�Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs started out with humble beginnings. Hey, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack started Apple in a small garage in Silicon Valley. And you’ve likely heard about how Mark Zuckerburg launched the first version of Facebook from his Harvard dorm room. There’s no shame in starting out small, but you might have to get creative when it comes to working in a small office area.
If you’re feeling like you’re about to outgrow your office operation in the coming months, you may want to check out these tips before you go for an upgrade. From working remote to strategizing your storage, there are many ways you can work with the resources you have to make your space more functional and ultimately more profitable for your business. Here’s how.
While most everyone would love to have an expansive office with a sweeping view, it’s just not realistic when you’re working on limited resources as a startup.
What this means for you: you need to be strategic about how you choose office furniture and supplies in order to make your space functional for everyone. Now, this doesn’t mean you should cram everyone close together in a single room (this can put a damper on productivity). But, it does mean you should consider how big desk spaces are, and how many people you can realistically fit into your office space at once.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to choose items that are compact and/or multipurpose. For example, a small laser printer might be a good alternative to a bulky office printer if you don’t have many printing needs on a regular basis. And as far as minimizing the space your furniture takes up, multipurpose tables are a great solution if you need surfaces that can function as workstations, conference tables, and whatever else you might need for your small space.
A small office space can quickly become even smaller if you don’t take the time to manage your clutter. Start by reducing your paper production and turn to digital solutions like cloud based software instead.
It’s inevitable that you’ll have some level of clutter in your office space. But the important thing to remember is that you organize it so that your space doesn’t appear (or feel) any smaller than it already is. Make sure that your staff members have space to keep their belongings such as lockers or desk drawers to cut back on misplaced items and unnecessary clutter.
Before you go out and buy a bunch of storage systems to control your clutter, you should figure out which items you actually need so that you don’t end up with more useless items taking up space.
If you’re lucky enough to have an office space with windows, use the natural light to your advantage to make your space appear bigger. Bright, natural light allows you to see more area in a space which can make it feel like you have more room than you actually have.
Certain parts of your office like the conference room and meeting spaces need to be closed off for noise and privacy purposes. But rather than close off spaces with doors, you might want to consider frosted glass or a one-way mirror barrier that looks less constricted.
If your space is unable to accommodate your growth, you may want to consider a shared office space instead. There are many different configurations you can choose from to suit your office structure and style. For example, a� private office might work for a small to medium size startup, while a shared workspace may make sense for a freelancer or remote employee that just needs to lease a space part time.
It can be a challenge to maximize your office space when you’re working on a tight budget. But by:
You can optimize your current office space to function for your whole staff. And when you outgrow your space, you may consider upgrading to a shared workspace to accommodate your needs.
