There are many different sides to running a business, and many of them are difficult to get right at first try. However, some areas of business are so important that you just can’t afford to get it wrong. The office that your business operates from is a perfect example. Your workplace is of huge significance to the business as a whole. As long as it is fostering creativity and encouraging a positive culture, your business will likely benefit from this. But getting there is much easier said than done. Designing the ideal office space for your business is both incredibly important and a genuine challenge. Nonetheless, it can be made easier by focusing on a few key points. In this article, we will take a look at some of those key points. This should help you to understand what you need to consider when you are designing your office. With any luck, you will end up with the perfect space for your business to occupy. And the knock-on effects for your business should be considerable.
Finding A Good Location
This is one of your first concerns, as it obviously comes before fitting out the actual office. There is plenty of debate on what the ideal location is, and it is hard to say. However, it all depends on each business, and only you can know what your business needs. For most, however, they are going to need a healthy balance between centrally located and in the middle of nowhere. At first glance, it might seem as though having a central location is always going to be the favoured option. However, not all businesses do decide on this. Remember that the more central the building, the higher the costs will be. Whether you are buying or renting, you will be paying considerably more. For a business which is just starting out, keeping the purse strings tight might be of utmost importance. You might, therefore, decide to go for somewhere a little further out. Or you might decide it doesn’t matter at all for the nature of your business, and go and set up in the sticks. Whatever works for your own business is what you should be going for.
The Right Size
Size is important when you are choosing an office for your business. Once again, it is often a matter of finding a decent balance. Anything too big, and it is possible that your office will feel a little empty. This can contribute to a general feeling of poverty within the business which you want to avoid at all costs. What’s more, with too much space, you are probably just paying for something you don’t really need. Of course, even this might be preferable to having too little space. This can easily result in an overworked and stressed workforce – and that is unlikely to do you any favours at all. Again, try to find a balance if you can. It might be beneficial to have some extra space for the business to grow into, as it were. This could be especially useful if you are keen on not relocating at any point in the next five years or so. Get the size and the location right, and you are going to be off to a strong start.
Comfort Is Key
Your people need to be looked after if you want your business to succeed. In many ways, your employees are your most important asset, even more important than the building itself. As such, ensuring that they are happy and comfortable in the office should be one of your major concerns. Comfort is something which you should be trying to get right from day one. If your employees are not comfortable, this is likely to leak into their work and cause severe ongoing problems. Sometimes, the comfortable solution is not the one that you would expect. Many people these days find that using a standing desk is actually both more comfortable and more beneficial for your health. Standing desks could be the solution to some of your space problems, as well. Comfort can also be achieved by ensuring that all equipment on the desks is ergonomic. This alone makes a huge difference, and your employees are likely to be grateful for it.
Different Kinds Of Space
The kind of space you have in the office is hugely important, as different people work differently. It is often assumed that everyone works best in a busy environment or as part of a team. But many people find that this way of working is not as beneficial as being able to work alone. One of the major decisions to make in the design of your office is what kind of space to use for the work itself. The truth is, having a variety of different kinds of space is what is likely to be best. This means having closed cubicles, separate meeting rooms, and open areas all in one office. This is often the best way to go, as this way everyone is catered for. You will find that this encourages people to work their best – and that is only ever a good thing.
Plenty Of Light & Colour
Something which a lot of business owners skim over frequently is the light and colour of the office. Yet, this might turn out to be one of the most important concerns of all. Part of the reason behind putting such effort into your design is that the office space really does affect people. It has a strong impact on how people feel about their day to day lives, and their jobs. This, in turn, impacts your business – and you want the impact to be a positive one. With that in mind, lighten the mood by lightening the walls. Introduce some colour into the palette – this always goes down well. Also, ensure that there is plenty of open space and light within the office walls. You should also have plenty of windows, so that natural light can get in. These little things add up to make a big difference. For more on the science of colour and light see our other posts on these subjects.