Setting up an office is a big task. You have to get all the furniture and supplies, figure out where to put everything, install the wires, and much more. After doing all that work, you don’t want to find that you have an inefficient setup. You want you and your team to be able to work productively so that your business can continue to grow. So, with that in mind, here are some tips you can use to set an office up for success.
Think About Your Layout and the Space
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Before you do anything else you should think about how you want to layout your business, and the space that required. Trying to fit 20 employees into a single room office space won’t work, but you also don’t want to have too large of a space for only 3 or 4 employees. Finding the right space is about balancing the cost against ensuring everyone working there is comfortable. Once you find a good space, you should draw out some floor plans and start visualizing the best set up and the best way to decorate the office. Go through a couple different iterations until you find the best plan.
Find the Best Technology
A major component of any good office space is the technology in it. If the technology you’re using is out of date, or constantly breaking down, your employees won’t be able to get much done. When shopping, try to find technology that will not only make your life easier, but that’s worth the cost. For instance, if your business is mostly paperless, you probably don’t need the best copier/printer/fax machine on the market. On the other hand, if you rely heavily on the internet, you’ll want to make sure you have the best router. It’s important to think about the tech going into your office early, because you’ll often have to run some wires, which is something you’ll want to do before moving all your furniture in.
Communication Tools
An important piece of tech you’ll want to invest in is good communication tools. Communication is the key to any successful business, whether it’s with your customers or just amongst yourselves. Your team members should be able to easily talk to one another – using email or apps like Slack – and be able to quickly make phone calls to customers. To get started, here are some of the best communication tools to consider for your business.
Goal Tracking
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It’s hard to know if your company is succeeding if you don’t have goals in mind. Everyone in your office should know what your business is aiming for, and how close you are to achieving it. A great thing to have in your office is some place to visually see all your current goals. For example, you could put up a large goal board in the conference room and update the progress at the end of each week. Even something as simple as a white board in the hallway can help keep your employees focused and efficient.
Think About What Will Make Your Employees Happy
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Of course, a good office layout isn’t just about efficiency. You also want your employees to be happy while they’re at work. When designing your office, pay attention to the details. Would your employees find these desk chairs comfortable? Do they have a place where they can take a break? How does the lighting in the office affect their mood? These are simple questions, but they often get overlooked. For example, according to this office furniture store from Houston, “When you think about space planning, lighting may not come to mind initially. However, study after study shows that it has a huge impact on many aspects of your business. Everything from employee health to productivity will improve if you prioritize natural light.” It’s a simple change, but it can go a long way.
Energy Efficient
Finally, if you want to save your business some money, you should focus on making your office energy efficient. You can do this in a number of ways, from LED lightbulbs, to energy efficient appliances, to shutting off all the computers before leaving at the end of the day. Businesses succeed when they don’t spend more money than they have to, and making your office energy efficient is a good step in this direction. Here are some more tips you can use to make your office energy efficient.
Take Time to Plan
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Putting an office together shouldn’t be something you do on the fly. Take the time to really plan out each detail in order to give yourself the best chance at success. The above tips are a great place to start, but as you go along you’ll likely find other areas that you need to consider. Always explore your options and conduct plenty of research – if you can do this, you should have no trouble setting up a productive workplace.
