All businesses should strive to be as efficient as possible – regardless of the size of the office. It’s an unfortunate truth that many businesses operate in an office that houses little space, an environment that snaps creativity, productivity and efficiency.
Due to financial restraints, most businesses tend to only upscale business premises once it’s blaringly obvious that they’ve outgrown their current location. And with commercial rents increasing, it’s becoming more difficult for businesses to flock the nest and move into larger premises.
Instead of muddling through in a cramped office space, the better option is to put time into optimising the office space you already own.
So, how do you create an environment that makes employees feel more motivated and productive throughout the working day, whilst making the most of limited office space? As office design and furniture experts, Lismark Office Furniture is on hand to provide you with some useful ways for you to optimise your small office space.
Here is a selection of ways a business can optimise the space in the office:
With a multipurpose space, employees can use the area for catch ups with clients, group meetings and even an alternative working space. Multipurpose spaces allow offices to do more with less space and can add a real tangible boost to productivity.
For open plan offices, a meeting pod can provide relief to workers who need to concentrate in a quiet area and double up as a semi-permanent working space or meeting room.
Office workers spend most of their time indoors so it’s no surprise that an office that is open, has plenty of natural light and is airy performs better. Natural light is a well-known mood booster and also creates a feeling of extra space in a cramped office.
Remove items from windowsills and rearrange desk so that more are positioned close to the windows. If you need some privacy, try sheer blinds or Venetians which can still let light in most of the time.
In years gone by, the desk would store an all manner of important files and documents. To cope with the amount of necessary storage, they were heavy duty and contained plenty of compartments for storage.
Because files are now saved on servers and clouds, these desks that eat up plenty of space simply aren’t necessary for the modern day. Where possible, heavy traditional desks should be switched with office desks that are lightweight.
If space is limited, sit-stand desks are invaluable for productive working. Not only do the desks aid health benefits, but they can also be extremely useful for meetings within an office space. Standing together at one computer screen can be far more comfortable than huddling around the screen on chairs. 
Hot-desking is when personal desks are removed from the office in an effort to save space. It encourages creativity between workers that wouldn’t normally find themselves together and can lead to better team morale and productivity.
Instead of using traditional desks for individual workers, large communal desks that can accommodate more staff. Spaces on these large desks are assigned on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Hot desking doesn’t have to solely come in the form of large communal desks, folding tables and laptop tables are space-saving options that can also suit hot-desking workers.
A well-designed office should make use of every possible space – even corridors, staircases and landing areas. These areas that are just used as walkways to connect your office can be reimagined into productivity-boosting areas.
Novelty phone booths for making calls away from the hustle and bustle of the main office could be installed in corridors and beanbags and stools could be arranged in lading areas for impromptu meetings.
The office is where we spend most of our hours, so the place in which we work has a direct impact on our happiness and wellbeing. If your workers had the choice, which do you think they’d prefer, an open, welcoming office that’s well designed or an overcrowded office with minimal effort to increase morale?
The office design realm is an important one for both HR professionals and business owners to examine. Ensuring that the office is designed well and houses all of the facilities that workers desire can influence productivity as well as attract the best new talent to work for your company.
It is reasons like these why business owners are taking inspiration from creative agencies and companies like Google who have moulded beautifully designed fun offices. Although slides might not be appropriate, there are easy additions that employees want in the office.
As well as the necessary items such as a functional desk, comfortable chair and refreshment facilities, what are some of the other things employees want in an office?
Being stuck inside all day can be a drain on morale, so why not bring a sense of the outdoors in? An easy fix is to add a few plants and indoor trees around the office. We humans are hardwired to be drawn to nature, so being surrounded by natural light and vegetation can do wonders for boosting moods.
If you’re questioning the value of adding some plants into your office, recent studies have found that plants can increase office productivity by as much as 15 per cent!
Adding home comforts to the workplace is a trend that has come with the rise of the Millennials. The separation between work and home is becoming finer with many offices becoming more relaxed and casual.
The office is filling up with ‘home away from home’ comforts and entertainment for workers to use on their breaks. Some of the most popular:
By adding some of these facilities, those busy periods with long shifts won’t seem so hard.
A breakout space is an area that allows employees to get away from their desk and engage in anything from brainstorming sessions and team catch-ups to private conversations in person or on the telephone.
The uses of a breakout space are endless and can even be used for informal purposes such as being a space for employees to ‘switch off’ from a stressful task for ten minutes.
The breakout area doesn’t have to be a large space, just enough to house some comfortable breakout furniture.
Technology has changed the world that we live in and if businesses want to attract and retain top employees, keeping on top of technological needs is a must. Despite the evolving technological landscape and reliance on technology in the office, it seems that not enough is being done to give employees what they need for their job.
Employees can soon become frustrated if their quality of work is being jeopardised by the lack of tools available to them. Technology can hold a company back but having the latest software and technology for your workforce can push it forward.
Regular checks
Open-plan offices are now the norm, and rightly so. This type of office layout promotes collaboration and creativity that was less common in partitioned cubicle offices. Open-plan offices are however louder than their counterparts. We’re not suggesting that you change to cubicles as privacy and quiet areas can be achieved in a modern open office too.
Office acoustic pods are the best solution for creating quiet spaces for offices, without taking up much space, either. The self-contained private workspace with acoustic properties helps to zone out surrounding noise, making them a great place to work without distractions.
The UK’s premier commercial seating fabric manufacturer Camira, who are based in West Yorkshire, have recently launched a new fabric called Rivet. Here’s everything you need to know.
Green credentials: Waste plastic is on the news agenda at present with Sky TV’s Sky Ocean Rescue campaign hoping to rid the oceans of plastic and Sir David Attenborough calling for the world to cut back on its use of plastic in order to protect our oceans.
You can do your bit for the environment by upholstering your seating in Rivet fabric. Rivet is made from recycled polyester from used plastic drinks bottles which are turned in to flake and then melted down into resin which is extruded into fibre. This is then used to create the yarn used in the Rivet fabric range. 22 plastic 500ml bottles make one metre of fabric.
Colour palette: 33 colours ranging from muted tonal shades through to bold darker colours. The lightly textured hopsack fabric has a ‘flecked’ appearance which helps to mask any stains. The fabric has been inspired by luxury tailored suits.
Applications: May be used to upholster both task seating and soft seating so you can coordinate the seating in your offices and breakout spaces.
Pricing: Good news, Rivet is in the lowest fabric price band making it an economical choice for your seating upholstery.
Manufacture: Woven in the UK where all the best fabrics and office furniture is made.
If you would like to know more about Rivet fabric and also the seating it can go on please get in touch.
By now, hopefully, you will now want to see what colours are available? Well there is a great swatch card so please get in touch and I will send you a copy free of charge. Email me direct mark@lismark.co.uk or call for a chat on 0116 251 7741.
One of our favourite manufacturers Verco who are based in High Wycombe has just launched a brand new chair called the Max.
Technical bit coming up:
The Max is a task chair with a mesh back and an upholstered seat. The back is fitted with a deluxe ‘active’ grey mesh which provides support and adapts to the contours of your back comes with an adjustable lumbar support as standard. The seat is shaped to aid comfortable sitting and has a ‘waterfall’ edge which means that it doesn’t press into the backs of your knees and thighs. The seat has a seat depth adjustment as standard which means that it suits people of all heights. The action of the chair is designed to be left in ‘free float mode’ meaning that the backrest is moving with you as you move whilst seated. The chair senses your body weight and automatically adjusts to provide the perfect support. This makes the Max easy to use. I hope I haven’t made that sound too technical!
Looks:
The first thing that strikes you about the Max is that it is a good looking chair. Faced straight on it has smart straight lines. Looking from the side of the chair shows the curved back and neat behind with no ugly bolts showing. The mechanism under the chair is slim, neat and doesn’t show too much beneath the chair. The fact that there is only one lever below also helps with the clean looks of the chair.
Options:
Simple as possible, the only options are height adjustable arms, headrest, polished metal base (I think it look’s great with the standard black base though!).
Upholstery:
Upholstered in the new Rivet fabric from Camira the seat would look great, with the advantage of Rivet being a band a fabric which means it is in the lowest price band.
My opinion:
A good looking chair which is a step up looks wise on Verco’s existing Mesh chair range. The Max is simple to use, which always helps. The headrest option is ideal for managers. When I look at the competitors in the marketplace the Max is very keenly priced for such a good looking chair.
If I have whetted your appetite, there’s a great brochure available which shows the Max off. If you would like a copy please drop me a line at mark@lismark.co.uk.
0116 251 7741
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