Creating an Office Space for a Startup Business
For a startup business, building an office space can be challenging as there is not enough money to build a whole infrastructure. It is crucial to invest money which provides value to employees and motivates them to work. This will increase the efficiency and productivity of office spaces. Here are seven creative ideas to build an office space for a startup.
1) Furniture
With limited space, you should spend money on compact furniture which will also provide an attractive look. It will keep the office space more organized and efficient for working. You can use compact or corner computer desks, and multi-purpose/portable shelves. A printer cart is beneficial if you have a small office space as well. Even small filing cabinets can be a versatile solution for storage. An additional idea is to use second-hand furniture to save the cost by buying it from the previous tenants or purchasing pieces from Craigslist.
2) Hot Desks
Moreover, you can eliminate the private office altogether and allow employees the flexibility to work from an open office space. This provides the convenience to sit anywhere and work comfortably using laptops. Ensure that there is proper Internet connectivity. You can utilize these spaces for different tasks and team activities. Working in the same place throughout the day is quite boring but flexibility to work from hot desks improves efficiency and productivity.
3) Desk Layouts
There are many layouts you can use for small office space. The first structure is a paired island format in which a pair of desks form an island occupying the whole room. It supports the team collaboration, and employees can rotate it periodically for team discussions. The second structure is blocked seating, where desks are placed in groups of four. Next is the assembly line, where the desks are arranged in rows of two facing each other. The last one is the bullpen, where the seating arrangement is in the form of a circle or rectangle for easy collaboration between team members.
4) Meeting Place
Do not worry about arranging a separate conference room for board and client meetings. There are several alternatives for meetings other than an actual conference room. A simple roundtable can work very well to discuss projects. A whiteboard can also be used along with rows of chairs to discuss a business plan. For presentations, a projector can be arranged to explain the concept to each member of the team. Open space can work great for these arrangements.
5) Add Plants
There is nothing more refreshing than bringing the outdoors, inside. Plants make an office environment soothing and comfortable. Everyone enjoys greenery as there are various choices and plant arrangements available. It improves the efficiency and creativity levels of the employees as they feel fresh generating productive ideas for the startup to grow and reach new heights.
6) Tea/Coffee Space
Arrange a small space for tea or coffee. Employees will stray from wondering away as this saves productive hours. This is important for improving the efficiency of the start-up by reducing the off-hours. People can also have personal discussions while having coffee, and it will provide them a source of refreshment from the long working day.
7) Put Clocks Having Different Time Zones
Put 2-3 clocks with different time zones around the room. Set the time according to each one of your client’s timezones. This will help make the work more functional and meet deadlines. People can schedule the work according to the timezones of the client. This will help the client reap benefits serving the customers according to their local time.
Wrapping it up!
Just because you don’t have a multi-story building, doesn’t mean you can’t have an optimal office space. You can utilize the above creative ideas and experiment with amenities and desk layouts to make the office better. If you put your efforts in designing an office space, then size doesn’t really matter at all.
