Month: August 2016

How to Downsize Your Office Space

downsizing your office space

There are many benefits to downsizing your office space. It can be a money saver, a workforce enticer, and a business expansion enabler, but making it happen can be tricky without some careful planning. The point is not to move into a new office that will have you and your employees crammed and rubbing elbows with each other for an extended period of time. Instead, you want to find a smaller yet comfortable space that eliminates unused areas yet keeps functionality at its full potential. If you are downsizing your office, consider these tips:

To Downsize Your Office Space, Don’t Think Traditionally

Multi-Functional Rooms

Many companies have dedicated conference rooms, meeting rooms, and break rooms that people use on a regular, but isolated, basis. These rooms usually serve specific purposes and the rest of the time each sits empty and unused. Businesses can easily conserve space by finding an office that has a room that can be used for all of these purposes. A single room can be dedicated for those eating lunch for several hours in the day and then serve as a meeting room or conference room during other business hours. This will cover all your business needs while reducing the amount of office space required.

FurnitureDownsize your office space with multifunctional furniture, How to Downsize Your Office Space

Workspaces, tables, and chairs are all relatively easy to change when downsizing your office. Many furniture companies now have modular furniture options or furniture that can be converted and used in multiple ways. For example, a large table that can be broken down to several smaller ones or a desk that also acts as storage space can be extremely useful to the business trying to save space. Easily moved lightweight furniture and furniture on wheels can also make reconfiguring your office easy when the need arises.

Location

There are many alternatives to the traditional, stand-alone office building. If you are looking to downsize your daily needed square footage you may consider alternative workspaces. Pairing up with another business to share conference areas or break rooms can help decrease the square footage of your needed personal office space. You can also encourage your employees to work from different locations. Allowing your employees to work from home or another location, even on a rotating basis, can save your company loads of space.

Think Vertically or Digitally

When needing more storage space, many businesses tend to expand horizontally, adding in another desk or file cabinet. Horizontal expansion however is not always the best option. Businesses can use less square footage if storage is built vertically or digitally. Acquiring shelves to go on top of desks or to be secured on walls can mean less furniture spread throughout the office. Digital storage is also a great option to reduce the amount of furniture and thus space needed in an office. You can remove large amounts of paper and store it online or on hard drives and turn a whole file cabinet into a folder on a computer with digital storage.

Interior DesignersInterior designers can help you downsize your office space functionally.

Designing an office to be both functional and space efficient requires skill and knowledge about what products are out there and what designs are functional. Interior designers can design and organize an office for functionality and efficiency no matter the office size. Choose interior designers that partner with a relocation company for a smooth transition through space design, furniture selection, and furniture installation. If your goal is to have a small yet functional office, hiring a moving company that is paired with interior designers can help your business achieve your ideal balance of office size, storage area, and workspace room.

Downsizing to a smaller office can be a beneficial decision for your company. With some careful planning you can obtain increased efficiency in a smaller space and save money all at the same time. Think outside the standard office space to downsize effectively and remember these practical tips for a smooth transition


Work with The Quality Group

At The Quality Group, we’re your commercial relocation specialists. Founded in 1987 in New Orleans, LA, The Quality Group serves the Gulf States with comprehensive commercial moving services from move planning to furniture installation. No other company puts in the time or preparation that we do to make your move stress and hassle-free.

Business Evaluation Opportunities During a Move

Moving your company to a new location opens your business to many opportunities. Starting your business anew in a different location allows you to take a step back and evaluate your business. You can check to see if your equipment, furniture, and technology are up to par with the new location and mindset you have. Perhaps you even want to evaluate the processes of your business and determine whether there is a better way to go about completing tasks. A company’s relocation time is the perfect time to challenge the routine it has fallen into and bring it up to date with the rest of the world. You have the reason and the mindset to take on innovative items and ideas that will give your company new life.

Opportunities During a Move for Your Business

Business Evaluation Opportunities During a Move, during an office moveFurniture

The desks, computer chairs, and guest chairs may be a perfect fit for your current office, but have you considered how they will fit in the new place? The design of your new office may not suit the same design as your previous office. The new work environment may lend itself to a modern or industrial style rather than a contemporary style. Having a well-designed office will make an impression on clients and relay to them a new level of professionalism. Aside from aesthetics, your current furniture may literally not be the best fit for your new office. Spatial and functional office layouts make a huge difference in workflow. If employees have large desks and they will be moving into a narrower working environment, it may be best to order desks that will be more suited to the smaller space. Seizing the opportunity to better your work atmosphere and functionality during a move will save you and your employees’ many headaches in the future.

Equipment

The technological equipment you have in your office plays an important role in the management of the business. You may not even notice how much you rely upon it however, maintaining functional office equipment is a must. Do your employees constantly have to fix the printer, shredder, or coffee machine? It may seem like a minor inconvenience but that time spent fixing problematic machines adds up and frustrates your workforce. An office move is a great time to pitch out the old machines that are hindering you and your employees and acquire new equipment that will support the work you all do.

Seize the opportunity during a move to update technology. Technology

Not many businesses think about the back-end technology that safeguards the entire company. It’s understandable because it’s not a tangible item that you interact with daily but it is still important for the company to maintain. Computers, off-site servers, digital security programs, and digital system backups are all requirements for a company. Computers that are not updated can be a risk to company confidentiality, and systems that are not backed-up and stored elsewhere can mean complete shutdown for the company. A move is the perfect time to make sure all are up-to-date and secured safely in case the unexpected happens.

Processes

When one change happens another is bound to follow. You are already in the mindset to accept change with the move so it may be time to take a huge step back and evaluate how things are running in the business. With a new office, you have the opportunity to implement new processes that increases efficiency, balance workload, or just makes more sense. A new place with a new way to accomplish work can give new life to your business.

A business’ relocation can be exactly what the business needs for continued progress. While business owners tend to set these factors aside because there are more pressing matters, the fact remains they are important and an integral part of the functioning of a company. During your move, evaluate your business and find aspects of the company that can be improved and seize the opportunity.


Work with The Quality Group

At The Quality Group, we’re your commercial relocation specialists. Founded in 1987 in New Orleans, LA, The Quality Group serves the Gulf States with comprehensive commercial moving services from move planning to furniture installation. No other company puts in the time or preparation that we do to make your move stress and hassle-free.