By Mashum Mollah
While every remodeling project has a subjective tone to it, when it comes to remodeling an office, the goals are usually always the same – the boost in productivity and overall ambiance. This, allows one to get better performance from their employees, improve efficiency in the workplace, as well as become a company to work for in the eyes of the general public. This last part can help SME owners access to a bigger talent pool. With this in mind, here are five successful office remodeling tips you might find useful.
1. Start by planning natural light :
The first thing you need to keep in mind when remodeling an office is the fact that now you finally have a chance to let more natural light in. Not only is natural light great for productivity and mental health of everyone involved but it is also quite frugal. You see, for most of the day, you can rely on natural light as a substitute for the artificial fixtures. In order to achieve this, you might want to remove all non-supporting internal walls and pillars, as well as align the office so that it faces windows. Even when you’re forced to turn to artificial light, it is for the best if you can go with LED solutions rather than incandescent ones.
2. Simplify the commute :
In their effort to make their project unique, a lot of architects make a crucial mistake of making the office space in a maze-like manner. Now is the right time for you to fix this once and for all. Make sure to consult your contractor and inquire about ways in which your office space can be made more practical and make sure to follow their advice. What you would like and what they know would work are often not one and the same thing and here, you need to push your ego aside and listen to the professional. Additionally, this work might create a lot of rubble, which is why you might also want to look for an agency that specializes in the removal of commercial rubbish.
3. Building in your storage options :
When it comes to improving the overall pragmatisms and organization around the office, you need to think about storage. Instead of allowing it to take up a lot of space in the room, you can instead build in your bookcases, install overhead racks and even use hanging elements on your walls to your advantage. Be careful, though with these hanging elements since, if not fastened properly, they are nothing more than a work accident waiting to happen.
4. Segregate different departments :
While going on about open office plan may seem like a good idea, mixing up the seats of your sales department (and people who are in charge of the outreach, in general) and your creatives can hardly be considered a good idea. For the first ones, talking on the phone, negotiating, and exchanging ideas 24/7 is something that comes with the job, while others need peace and quiet in order to focus. Needless to say, you need these two departments kept as far apart as possible. The same goes for your break room, which should be located as far from the work area as possible.
5. Throw in an office gym :
At the end of the day, those with a bit more time, determination, and resources on their hands might want to consider building an office gym, while they’re at it. Apart from being a great business practice, this is also a massive benefit and a serious effort towards talent attraction and retention. As for the costs… well, it all depends on your ambitions. Treadmills and machines are expensive, yet skip ropes and floor mats are not.
In conclusion :
With these five tips on your side, you can easily make your office much more efficient, productivity inspiring, and overall a better place to work at. Sure, a lot of people believe that intrinsic motivation is the most important thing for one’s productivity and while they may be right, you should never underestimate the impact of external factors, like a positive work environment, either.
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