There comes a time for most businesses when they outgrow their original office space. A lot of small businesses will start off in a home office or perhaps a co-working space. But eventually, it’s time to move on and get your very own “grown-up” office for your team. Perhaps you’ve added more employees and they all need somewhere to work. You might have been operating on a remote basis but it’s now time to bring everyone together. Or you may need some space for equipment and you’re looking for something that serves as an office and a practical workspace. Whatever your reason for moving, you need to find the right place for your growing team and create an environment that your employees love working at too.

How to Create an Office Space Your Employees Love To Work At

1. Find the Right Space

The first thing you need to do is find an office space that works for your company. Much like when you’re looking for a house to buy or rent, you won’t find perfection. You’re going to have to be willing to compromise in some areas, especially if you’re on a budget. Start by thinking about your needs and those of your employees and clients. The location might be the first thing you consider. You need your office to be accessible for everyone, from full-time employees to visitors.

2. Consider Amenities

You should also consider how you want the space to be configured. Are you the type of company that needs separate offices, or are you more of an open-plan business? Do you need separate meeting rooms for speaking to employees and clients? Finally, you should think about the amenities you need. Most businesses will have basic requirements like phone and internet lines. However, you might be looking for more. Maybe you want the office block to have printing services, a break room, or even a gym.

3. Create the Best Layout

The configuration of the office will obviously dictate this to an extent. If there are separate rooms, you can’t change them. You can, however, decide how you’re going to use them. If you have separate rooms, will they be reserved for people in senior positions? Perhaps each room with have a different function for different departments. You might leave them empty most of the time and just use them for meetings.

If you have an open space, there are many ways you can configure it to suit your company. You might take the cubicle approach and assign everyone a space. Some offices use hot desking, so everyone can come in and sit where they like. A lot of open-plan offices benefit from having break-out spaces. It’s difficult for anyone to work in a group when they sit at individual desks. A break-out space allows for somewhere they can sit together. It could be a comfortable area with sofas, and a coffee table, or it might be something more formal.

4. Furnish the Office

Unless it comes fully furnished, you’re going to need to furnish your new office space. The question is which method of furnishing the space would be best. First, you should decide between renting or buying your furniture. Many businesses will decide to buy since it is a sensible investment. If you do buy your furniture, decide if you want it to be new or secondhand? You could potentially save a lot of money by getting used furniture. It’s also more eco-friendly to buy secondhand. Or you could get furniture made with recycled materials. Of course, you also need to consider what furniture you need. You might be looking for desks and chairs, comfortable seating for break-out areas or a break room, filing cabinets, and more. Also, remember that you may want to furnish your office with snacks and drinks to keep your employees motivated.

5. Get Office Equipment

Apart from your furniture, you’ll also need to bring in necessary equipment. Depending on the nature of your business, this could include a number of things. Most offices need to have things like computers, printers, and photocopiers. You might also need some other essential equipment in your office. Some small businesses do some of their production or at least packaging in their office. You might need equipment to make or test your products, or perhaps to create packaging. Perhaps you send out your mail yourself, and you need a scale. You might already have some of these things, but your new office could give you a chance to upgrade or expand to make things easier for your employees. Remember, we are all about making our employee’s lives easier and making them happy to work for our companies!

5. Setup Technology 

Any modern office needs to have their information technology systems set up. Now that you’re moving into a proper office, you’re probably going to have a more sophisticated setup. The problem is, you might not know that much about computers. As a small business, you will feel that you can’t justify having any IT employees full-time. The possible solution to this is to outsource your IT support. You can call people in whenever you need them, whether it’s to configure your initial setup or to provide you with help later on.

6. Order Stationery 

Even though most offices are mostly digital now, you still need to do things with paper sometimes. Every office has stationery needs, and you should think about it for the long-term. It’s an expense you’ll have to keep taking care of. Consider buying bulk supplies wherever possible. Think about what you really need to have and what you’re better off doing digitally. It might be useful to have flip-boards and markers, but you probably don’t need hundreds of pens. Of course, if you keep most things stored digitally, you will need paper for printing. That might be one of your main expenses, along with printer ink.

7. Prepare to Move In

When you’re finally ready to move in, consider how it might impact your work. You might be able to get everyone settled in hardly any time at all. However, if it’s going to be a time-consuming process, it could mean you have to put things on hold. Consider how to move in without disrupting the workload of your team too much. You may want to have different teams move in at different times or just let your customers know that your team will be unavailable for a certain period of time.

Happy moving!