How to Kit Out Your New Office
February 3, 2021
An office’s purpose is not simply to house employees during the working day. An office should offer a comfortable environment that encourages good, healthy work. It should support an atmosphere where people feel motivated and productive and be a winning part of your company culture. To make sure that this is the case, an office needs more than a couple of tables and chairs. Your office should offer employees the equipment they need to execute their work to the very highest standard, as well as a few other features that combine to ensure a happy and healthy working environment.
Designing Your Space
Before you buy any supplies for your office, you first need to take a look at the space you have and work out how you can best utilize this space. You will first need to answer questions like:
1-Will you need a separate meeting room?
2-How do your employees usually work?
Your office space should work for the working style of your business, not the other way around. Think about your company culture and values and the unique individuals you have working for you. For a better idea of your ideal office space, why not ask your employees what they would value by using a suggestion box?
When designing your space, you should make it as conducive to work as possible – which means putting people who work together in close proximity. Consider hot-seating if health and safety allow for it. You should also store frequently used items in easily accessible locations for the whole office. You also need to remember that you are designing a modern office, so there are clear options for you to create a more organic space that better represents your company, so try to be creative with your design and enjoy the process.
When designing an office space, you need to think about what is most efficient and how you can use the space to create a positive working environment. You can do this by spreading desks out so employees have an opportunity to move about more. By spreading out desks and offices so employees have to walk to talk to each other, you are encouraging movement and blood flow, which positively impacts both energy and productivity. It also encourages your employees to take breaks, which has also been shown to refresh employees and make them more ready for the challenges they face daily. Modern business has moved past the era where people only sit at one desk day after day. Space for employees to move around helps productivity, collaboration, and innovation.
Office Equipment
To start kitting out your new office, you need to start with the bare bones. That is, you need to fill the empty rooms with office equipment. The office equipment you will need will vary depending on your company’s mission and business model, but each standard office should include the following equipment:
- A standard desk, with an adjustable height if possible, as this has been shown to improve productivity
- An office chair
- All in one computers
- All in one printers
- Stationery
- Lighting fixtures
This is standard equipment that is likely to be supplemented by any additional industry-specific equipment that you might need.
Multifunction office printers are becoming increasingly popular in today’s business world. And it’s no wonder why. These versatile machines can do it all–from printing and copying to scanning and faxing. Not only do multifunction printers save companies space and money, but they also reduce the need for multiple devices, which can help to cut down on energy costs. In addition, multifunction printers are typically faster and more efficient than their single-function counterparts, meaning that companies can get more work done in less time. So if your business is looking for a way to save space and reduce costs, a multifunction printer may be the perfect solution.
It is important to factor in break times when you are budgeting for office supplies. You are likely to have a small kitchen area where staff can make tea, coffee or heat up their lunches.
You also want to factor in seating and furniture for the relaxation and collaboration areas your staff will use on their breaks. They don’t have to be fitted with expensive furniture – think Silicon Valley tech startup bean bags – something that’s basic but comfy is far better than nothing.
Creating a Positive Working Environment
Your working environment and your company culture go hand in hand. Your working environment can therefore have a big impact on everything from employee engagement to the average levels of efficiency among staff members. So, when you are setting up an office, you need to think about how best you can design your workplace to aid actual work and make it a place where your employees feel happy to spend most of their days.
Take inspiration from big companies like Google – they offer a very positive working environment, with nap pods and other things designed to encourage their workers’ happiness – they have been named the best company to work for many years according to several different polls.
There are many ways that you can kit out an office to make sure that it is a positive and productive environment, including:
- Be Bold
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There’s something about office décor that tends to gravitate towards less-than-inspiring color schemes. Those dull colors and abundant greys and whites look even worse underneath the cold fluorescent lights that most offices have in their ceiling. Dull monotones won’t make anybody more productive, so make your working environment nicer by injecting a bit of color into the mix. Either hang colorful artwork, consider looking for a custom wall covering or change some of the wall colors to a friendlier hue. Art and color serve as a great inspiration to create, and this can be even more enhanced when you swap the art you have chosen when it starts to feel dull. The boost of energy you will feel around the office will be worth it.
- Look towards Mother Nature!
Having some input from mother nature can do great things for office employees. The sight of nature – be it through a window or an office garden can improve productivity by 15%. Natural light is also highly important as it can improve an office’s feel and make your décor look nicer.
- More on Natural Light
Natural light has been called the number one office perk. – above treadmill desks, nap pods, and, believe it or not, ‘bring your pet to work’ day. Studies have found that an absence of natural light and an outdoor view can damage employees’ experience. It has been found that 47% of people say they feel very tired when they don’t get natural light and 43% of people say it makes them feel gloomy.
