As your company (hopefully!) grows and recruits new staff, it may feel necessary to relocate your offices, or expand your existing premises. However, this has to be done with the future in mind. Simply moving into a place that suits your requirements today, will likely lead to another move in the near future, or potentially even more significant problems.
Luckily, we at phs Teacrate have helped countless organisations make major moves - and as a result, we have built up some knowledge on how to lay out a workspace effectively. Here we’ve listed some of the most beneficial tips, in order to hopefully make the process go more smoothly for you!
Let’s jump right in:
Don’t Move Unless Necessary
Remember, relocating will be very costly. It will also bring a major change to your employee’s daily lives and even potentially cause disruption to their work. As a result, you need to explore all other options first, and only start to plan when you’re 100% sure it’s needed.
Some of the costs you need to take into account include:
- Higher rent for larger premises
- Removal cost (and time, potential damages, IT systems re-installation etc)
- Addition furniture
- Work downtime
With all of this in mind, it may be simply cheaper and easier to rearrange your existing premises and get more out of that space. Or, simply to extend them, or add another small location nearby.
Involve the Team in Decisions
If you’ve been running a business for a while, you’ll be aware that happy staff are productive staff. You’ll also know that cramped, cluttered working environments make it less likely that employees will be happy. That may make a move a great option, however it doesn’t mean it’s the only one.
It’s worth remembering that for many of your employees, the disruption and increased workload won’t stop once the move is complete. From a completely different commute to potentially needing to change their child’s school, and even internal issues like learning their way around the new building - your staff will have a lot to get their head around.
If your staff are already feeling reassured by the lack of space and cramped conditions, they may feel this is absolutely worth it - but if this isn’t the case, moving can be a lot of stress and a waste of money for little gain.
Make sure your space is optimised first, as you may find the extra space you can find is more than enough, giving you an extra few years in your old location.
Common Space Organising Mistakes
Most offices and workspaces don’t make optimal use of the space they have available. Many make the fatal error of packing space full of massive outdated computer workstations, keeping outdated and archaic storage units such as filing cabinets, maintaining paper records that could easily be stored online, or simply not discarding items that are no longer needed soon enough. All of these things take up significant space and most of them are relatively useless for your company.
Simply making the decision to back up everything online safely and remove your paper storage can free up a huge amount of space.
Your working environment should also be designed to accommodate people, not furniture. If you set up a small sitting area in the corner of one floor, with sofas and a coffee table, but people barely ever use it, that space is wasted.
In many cases businesses will react immediately, thinking “we have a space issue so let’s fix it now”. That’s fine, but spending a little more time reducing the space you actually need to use will have compounding benefits for years to come.
Flexible Working Arrangements
There are many benefits to modern working arrangements such as hot seats, remote working, etc. One of these benefits includes the removal of the requirement for one desk per employee. This benefits both employer and employee by increasing free space, reducing cost, and making your existing premises fit for purpose for longer.
Make Sure you Have What You Need
This point may seem obvious, but it is easily overlooked, and if this happens your ability to optimise your workspace is heavily reduced.
Many older office buildings may not be equipped with enough electrical sockets, or sockets in the optimal place to facilitate the easy shifting around of equipment. This usually results in computer hardware or other equipment NEEDING to be in one specific place, which has negative effects on planning what you can do everywhere else.
As a result, simply installing new electrical sockets, or finding a creative way to work without them, may be all you need to do. From wireless charging hubs to sockets built into soft furnishings - the possibilities are endless, and the right idea can transform an outdated, cramped premises into everything you need.
Help with Commercial Office Removals
Here at phs Teacrate, we are the UK’s leading supplier of industrial removal services, packaging and removal crate hire. If you do decide it’s time to upgrade your premises, there is nobody better equipped to help.
For more information, get in touch with us today!