How to maximise a small office space

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The productivity of an employee inside the office depends a lot on the work environment. However, the problem in most modern offices is lack of space.

The increasing demand for workspaces led to the popularity of co-working spaces. Despite office usage dropping because of the pandemic, establishments can still get expensive like any other form of real estate.

However, for people employed in most start-up companies, their only choice is to work with what they have.

Optimising office area

Fortunately, there are ways to maximise small office spaces. Here are some of the steps you can take to make the most out of your tiny workplace:

Declutter your office

Do you use your office for storage? Client meetings? Team meetings? Or maybe brainstorming? List the activities occurring in your office, then map out where they take place.

Next, take inventory of the furniture or items you need for all those activities. In this way, you'll figure out what exactly you need to use and what can be cleared away.

Do you need an extra monitor? How about those used printer cartridges? Getting rid of things not contributing to the productivity in your office can open up more space for your employees.

Use collaborative furniture

Collaborative furniture is one of the significant trends of office design today. There's no reason you shouldn't take advantage of it, knowing collaboration is an integral part of a company. It also allows you to maximise your smaller office wherever you can.

Collaborative furniture includes the following:

Shared work tables - Instead of putting a dedicated desk for each employee, you can save more space with shared work tables.

Bookshelves - Besides maximising storage space, bookshelves also offer a creative twist for styling your office.

Breakout stations - This can be a place for relaxation, lunch, and even meetings. Rather than allotting distinct functions to rooms, breakout stations can be multi-purpose, making the most out of a given area.

Take advantage of vertical space

A great way to add efficiency to your office space is making the most of a room's vertical space. Do it instead of spreading your workspace across the office.

Investing in small and compact standing desks or those with added storage and shelving above them is one way to utilise your vertical space. Standing desks are perfect for small spaces because of their narrow design. Units with added storage or shelving can work as your all-in-one set-up while remaining sleek and compact. Just make sure you find the right sized desk for the available space.

Use pedestals to provide personal storage

Pedestals or tiny drawer units can also help you make the most of your office room's vertical space. The units save space because they're typically tucked under a desk and have a small footprint.

Mobile pedestals on casters are also available, which provides transportable storage. Some mini drawer units can even function as secondary seating for collaboration within workstation areas or quick discussions by adding a cushion top.

Make use of wall space

If you want to provide storage without sacrificing floor space, take advantage of wall-mounted shelves. Besides saving space, they allow your employees to reach the items they need quickly. Workers can also display items for fun space personalisation.

Improve your cable management

One of the issues with having many computers in your office is the number of cables you have to deal with. Your cable management strategy should be good enough if you want to prevent them from giving your office a cluttered look.

As you know, clutter isn't ideal for small spaces.

Labelling your cables is recommended not only for organisation purposes but also for avoiding confusion or accidental technical disasters while your employees are working. Cable trays underneath the desk are another super handy tool since they keep cables hidden in a secure and safe position.

Keep up with technological advancements

Embrace technology advancements in your small office to maximise space. For instance, go for laptops instead of desktops requiring substantial and bulky computer stands and desks. The use of notebook computers also means fewer cables.

A more mobile monitor is also worth considering to allow your employees to make the most of their slim and compact desks. All you need is to put monitors on an adjustable arm, so your workers can move them out of the way when they require more space.

Investing in wireless charging stations and video conferencing technology is also a good idea. Add them to your workstations for maximising space and facilitating a smart working environment.

Final thoughts

One way to ensure you can continue to generate revenue without wasting money on the place you and your employees go to work is by maximising your office space. A limited workspace can be the perfect avenue if you apply the abovementioned tips and combine them with a bit of creativity.