Most offices have a fair amount of storage needs. This can be anything from paper-based information, catalogues, and files, to products and items which need to be stored safely and securely somewhere within the office environment. Of course, it’s important to bear health and safety in mind when it comes to office storage solutions, so as not to cause a hazard for someone to trip and fall over.
For large items, most businesses will have a warehouse or separate room where these things are kept under lock and key, but for paper-based items, this can be a headache in terms of where to keep them and how to avoid them becoming a nuisance within the office space. It’s no good having quality office furniture and looking to optimise space as much as possible if you have storage all over the place too!
The first thing to do is weed out your papers and files, and to ensure that you’re not keeping items for longer than necessary. If you are, you need to dispose of these in the correct way, either by shredding or via confidential waste. Once you’ve streamlined your paper requirements, it’s time to figure out how to actually store them in the most space efficient and safe way.
Let’s check out five office storage hacks you can make use of.
Try Mobile Office Storage Units
These are particularly useful if you have a hot desking arrangement in place and your staff still need somewhere to either store their personal belongings, or somewhere to keep important files within the office itself. These are usually small pedestal-style units which can be wheeled around from desk to desk. At the end of the day, these are returned to the central storage “hold”, e.g. the corner of the office. These units are also lockable for security.
Make Use of Wall Space
If you have a small office, or you simply don’t want to utilise floor space, how about using shelving and using the walls for storage instead? Your office interior doesn’t need to suffer because of this, and you can go for stylish shelving to compliment the rest of the decor within the room.
Utilise Space Dividers
Certain space dividers have sections within them which could be used for storage. These are usually cubed spaces which you could place box files within. These are a great multi-purpose option because they separate your office up into zones, allow privacy, and can also be used for storage if need be.
Wallpaper/Paint Your Box Files
If you don’t want your storage to stick out like a sore thumb, how about decorating your box files in the same wallpaper or paint that your walls have? This means they will visually blend in and can sit on shelving without the space looking too “officey” as a result. This is a particularly good hack for home offices.
Go Digital Instead
If at all possible, store items in the Cloud, i.e. make use of digital storage. This cuts down on the amount of physical storage you need in your office, and you can then focus on office interiors to make the best use of the space you have. Make sure that you choose the best option, e.g. USB sticks, password protected Cloud accounts, and train only the necessary members of staff in how to access them.
We hear so much about going paperless, but there are very few offices which have actually managed to implement this endeavour 100%. In that case, there will be the need for office storage methods for some time yet. These five hacks help you to make the most of the space you have within your office, whilst ticking the boxes you need to store items away, safely and securely. The one you choose will depend upon the amount of storage you have and how much space you have to play with, but it’s a good idea to explore all options before choosing your final route towards optimal storage.