All wise and forward-thinking business owners know they need to be open to change. The current workspace situation may seem fine, but if it can be improved, you should not hinder progress. Projections also play a role in how much to change in the space.
If you’re looking at a renovation that changes a majority of the office, press pause and evaluate everything. Giving the go signal too soon might cost you a lot. Here are some reminders:
On Floor Plans
The jury is out on whether an open office layout is still in, and if it improves productivity in the first place. However, trends are not the sole thing to consider when renovating your office. Even if the consensus is that you should bring cubicles back, if you have seen good results from having an open layout in the office, let your own formula work for you. This also means not having to put up cubicle walls or replacing long, communal tables with individual desks. At the end of the day, a successful renovation does not always have to be expensive.
The Pantry Situation
As your business grows, you will employ more people. That means more individuals needing lunch–and room to eat their lunch. It’s not healthy to encourage employees to eat at their work desk. This will limit their chances of socializing with members of other departments, and it may also result in pest problems, as you cannot monitor that they are cleaning up their workspace thoroughly after eating. If you have evidence that the pantry is insufficient for your company, this should be one of the first things to renovate. Even with the same floor area, a simple rearrangement can free up more seating space.
Fleet Management
The inside of the office is not the only thing that needs a makeover. As you acquire more company vehicles to conduct business in and around Cache Valley, you need to consider a more sophisticated commercial garage door and a security system to keep everything out of reach of burglars. Now’s also the time to capitalize on free ad space in the form of your vehicles. Fleet wraps are convenient in showing a message on the road, and if you include the number of your company on the wraps, you can get more people calling without paying for exorbitant advertising space fees.
Shifting Schedule
You plan to expand the business but cannot expand the office due to a number of constraints. It’s not a hopeless case just yet. Rather than stifling the growth of your company, consider working in shifts. Employees can go on different schedules if doing so would not prevent them from getting their tasks done. Do remember that they need to have everything they need regardless of the time they come in, which means you need a shift manager to oversee everything.
A lot of thought should go into renovating the commercial space. Going into renovations haphazardly will only result in expensive changes that might not even work for your business.
