you.
Smaller desks
Take a look at your desk, now think about what you have on it that you really couldn’t do without. A computer screen or two, a phone, a keyboard… there’s probably not a lot more that you really need to work with.
It’s the case that most workers actually don’t need desks as large as they have. Of course, there’s no need to feel cramped, but smaller desks give you additional space that can be put to better use.
If you’re running out of room in your office, consider buying new desks that are a better fit with your current environment. It can be very problematic for businesses if they are stifled from expansion by their office.
Avoid clutter
Used coffee cups and other litter, paper documents, and memos from meetings – it’s easy to accumulate a lot of clutter on and around your desk. The problem is that clutter not only makes your office look untidy, it also leaves the space feeling crowded.
Take a look at the current state of the space around your desk. Is there unnecessary clutter that could be removed to open up the room? If so it could be a great idea to spend half an hour decluttering your area.
Adequate storage
It might seem like the opposite of what you need, but you might want to consider adding storage space to your office. Whether it’s through drawers under a desk or a filing cabinet to store paper documents, modern offices still need storage space.
This means that if you don’t provide storage, those files will become that clutter that we talked about. It might be tempting to think that because your business is all done on computers you have no need for any physical storage but this will be a false economy as many other businesses you might work with may still rely on paper copies.
Go open plan
Open spaces tend to feel bigger and airier than those that are closed off. If you have a lot of partition walls consider taking them down and having your office as one large room, instead of several small ones. This has the advantage of opening up the area to allow better communication as well as making great use of a smaller office space.
Be as modern as possible
We’ve talked about how space is taken up by paper and other physical documentation but this is just one example of how switching to digital options can make more room for you.
Does your business have its own server?
If so you could be using up valuable space on something that is becoming a relatively outdated form of technology – especially for smaller businesses. You should look instead to cloud computing options where everything is saved onto the cloud on a remote server.
It’s also a great idea to consider going wireless. Tangled wires not only contribute to office clutter and present a potential trip hazard, but they can also take up a lot of space.
This article was provided by Mike James, an independent content writer working together with Sussex-based office fit-out and refurbishment specialist Complete Interior Design, who were consulted over the information in this post.