Creating the right office for your company’s needs

As a company becomes more successful it often needs to recruit staff to manage the growing workload. Typically, the addition of extra bodies leads bosses to feel that they’ve outgrown their current office space and make an instant decision to relocate—despite this not always being necessary.

A recent survey asked the public ‘What would concern you the most if your current office were to relocate to a bigger site?’ Only 4% of people who responded said they would actually like to relocate to a bigger office, highlighting that employees don’t necessarily welcome the change and upheaval that an office move would involve.

Not only do company bosses have to consider their employees’ reluctance to relocate, they should also understand the expense that this process brings. The cost of removals, additional furniture, higher leases and so on means it’s wise to find solutions to help extend the company’s stay in the current office—as doing so will benefit everyone involved.

 

 

Making the most of your current office space

Many businesses fail to use their offices to their full potential. This is usually because there’s little opportunity to adapt the layout, or because the company has a number of large, unnecessary items it must find room for.

Martine Robins, director at HR Dept, explains: “It’s essential to make sure your office is fully fit for purpose so space is designed to accommodate people rather than furniture. If space is becoming an issue, look to archive or outsource anything that’s taking up too much of it, such as files. Ideally, encourage the mentality of having a ‘paperless’ office where possible.”

 

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There are more modern solutions available for both furniture and storage, which don’t take up an unnecessary amount of space. An office fit-out can help use existing space as efficiently as possible through smart solutions and storage.

Other ways to expand your existing space include:

  • remote and flexible working
  • implementing a paperless system
  • clearing away clutter
  • having equipment that’s easily accessible

Occasionally, a company will grow very quickly, which may mean its current space is too small, even after it’s implemented the above solutions. This is when relocating becomes necessary.

 

Time to relocate

Relocating an office means taking certain factors into account to make it a seamless move, keep staff happy and make the most of the new space.

The survey revealed that commuting was a concern for more than two-thirds of people. Commuting in this instance means availability of public transport and parking, as well as the extra cost and time of the new journey to and from work.

When moving offices, it’s really important to keep the new location in mind—if it involves a longer commute, this might cause staff to leave.

Louisa Bainbridge, head of marketing at iGeolisecreators of the Travel Time Platform—recommends companies use a commute time calculator to study how the relocation might change each employee’s journey to work. She said: “It’s possible to map out the perfect ‘commute locations’ for every employee and see which areas are easiest to access by the majority of employees.”

 

 

Future-proofing your new office

Once you’ve found your perfect office, it’s easy to slip back into old habits and replicate the layout of the old location.

To avoid having to move again, you must be clever with how you use your new layout and their office furniture. Modular furniture is recommended as it’s easy to reposition.

Also, companies should consider using power and connectivity solutions that aren’t part of the building or under the floor, although this depends partly on whether you own or lease the premises, as well as where the office is located.

Our Director Warren Bricknell advises: “Don’t give the landlord—make sure you acquire equipment that you can take with you.”

Having an office fit-out is a great way to make sure your new office is future-proofed—meaning you won’t need to think about another relocation any time soon!

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