Working in an office allows for better collaboration, communication, productivity, and socialisation—basically everything you need to create a successful business. However, moving into a new office space isn’t a one-day affair. You and your employees can’t just bring your laptops with you and expect everything to function as normal. With this drastic change, you need to prepare thoroughly.  

Setting up a new office space can be tricky. It can make or break your business flow, so you must be careful with how you set things up. Apart from worrying about having sufficient office supplies, there are more things you need to look out for. To help you out, this article rounds up six steps you should follow when setting up your new office space:

Establish Your Budget 

Before you start planning, you must first decide how much you’re willing to pay for this undertaking. Setting up an office space doesn’t come with a low price. For starters, you’ll need to pay rent. You should consider the initial deposit you’ll need to pay to secure your office space. 

You’ll also need to purchase essential equipment, furniture, and tools. You should take into account your monthly expenses, such as utility bills, pantry supplies, and salary for custodian. Once you calculated how much you can allot for each expense, you can proceed with planning for your setup.

Identify The Things You Need To Have  

One aspect of setting up a new office space that greatly affects your budget is identifying the things you need in your office. Basically, you’ll need to provide a desk, chair, computer, and phone system to every team member. 

For full business use, you need to have enough equipment and tools to get the job done, which include photocopy machine, filing cabinets, projectors, a whiteboard, and the usual office supplies. You also need to consider the cost of the services you need to pay for. This includes internet connection, heating, air conditioning, kitchen facilities, parking space, and so on.  

As you list down what things you need and how many, you can better understand how large of a space you’ll need.

Consider Growth Possibility 

While it might seem practical only to rent out an office space that can accommodate the exact number of people you have in your business, it’d be nice to look for a slightly bigger room for any growth possibility. This way, you won’t have to worry about moving again if you need to hire a new team member. Ideally, make additional room for at least 10% of your current employee count.

Look For The Perfect Location 

After identifying the things you need for your office space, along with how many people you’d like to accommodate, you can begin looking for the perfect location. When searching for your office space, it’d be helpful if you could accommodate everyone’s location. Preferably, it should be somewhere with easy access to public transportation and has plenty of available parking space for your employees and clients who’ll come for meetings and consultations. 

It’d also be nice to be near public establishments, such as banks, café, shopping centres, and other offices. Such a location can raise awareness of your brand, as it allows more people to see your office.

Check The Space’s Features 

Office space is more than just four walls. Apart from having a space your employees can work in, it’d be great if it included amazing features that allow for comfortability and productivity. It should have a dedicated meeting room to allow for privacy and efficiency. 

It’d be great if you have a coffee room or pantry area so that your employees have a space to relax and unwind during their shift. Depending on your budget, you can look for an office space with a gym or sleeping area to help care for their mental health.

Decide On Office Floor Plan 

There are two kinds of floor plans you can choose from: open or closed floor plans. When you go with a closed floor plan, expect your office setup to be traditional and private. This involves having a private cubicle for each team member where they’re free from distractions from other people. 

If you’d like to promote openness and collaboration, then go with an open floor plan. You could use a long table that can accommodate a minimum of four employees, equally spaced apart. This can help improve communication and make the place look airier.  

Takeaway 

Just like with running a business, there are plenty of things you need to consider when setting up a new office space. This undertaking is definitely not a walk in the park, but it sure opens you to a number of possibilities that can be exciting for everyone in the company. With thorough research and planning, you should be able to set up the perfect office space that provides everyone with comfort while ensuring productivity and success.