Your company’s/organization’s office may have started out as something that’s perfectly-sized for your operations, but as more paperwork, equipment, furniture, and desks stack up over the years, your appropriately-sized office may have started to feel a little cramped. That said, you’ll want to start taking steps to save space, as it can avoid the following issues:
Lower Morale and productivity. First off, a cramped office won’t only be difficult to traverse in, or make it hard for you to find certain documents and items, but it can make your employees feel like they’re secluded — all of which can affect the employees’ morale, productivity, and negatively impact the company/organization as a whole.
Negative Image. Next, a crowded office can be quite unappealing to clients, as well as potential business partners and investors.
Cost of Moving. Additionally, you may be forced to move to a new and bigger office, which can cost a lot but may ultimately be unnecessary and avoidable if you’re able to save office space.
Health Hazard. Lastly, a packed and cluttered office increases the risks of fire, slipping, and tripping, which can cost your company a considerable amount of money.
As such, we’ll be taking a look at these different space-saving tips in order to maximize your
Go Paperless
Paperwork, documents, file folders, and filing cabinets take up a lot of space in the office, and after years or even just months of operations, your once adequately-sized office can be filled to the brim with paper. That said, you may want to consider going paperless, or at least make an effort to minimize the use of paper. Have most of the reports done digitally, and only use paper when necessary. This way, you’d be able to save space, as well as money (in terms of supplies, and fixtures to store the paperwork in). However, just make sure that your company invests in better cybersecurity and back-up systems to safeguard your digital documents.
Regularly De-clutter
Weeks and months of documents can stack up on your employees’ desks and tables, and some of them may even already be obsolete or no longer required. That said, it’s important that you schedule a spring cleaning of sorts every other month or so (depending on your operations). This way, you’ll be able to store or get rid of unneeded files and documents littering all over the office, and also boost productivity by having only ongoing and important documents on the office area, while the rest of the old files and clutter are stored in your stock room or filing cabinets.
Lighting is Key
Smart placement of lighting, and also allowing natural light into the office, can make it feel less cramped and secluded. Not to mention, natural light is known to boost employee morale and, subsequently, productivity. So make sure that your light fixtures are well-placed, and try to invest in overhead lighting instead of floor lamps that take too much space.
Use Collaborative Workstations
Instead of individual tables for each employee, consider having a collaborative office workstation for teams and employees that work closely together. A team office workstation accommodating 4-6 employees and their equipment won’t only save space but can improve workflow and productivity, and allows the team to work much closer together (figuratively and literally).
Wall Shelves
Small filing cabinets and tables can take up a lot of floor space, which is why you may want to consider thinking vertically by using wall shelves. They’re stylish, functional, and space-saving, and can help you organize your files and documents. Just make sure that they’re of appropriate height so that any employee can reach them.
Conclusion
There’s no question that any company/business/organization would want to avoid having a cramped office, so make sure that you follow these few simple tips to help you maximize your office space and improve office productivity, morale, and aesthetics.
