Ensuring an Office Space works for your Business

Having an effective office space is critical for the continued prosperity of your business. Your staff should feel comfortable when they’re at work, and free from distraction. That way, they can be as productive as possible in the long-term.

Why choosing an office space that works is important

Let’s think about a few of the factors that determine whether an office space is fit for purpose.

First, it’ll need to be in the right location. This means that it should be accessible by all of your staff, and any outside collaborators who might want to come and pay a visit. This will ensure that you can attract the best possible personnel, while minimising the environmental impact of your staff commuting back and forth. Your office should also be within easy reach of other facilities, like outdoor space, shopping, food and drink.

Your office will also need to be large enough to accommodate all of your staff, and yet not so large that you’re spending unnecessarily on rent and utilities. Think about how muchroom you’re going to need for each member of staff, and whether you’re going to be using the space for independent work, or for meetings and collaboration.

We should also think about the availability of the infrastructure that will allow your business to function. If the internet access isn’t great, or there are ongoing problems with post or roadworks, then you’ll need to investigate and consider them.

It’s also important to think about the cost of your premises. You can view this as an investment that might justify getting outside finance into the business.

What about Remote Working?

Thanks to the advent of widespread remote working, and hybrid workspaces which incorporate a blend of remote and collaborative work, the role of the office is changing. Employees might find themselves increasingly afforded the flexibility to get on with their work at home, only coming into the office for meetings and other important events.

This will have a number of implications for office space. First, it means that they can be made smaller, since a smaller number of people are going to need to come in at any given time. Second, the availability of high-speed internet is critical. Any downtime might result in remote workers being unable to contribute to what’s going on on-site.

What should an Office Include?

Having set up our offices, we should think about what we can do to improve them.

We might create an environment that’s conducive to concentration and mental help. This might mean installing plants, decorating in muted colours, and comfortable, spacious communal areas. You might also provide ample recreational areas, including kitchens with tea and coffee facilities.

Employers might also provide their staff with dedicatedwellness areas, where activities like communal mindfulness programmes, and more informal steam-venting gaming sessions, can occur. The layout of the office might reinforce a boundary between workspaces and leisure spaces, so that the latter never intrudes on the former.