Office Space | Mike McRitchie | Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writer | Telecom Marketing Content Writer

4 Factors You Can’t Overlook During An Office Upgrade

January 8, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Many businesses will go through a time when it becomes clear that upgrading the office is the best next move. When it is time for your business to do this, you will of course want to ensure that you get it right first time. If you fail to do so, you will only end up spending more time and money than necessary getting things how you want them to be, and this is hardly what your business needs at any time. In order to make sure you upgrade your office in the right way, let’s take a look at some of the factors of the whole process that you can’t readily ignore. As long as you are taking care of the following, you should find that upgrading your office is much easier and more likely to be a success than you might have otherwise thought possible.

Timing

It is highly important that you choose the appropriate time to upgrade your office, as if you get this wrong it could actually spell disaster for the business in a number of ways. You must make sure that you are not going to disturb or disrupt the business too much, and that basically means that you need to be fully aware of what kind of time of year is likely to be best to carry out such an upgrade in the first place. There are many ways to make sure that you get this right, but mostly it is all about just making sure that you are paying attention to what your business needs and when. For instance, if there is a certain time that your industry is especially busy or vibrant then you probably want to make sure that you are avoiding that particular time. Or if you are about to launch a new product or rebrand, you are obviously not going to want to upgrade during that time, as you are going to be busy enough as it is. Good timing is very often the difference between success and failure, so make sure that you are aware of how to get this right when you upgrade your office.

Cost

Clearly, upgrading anything is always going to be something of an expense, and when it comes to your office you are bound to find that it costs you a lot of money overall. There are many ways to mitigate this cost, but the most important thing to do first of all is to simply ensure that you are aware of the likely cost of the project in total. To do that, you will need to plan it out well enough, so that you don’t expect to go too much over budget. However grand or humble it is likely to be, being fully aware of the likely upper and lower costs will ensure that you suffer no great surprises or that you end up wasting money anywhere – which is hugely important at any time for any business.

To really get to grips with the likely cost of upgrading your office, you will find it hugely beneficial to contact the relevant suppliers and contractors to get quotes for what you are planning. These quotes will always be estimates, but it can help you to get a rough idea of what kind of expense to expect in the first place. If nothing else, you can simply take that estimate and add ten percent, and you should find that you have a reliable figure at the end of it. If you fail to really account for the cost of upgrading your offices, then it is much less likely that you will be able to make it all work out, so this is something you want to be aware of from the start if you can.

Comfort & Ease

In terms of how to actually design the space, it will help greatly if you make a point of prioritizing comfort and ease throughout the office. The more comfortable an office is, generally the better it will be run – and the easier it is to get around and use the office space for what it is meant for, the more likely it is that you will be able to use it as effectively as possible. There are many things you can do to ensure that you are going to have a comfortable and easy to use office, and it all begins with how you design the space in the first place. If you have enough space and openness in the office, it is much more likely that you will end up with a comfortable office, so that is the first thing to try and be aware of.

As well as that, you will want to ensure that you are going to stock up your newly upgraded office with only the most comfortable office furniture, and that you are therefore ensuring that comfort is a real priority. Do this, and your staff will notice, and it will mean that the office is a much nicer and more enjoyable place to work on the whole. As you can see, comfort and ease will go a long way to ensuring that your upgraded office is much more viable to use.

Security

If you are going through the whole process of upgrading your office, it will only make sense to also ensure that you do whatever you can to make it more secure, so this is something to think about as well. There are many ways in which you can hope to make your new office more secure, and it is something which will make for a happier and more productive workforce, and therefore a more productive business on the whole as well. In general, you can use the upgrade to ensure that your office is going to be considerably more secure by replacing the doors, windows and other entrances and making sure that you introduce new security measures like CCTV or ID. Do that, and your business will function much more securely, with all the benefits that brings with it.

Is It Time You Moved To Newer Business Premises?

January 7, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Is it time you moved into newer business premises? Despite the expense and the stress involved in making the move, you probably should if any of the following apply to you.

a) Your premises are no longer fit for purpose

Your premises may have been perfectly functional a few years ago, but if they no longer live up to your requirements, then a change may be in order. You may have taken on extra staff, for example. Or perhaps the cost to make repairs is more expensive in the long-term than buying or renting somewhere new. Whatever the case, if you know your premises no longer hold the same functionality as days gone by, then it’s probably time to move.

b) Your premises are too expensive to run

So, the cost of repairs is one thing, but then there are also such things as rising utility and insurance costs to consider. You might also be paying out too much money on fuel expenses, on both a work and personal level, if your premises are far from employee’s homes and places of business meetings. Downsizing might be the best thing to do if you don’t need somewhere with a lot of space, as this is a practical way to cut costs, and moving to a cheaper locale might be in order to reduce taxes, etc.

c) People can’t find you

Are you in the right location to attract customer and client footfall? Are people forever turning up late for meetings? Are you a walking and talking satnav, forever having to guide people to your business? If so, you might want to move to an easier to find location, for everybody’s sake!

d) Your business keeps getting broken into

If crime and vandalism are rife in your area, then you may be a constant target for those people who want to either steal from you, or create havoc in your life. There are ways to secure your business premises, but it might be in your long-term interests to move into an area that is relatively safe from thieves and vandals.

e) Your tenancy is at an end

This is the perfect excuse to consider moving somewhere new, especially if you can find a cheaper tenancy elsewhere. And especially if the other issues on this short list are relevant to you, then what are you waiting for? The move could be beneficial for so many reasons, so take it into serious consideration.

f) Your premises is vulnerable to natural threats

It’s possible that your business premises may be vulnerable to natural threats such as flooding, sinkholes or earthquakes. Any damage caused by these natural disasters could be expensive to repair and it could be a safety risk too. There may be solutions such as adding porous paving or diversion canals to reduce flooding that could prevent you having to move. However, if such options are not possible or out of your budget, you may have no choice but to relocate.

And finally, if you do decide to move…

If you do decide to move, there are a few things you need to do during the process. Before moving into your new facilities, you need to ensure everything is in place for your business to commence, including phone lines, broadband connections, and electrical supplies.You might also consider using one of these prefab metal building kits to take care of your storage needs while you’re in the process of moving. And finally, remember to let people know of the change, updating them with your new address information by sign, on social media, and through your website. With all of that done, we hope that your move, if you do decide to migrate, is a big success!

Thanks for reading!

How To Design An Office With Productivity In Mind

November 24, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Productivity is a primary concern for all businesses and your office space plays a big part in that. It’s important that you’re leading your team in the right way and manage workloads properly but if your office isn’t up to scratch, people won’t work hard. If you haven’t given your office a makeover for a while, you should probably change it up a bit. When you’re redesigning your office, it’s important that you do it with productivity in mind at all stages of the process. Here are some important things to remember.

Productive Office Space

Splash Out On Furniture

You might not think that an office chair makes that much difference to productivity but it really does. There are a lot of negative health problems associated with sitting down all day long and if you don’t have good furniture, your staff are going to end up with back problems and they’ll be generally uncomfortable all day, which makes it more difficult to concentrate on work. That’s why it’s important that you go to a professional company like Rieke Office Interiors for proper office furniture. As well as good quality office chairs that offer great support, you should invest in some comfortable furniture in the break areas. Giving people proper downtime and helping them to relax when they’re not working will help to improve productivity once they get back to their desk.

Update Equipment

The tools that your employees are using to make their jobs easier need to be updated regularly, especially the computers. If they’re using outdated equipment, your employees will end up working a lot slower than they could be. When you’re redesigning the office, you should take this opportunity to replace all of the basic office equipment that your staff use day to day. It’ll help them to be as effective as they possibly can be without anything slowing them down.

Room Color

The color of a room can have a massive impact on your attitude and your ability to work effectively. Different colors elicit a different psychological response so when you’re picking colors for your office, you need to choose wisely. Studies show that blue and green are great colors for inspiring productivity and creativity in your employees so make good use of those. Avoid red because it can be distracting when you’re trying to focus. Yellow can have a calming effect so it’s a good color to use for high pressure environments. You should absolutely avoid using any boring colors like cream because they don’t create a dynamic environment that makes people want to work.

Co-Working Spaces

Separating everybody into cubicles is the worst way to realize their full potential. If you want to get the best out of your employees, you need to allow them to pool their skills together and work together as a team. Giving them a space to do that is vital in a modern office setting so make sure that you’re creating great co-work spaces in your new office.

When you’re redesigning your office, it’s important that you always do it with productivity in mind.

Fledging The Nest : Business Space Vs Shared Office

August 7, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

There will come a time that even a home business will need to have some kind of real-world presence. You can’t work from your bedroom or garage forever, you need to stamp your authority in the real world. It doesn’t have to be anything serious such as a large expansion, but it does need to be involving a spreading of wings so to speak. This could be because you have employed more staff, need more storage space, need more computer power, or simply a place to have meetings with your partners. There are a multitude of reasons why a real office should be high up on your priority list when it comes to growing your startup business. Chief among them should be the fact that other businesses take you much more seriously, as might customers. Taking the first step is obviously the hardest because commercial office space does not come cheap and it’s difficult to get an ideal location.

Business space letting

Real estate agents that sell homes and rent out rooms to tenants, can also let office space. These might be called special properties, or business space in their portfolio. Most of the time you will be getting a hollow space, and you’ll have to buy the furnishings yourself. Just like renting a room, you’ll be under contract and will have a set term along with monthly payments. There are a number of different property types that are common, but they all have one thing in common. Usually, you’ll only have a one-floor property; a front desk, a small waiting room and an open plan office for your employees. If you’re lucky you will get a small executive office, however, don’t expect this in a one-floor property. Bear in mind, a real estate agent that advertises business space, is most likely to not offer you commercial office space i.e. in a high-rise building. They will offer standalone properties that were previously other types of businesses such as retail.

Modern era sharing

Small businesses have always far outnumbered medium and large businesses however in the modern era, this has risen to heights never before seen. For your business, you can partake in a shared office scheme, whereby you share office space with another or multiple businesses. Obviously you will have your own space and parameters, however open plan offices will be the norm. However, the great thing is they offer professional office space, notably in commercial buildings with proper services and access. The locations are fantastic, right in the business districts and surrounded by public transport. This makes it much easier for employees to reach every day and consistently arrive on time in the morning. Employees also have access to local amenities for purposes of food, toilets, shopping etc. The offices come with internet and are furnished so you can use the filing cabinets, desks, chairs and more as they were your own.

Fledging the nest and finding a real office space in the world, will inevitably cause your business to look more professional. You don’t need to break your expenditure barriers to be able to afford a great workspace as the modern options are incredibly versatile.

Start Up Spaces

June 27, 2018 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Office Space

If you’re looking to set up some premises for your startup, be that an office, creative space or an industrial space it can mark the start of an exciting journey as things at this stage in business tend to pick up pace when compared to working from a home office, for example.

There are many things to consider when looking to acquire premises, from the speed of the broadband connection to the geographical convenience and level of organisation the space allows for. Indeed, if you’re managing stock and require a warehouse type of environment then in addition to finding the ideal bricks and mortar it might be worth looking into NFC technology such as that provided by NFC direct as a means to helping you organise, store, track and locate items – be that company assets or customer orders.

Now, many entrepreneur’s when they’re starting out want a large, bright and airy office that tells the world they “have made it” or are at least on track to making it, but in reality, at the start-up stage, cost saving is everything and therefore you might end up in a much smaller space than you would hope for.

Fear not, however, as a small space doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There are many ways to give the impression of a more affluence and spacious environment even within the smallest of office spaces. This article looks at three aspects to help you and your staff feel more comfortable and productive in the space you’re in.

LIGHT

The curious thing about small spaces is that the darker a space is the smaller and more claustrophobic the space tends to feel. In contrast, however, the more natural light that fills a space the more airy and spacious the space feels which in turn uplifts and energises people to bring out the best from them in terms of motivation, productivity and positivity.

The amount of light in your space really does make a huge difference to how people feel and respond to your office environment. This is why, even if you are having to scrimp on space, you should look for offices with a large amount of natural light (i.e. big windows).

UNCLUTTERED

The more cluttered and boxed in an office feels due to having lots of things lying around the space, the smaller the space will feel. This is an obvious point, but many business owners end up operating from what looks like an overfilled storage cupboard because they have so many different plates that need spinning it’s hard to keep on top of things.

For this reason, the most helpful approach to consider in terms of decoration and organisation is a minimalist approach; particularly with regard to the furniture within your space, as often less is more, but when looking at squeezing the most from a small space – there’s a simple equation to consider; less furniture = more space.

COOL

The final thing to consider is keeping your space well ventilated and cool. See, when a space feels too hot many people have a tendency to get agitated, lose concentration, and become tired.