Your office is at the very heart of your business. It’s where both you and your staff spend a significant amount of time, and is where the main bulk of the work happens.
It’s almost the ‘behind the scenes’ of your business, the many turning cogs that make things work and keep everything ticking over for clients and customers. Therefore, it’s a space that you really should invest in. It will boost staff happiness levels and keep productivity high. It will make a good impression to anyone entering your office for meetings or collaboration, and it will make tasks quicker and more efficient too. If you’re on a budget it can be tricky finding the right balance between price and quality, but there are ways it can be done. Here are just a few things to bear in mind.
Get The Building Right
The building itself will be the first decision you need to make. Once you’ve set a budget, go about scouring different premises in your area to find one that’s just right. What kind of things do you have on your checklist? Luxurious offices with floor to ceiling windows and spectacular views might be out of budget, but there are a few boxes you will need to ensure are ticked. Maybe you need an office with its own private kitchen/ kitchenette space? Or at the very least, a building which has canteen or catering facilities for staff. A good office space will be accessible with good transport links for clients and staff, and is something you should aim for even with a smaller budget.
Think About Decor
Once you’ve chosen the perfect building and office, the next thing to consider is the decor. A space that feels dark, dingy and drab is never going to be the nicest space for your employees to work in every day. You don’t need to spend a fortune here; a simple coat of paint in a light neutral shade can instantly make everything feel bigger and brighter. Adding a couple of living plants not only makes the office look more pleasant but studies have shown that plants can help boost productivity levels at work too. Good lighting is another crucial thing to get right, replace any dim or overly harsh lights with daylight bulbs which are much kinder to the eyes. Cheap, cheerful fixes that can really make a difference.
Find The Right Storage
Finding the space to store important office essentials can be tricky. While a lot of business is now taken care of online, there are always going to be some paper copies that need keeping safe too. You might even have a huge paper archive or piles of important documents that you don’t know what to do with. If these are things you need to keep but don’t need access to on a daily basis, looking into business self storage could be an option. It could be cheaper than renting a larger office because you need the storage space. It keeps it safe and out of the way, but you can pop over and access it whenever you need. It also gives you a safe place to store things like computers and equipment over Christmas and other breaks too if you believe there’s a chance your office will be targeted.
It’s perfectly possible to have a nice office when you don’t have a whole load of cash. If you choose your building carefully and make the most of what you have, both you and your employees will have a decent space to work from each day.
