The office is the business hub in all kinds of companies across the world. And when you’ve just started out in business, getting your office layout, purpose, and effectiveness to the right level can be a difficult thing to do. Who knows if you’re going to be happy working there? Do you even have enough space to fit an entire team of people and all your equipment in? You’ve got a lot to consider!
But that’s something this post can help you with. After all, many offices have been set up since the time buying and selling was even thought of, so we’ve picked up a few tips along the way. And if you want to make sure you’ve got a killer office space to work out of, here’s what you need to keep in mind.
Decide on Your Workspace Needs
What does your office need to be? A place you can work in relative peace, while being surrounded by all the right people, and with great transport and communication links – yes. But also, what do you want specifically out of your workspace? Don’t be afraid to let a few personal needs factor into your overall decision – this is your business we’re talking about here!
So, do you want it to have good views over the city? Would you prefer a new build to an old build? What modcons need to be installed – air conditioning is a common one – and would they be hard to add if necessary? Write down all the possible factors and see which ones would be manageable, and which are a little too on the vanity side; if you’ll have to compromise no matter what, you can’t let them influence you!
Pick Your Property Perfectly
Now it’s time to go ‘office shopping’. A good office is built with all the space you could need, is situated in a prime location, isn’t hard to find and/or get to, and is affordable enough month by month. However, finding such a property can be next to impossible! You may be here a long time, and as we said, you may have to compromise on a couple of these elements.
However, you should always keep them in mind during your search, to help you find the next best commercial property.
It’s also best to get in touch with some property lawyers here. Closing on a commercial lease is a little more complicated than if you were trying to move in to live, and you’ll need an experienced eye over the contract clauses. You should factor this into your budget ahead of time; even a one-off fee can be something you find hard to pay, so lock it down now.
Think About How You’ll Communicate
And we mean both externally and internally here! Because a good office space allows you to be in people’s attention. Effective communication is often the key to success. As such, you shouldn’t find it hard to get a signal, your Wi-Fi speed should be as fast as possible, and it shouldn’t be hard for someone to come through the door for a chat.
But at the same time, you need to keep things tight and secure. You’ll need to consider all the different ways a message can get passed down the line, and where private and very important conversations will take place. Because of this, a soundproofed meeting room should be on that factor list of yours as well!
How Much Equipment Can Your Budget Afford?
You’ve been working with a budget since the beginning, but now it’s really going to come into effect. After all, buying as much equipment as you can muster is a good way to go bankrupt within half a year. You may not even need all of this equipment in the long run, and when you’ve got too much to handle, it becomes hard to store and even harder to keep in good condition.
So instead of this, try to cut back on your needs list, try to rent the bigger things you’ll need, and try to double up on certain furniture here and there. If you don’t have a break room budget, for example, employees should be allowed to either eat at their desk, or there should be a separate break-off area from the main working space.
Pack Out a Stock Cupboard
Stock cupboards aren’t where your entire inventory is going to go, but it will be a place you keep supplies like paper, staples, small hand equipment, and various other types of stationary. You can even keep spare laptops, tablets, and computer monitors in there too. But first of all, you’ll need to know what to spend each month and when to top up.
The spare electronic equipment isn’t going to run out very fast, so you can count these as a one off expense. Items like staplers and scissors fall into a similar category. But paper, pens, pencils, printer ink, and ring binders are going to fly out the door. Of course, going digital as much as possible is a good way to cut back, but you’ll still need a hard copy every now and then!
Don’t Forget About Your Storage System
Finally, double check you know how to store your company data. Both hard copies and digital files need to be stored securely, so ensure your cloud server is both up to date and encrypted. And when you lock something away in a filing cabinet, make sure only trusted members of staff have a key to access them again. Always know where your keys are and you’ll keep a much better eye over your assets.
If you’re in need of a hardy office space that addresses all your needs, take your time in setting things up. Double check your original plan, make sure your layout makes sense, and then focus on the tasks you’ll need to do each day. And remember, a good office is both functional and pleasing to look at!
Image Credits: Lisa Fotios
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