What is The Ideal Office For You?

If you had an endless budget and the capacity to have any office design you wanted, what would you choose?

Would you go for a fancy open plan design? Would you have smaller offices along a large corridor? Would you opt for an agile layout? What would you decide on?

It’s likely that your employees have their opinions on what the ideal office for your business would be, but you have to look towards affordability, comfort, functionality, and of course, what looks and feels good. 

Redesigning an office can be a daunting prospect for a business. It involves money, but it could also mean that your employees are going to experience a certain amount of disruption whilst the work is being done. You could look towards having the work done over the weekend or during the evenings to avoid this, but contractors are likely to charge more for out of hours work. 

It’s about finding the best middle-ground for you, which fits in with what you want, need, and what you can afford. There is no ‘perfect’ office because every business has different needs, but there is an ‘ideal’ office, something which suits you down to the ground. 

This is the same for those who are working from home. It’s not a good idea to sit on the sofa or in bed and try and get your work done, you need an office set up in order to be productive and to be comfortable at the same time. 

If you’re thinking about redesigning a home office in particular, check out the infographic below which has some very useful tips to think about. 

Source - https://www.adweek.com/galleycat/home-office-design-infographic/113096

There are many things you need to consider when designing an office, either a new one or an existing one. Money is the most important thing, but you should certainly speak to your employees and find out what they think would work. Perhaps ergonomic office furniture rather than the unadjustable options you have now. Maybe they would like the chance to collaborate more openly, and in that case, an agile workspace could be a good option. 

It’s about being open to change and doing your homework into what is possible versus what would be a stretch for you. Remember, by having the ideal office space, you’re not only going to attract new talent to your business, but you’re also going to ensure that your highly experienced employees already in place are more likely to stay where they are. 

There are countless options and it’s not something you should rush into. Planning is vital. Cover all options. Do some research into the current trends and find out if any would work for you. You could also borrow elements from several designs and combine them together. There are no rights and wrongs here, only what you know is going to work and what your employees want and need. 

Of course, all of this costs money, so beforehand you need to budget carefully. Find the contractors who will work to the highest possible standard, for a price that works for you. Also remember that there are likely to be odd road bumps along the way, so you need a little spare cash for these minor inconveniences. If these don’t occur, good, you have extra cash!

It’s a good idea to set up a focus group to brainstorm ideas and then come to a joint decision on what is going to be the best route forwards. In terms of morale and productivity combined, you’re showing your employees that you value their opinions and that you want to create something which they’re comfortable with and which they’re proud of.