There are many occasions in business when you might need to build yourself a new office. It can be that you need to expand, perhaps because of a sudden influx of customers at an unexpected time. Or maybe it is something a little less happy, and you need to get new office because your old one has developed problems beyond repair, caused by some kind of damage. It might even be that you now have so many employees that you need to locate some in a second location. Whatever the reason, it is one of those rites of passage of medium-sized businesses which people can find quite stressful. It’s not hard to understand why this might be, but it is true that you probably don’t need to fret as much as you think you do. In this article, we are going to explain why, by looking primarily at what elements you need to focus on when building your new office in order to get it as close to perfect as you possibly can.
The Location
Probably the most important decision you will have to make in all this is where to actually locate your new office. It is also likely to be one of the most difficult, and something which you are bound to have to spend quite a lot of time on in order to get it right. There are many considerations to take on board when you make this decision, so it is worth making sure that you follow them all in order, otherwise you might not b happy with the end result. The location of your new office should be somewhere that your employees can easily get to – ideally as easy as the initial, first location. It should also be somewhere that is relatively central but not necessarily wedged in with lots of other businesses. It helps too if you are able to choose an area which reflects well on your business as a brand. All of these thing needs to be taken into consideration, and if you overlook any of them you might end up with a location which is not quite perfect. Bear these in mind, find the perfect location, and it will really affect the experience of the place as well.
The Construction
If you are actually building from scratch, or even just renovating, then you will also need to make sure that you are using a construction firm whom you can trust. It can sometimes be hard to find such a thing, depending on here you are located, but it is worth spending some time looking for steam that you feel you can genuinely trust. If you don’t do this, then you might just end up regretting the whole project, and that is the last thing you want. One of the best ways to ensure that you are happy with your choice is to ask around with people you trust and see who they recommend. In this way, you should be able to find a construction firm you feel can deliver what you are looking for, and that will make all the difference in the long run.
You will also need to check whether that firm are happy using their own equipment or whether you need to find equipment for them to use. If the latter, you will need to spend some time making sure that you get your hands on equipment you can trust and which is not going to cost you too much either. From the tower hire to the digger hire, you need to be able to ensure you can trust those machines, otherwise it can subtly affect the entire project from the very start. Therefore, as with everything else, be sure to shop around so that you can end up with exactly what you need.
The Branding
You might be surprised just how important the outside of the building is. It is essentially an advertisement for the business, and you should make sure that you are happy with it as a statement for your business before you sign it off. Branding is important for a lot of things, but above all you are looking for consistency across expressions. The closer the building itself is to the actual brand image of the business, the more likely it is that it will get attention from people on the street, and that it will be the right kind of attention. This in turn will mean, in the long run, that the public perception of your brand is going to be much more popular and positive than you might have hoped, and that will help greatly overall. All of these things do make a big difference overall, so be sure to pay attention to them if you want this project to go right for the business in the future as well as the present.
The Decor
Let’s take a look inside. You need to make sure that you are also focusing on how the building appears within the office itself. This is important for a number of reasons, not least because it has been proven that decor has a direct and long lasting effect on how people feel about their work, and how productive they are as a result. The more you focus on providing decor which is likely to please in this respect, the more likely it is that the office will be the kind of space which is comfortable and encouraging, and somewhere that you employees actually want to work. Clearly, this is going to be hugely important, and make a big difference to the organization on the whole in the long run, so be sure to pay attention to these things, as they are more important than people often give them credit for. It might even be worth looking into color psychology and ensuring that you are providing a decor which your employees will enjoy and find as peaceful as possible.
Kitting Out The Office
You will also need to pay attention to how you are kitting out the office, as if you get this wrong it can mean that your employees are not prepared and unlikely to work to their fullest capacity. In the long run, this isn’t going to have a negative effect, so you should be sure to provide them with all the equipment that they need from the very start. This is as important for a first, second or third building, so it will always be a top consideration. When you are looking for equipment for the office, be sure not to leave out anything which might be vital. For this, you should make a list, and it will help to think what your original office has or had in order to not miss out anything from this list. You should then make sure to provide enough of everything, with some to spare. The last thing you want is to run out of something basic and essential just because you overlooked it. Make sure to buy in bulk too, so that you are saving as much money as you can in the process. There is no need to overspend just to ensure that you have equipment. You can always buy in bulk and save money and still have items of the greatest quality stocking your office. With all the equipment you need in the office, your colleagues will be able to work out their fullest capacity.
Space
Working out the space you need in the office can be quite a challenge. You want enough space that everyone feels that they have plenty, but not so much that they are likely to feel as if nobody is around. Finding the balance is tough, but one which is going to really help to make the office feel more professional and more like a second home. You will also want to make sure that you are providing plenty of different kinds of space. Some people work best in an open plan office, some work best in a cubicle, otherwise prefer half-cubicles, while some prefer a room to themselves. There is no reason, room permitted, not to allow as many of these to as many people as possible. Get this right and your people will really thank you, and their productivity levels will also rise through the roof. Space is a battle to overcome, but once you have mastered it in this way you can expect your new office to be as close to perfect as it is likely to get.
Light
Along with the space, you need to think about the light in the office. As much natural light as possible without causing glare on the screens of computers is ideal. You should also have soft and not overly bright lighting which is as environmentally friendly as possible. It helps to have different kinds of lighting for different areas, so that it looks more relaxed and yet professional. With all of these elements taken care of, your new office should have just the right lighting levels at all times, aiding productivity and boosting morale.
