If you're a small company just starting out, you may be operating from a tiny office. Many companies begin this way, and it's a necessary step while you establish your place in the industry. Having a small office has many benefits. Smaller spaces are a lot cheaper to buy or rent and will have lower overhead costs. However, as your company grows in size, it may become increasingly cramped, and you will have little room for all your supplies and equipment, let alone your employees. If your business operates out of a tiny office, don't panic. There are several ways to maximise the space you do have, while having enough room to focus on the important things.
By Team Savant
Image: Dario
Declutter
In order to make more space in your office, the first step is to tidy it up. If you have papers cluttering the work surfaces, broken furniture, and boxes strewn across the floor, then it's no wonder it feels so small. Go through the office and clear out anything you don't need. Some business owners are hoarders and struggle to throw things out, but if you haven't used it in a couple of years, it can definitely go. Don't worry about waste, either. Rather than throwing things away, you could donate them to charity or recycle them. When you're done, you'll find new space you didn't realize you had, and it will make a huge difference.
Hot Desking
If everyone in your company has their own desk space or private cubicle, you're not making the best use of your space. Turning your office into an open-plan area where people can bring their laptop and hot desk wherever they like will make it much more spacious. It prevents people from cluttering up desk space with litter and personal items, and everything can be neatly tidied away at the end of the day. It allows common areas to be more functional, and people's health will benefit from not sitting in one place all day.
Storage
If your office space is taken up with equipment, supplies, or archives full of files, you might want to consider investing in some storage space. Self-storage units or commercial sheds are a great way of storing those items you don't need every day but can't throw out. As a result, everyone in your office will have a lot more room to breathe.
Go Paperless
A single piece of paper doesn't take up a lot of room, but they really do add up. Although it is beneficial to have physical copies of important business documents, you can save a tremendous amount of space if you decide to go completely paperless. All the essential documents like contracts and invoices can be created and sent online using dedicated business software, and keeping everything digital makes it much easier to find the file you're looking for.