Size, Location, Facilities and Other Office Moving Tips

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There is no doubt that the decision to move to a bigger office space is a difficult one to make. Sure, your business has enjoyed success where it is now, but how will the uprooting everything to go elsewhere affect this? The whole process required in-depth project planning, solid communication skills with everyone involved and a full understanding of your individual business requirements. However, if you get everything right, you will put yourself in the strongest position to upgrade your company to the next level. In this blog post, we are going to be talking you through a few top tips to help you with your office upgrade.

Look at Your Current Infrastructure First

Before you do anything, you need to closely analyse your current office infrastructure. Have you outgrown it or is there still room to expand in-house? There is no point changing location unless you are sure that it will bring positive benefits to your business. It is an expensive and time-consuming process, so you really need to have confidence that you have gotten the most out of your current space.

If you feel like you have, now is the time to analyse your current workplace in detail to see what you rely on to run your business effectively including technologies, processes and stakeholders. You need to ensure that everything is fully transferable to prevent as many delays and drops in productivity levels as possible. Your IT systems may have been designed for your current size and specifications and you need to install entirely new ones in the future.

Choose a Location

Next up, you need to closely consider the location where you will be moving to. Of course, a lot of business is done online these days, so you may consider this to be not as important as it used to be, but there are still plenty of advantages to setting up in a good place. Issues like customer footfall, proximity to suppliers, transport facilities and accessibility for employees are all things which should be firmly on your radar.

Perhaps you are even thinking of having your own business premises built from scratch. This is likely to be a hugely time-consuming and costly process, but the major advantage is that you get everything exactly as you would like it. You may need to employ a professional project planner to ensure that everything runs smoothly, and you may also require some partner organisations and Veris use a variety of methods to perform Underground Service Detection Surveys before you even begin. There is a lot to think about so make sure that you have weighed this decision up in your mind thoroughly before getting started.

Perks of Moving

The whole point of moving office is that you are supposed to be going somewhere which is better than what you have already. As well as preserving the culture which you have built up in the life of your business so far, you will ideally be adding some features that both you are your employees can enjoy. Think bike storage, catering facilities, and access to exercise equipment etc. Perhaps the benefits simply come from where your office is located and the other businesses that are in the local area like cafes, restaurants, grocery stores etc.

Consider the Difference in Size

Just because the new office that you are currently looking at is bigger, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be more accommodating to your business needs. You need to do all your measurements carefully, checking the dimensions of your furniture and other larger items to ensure that it all fits comfortably in the new office. You want to avoid dead space wherever possible. After all, you are paying for every inch and you need to make sure that it is all being used in the best way. The effect that you should be aiming to achieve is a nice balance between emptiness and clutter. When you are showing clients around the place, it doesn’t look great is your office is packed with disused space. Remember, decoration can also be an effective use of space as well.  

Consult with Your Team and Take Their Requests

Obviously, your opinions and ideas as the business owner are hugely important when you are creating your new office. However, it should also be a collaborative process as managers, employees, and even contractors all weigh in on how they would like the extra space used. Perhaps one department is pushing hard for extra desk space because they would like to expand. So, you should try to establish a smooth request management process which involves everyone being able to put their case forwards.

Make Your Moving Timetable

Your office move obviously needs to be carefully coordinated, and one of the best ways of achieving this is by creating a timetable that takes into account every little detail. You want the actual move to be completed over a short period of time – maybe even a weekend to minimise business disruption. However, there is a lot of preparation to make before you can get to this stage. Enlist all the professional support you can get as early as you can including moving companies, IT support technicians etc. When you make the timetable, ensure that everything is followed rigidly as you don’t want the process to be dragged out unnecessarily.  

There is no doubt that upgrading to a bigger office can be a great decision for all kinds of business. Not only are you giving yourself room in which to grow, you are also giving yourself the option to improve your facilities and experience new location benefits. However, this is not something that you should be entering into lightly. To make sure that you enjoy a positive overall experience, you should put in place a strong project plan that takes into account all eventualities and leaves you with a transition that is both smooth and orderly.

Enhancing Workplace Creativity

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It’s becoming increasingly important for companies, especially small businesses, to have employees who are not only capable but also very creative. Obviously, this matters a lot more in some industries (marketing, design, media) than it does others, but having employees who can think resourcefully and come up with solutions fast is always welcome.

Obviously, the easiest way to ensure that your workplace is a creative one is to hire creative individuals in the first place, but if you haven’t done that, or if you simply want to enhance the creativity of the staff you already do have, here are a few things that may work for you:

Encourage Collaboration

Anything that you can do to encourage more interactions, communication, and most importantly collaboration, between your employees is sure to be fruitful. There are numerous ways you can do this, from using a news aggregator that collects information and makes it available for sharing, to making the office open plan or setting up more communal areas – the choice is yours – but you can be sure that the more contact they have, the more ideas will be shared, and the more creative your team will be as a whole.

Make Brainstorming More Equal

Brainstorming might be an old technique, but it is still a very good way to enhance creativity in the workplace. However, the way we traditionally hold brainstorming sessions is perhaps not the best because often ideas given by the most popular employees, or those suggested at the beginning of a session are given more thought and attention than others.

The good news is, there is a simple solution to this – allot each employee some time to brainstorm, have them write down their ideas and then get together to discuss them collectively at a later date or time, keeping them anonymous. That way, all ideas will be given equal attention, and you can find the most creative solutions there are.

Give Employees Time to Produce

If you’re one of those bosses who presents your staff with a problem, oh, 30 minutes before you want a solution, don’t expect them to be working at their creative best! Creativity takes time, it takes absorption of ideas, it takes research, and that is why you should always allot ample time for your employees to get their work done.

Be Prepared to Listen

This should be obvious, but many business owners simply do not take the time to listen to their employees and the new ideas they have. If an idea seems on the surface to be too far out there compared to what is usually done, they shut it down immediately. This only stifles creativity, and you shouldn’t do it if you want to hit upon genuinely new ideas and improvements for your company, nor if you want your employees’ to feel that their creative input is valued.

Use Restrictions

That being said, placing other restrictions on your team could prove to be very fruitful. You see, although it sounds quite counter-intuitive, when you only have a limited amount of tools at your disposal, it can really focus your mind and help you to think in more creative terms than you would be with no limits applied.

Sure-Fire Signs Your Office Isn’t Winter Ready

As the seasons change, your premises have to evolve too. If they don’t, winter can be a pretty uncomfortable time for a business. Many entrepreneurs think their office building can stand up to anything bar a natural disaster. Sadly, the majority of properties are only a strong rain shower away from revealing a catalogue of nasty surprises. Any owner who isn’t sure whether the office is ready doesn’t need to worry. Below are the signs which will tip you off. Should you see any of the following, ensure you find a solution ASAP.

Damp Patches On The Floors/Ceilings

Without a doubt, damp is the most alarming warning sign. There may be a different cause, but it’s mainly due to rain seeping through a gap in the exterior. Ceilings and roofs are the main culprits because one loose slate can wreak havoc. However, the floors are not innocent either as water from the basement can be problematic if you have a ground-floor office. Whatever you do, don’t pass damp patches off as insignificant. Water damage means the outside elements are somehow getting into the space. It may start small, but it could escalate into a huge problem. Always try and find the breach and cover it up to stop any leakage.

Overflowing Gutters

There isn’t a property owner on the planet that enjoys climbing a ladder to a gutter and removing the gunk inside. Not only is it disgusting but the water can go up to a person’s elbow. The rubber gloves don’t even reach that far! However, leaving the water and mulch to build is dangerous for two reasons. Firstly, the pressure from the water can cause the guttering to snap. If it happens and someone is underneath, it may result in a trip to the hospital and a lawsuit. Secondly, the H20 has to go somewhere, and it usually makes its way inside. So, keeping the gutters clean will prevent further water damage to the building.

Dull Paint

Now that the summer is over, bright, light colours are unsuitable. Still, there is no need to paint the interior black! Dark shades are better because they fit the season, yet don’t use a hue which puts your mental health at risk. Seriously, the wrong colours can encourage depression during the winter time when the sun sets early. And, employees only need an excuse to slack off and become unproductive. The good news is a painter for office buildings can add an air of excitement to the gloominess. All you have to do is choose a colour scheme which is vivid and seasonal at the same time. Then, everyone in the office will be reinvigorated.

It’s Freezing

Finally, don’t just assume the premises are a cold because the property is old. The fact it can’t stay warm is a sign of heat displacement. Typically, the doors and windows are to blame, which is why double-glazing is essential. But, don’t forget that the walls can let in cold air if they don’t have insulation. The same goes for the ceilings, especially the one in the attic. Remember that overheads cost a fortune, which is why preventing heat loss is vital.

You still have time to make changes, but you need to do it as quickly as possible.