If you are a small business owner, it is imperative to find ways to be cost-efficient. Cutting down on square footage is certainly one way to do that, and when you do not have a huge amount of office space to operate in, learning to use each and every inch efficiently is a huge part of the challenge of saving those pennies.
Thankfully, this challenge does not have to also be a burden. By following a few simple guidelines about how to keep your office space as tidy and minimalistic as possible, and by keeping up with the maintenance of materials that are only around when you need it, it is a satisfying endeavor to really get the most of your small working area and thrive as a cost-cutting entrepreneur.
With that in mind, here are some practical tips on how to keep your office well maintained and organized for the optimal work environment. No matter the location of your office space in Fitzrovia or Frankfurt and regardless of how much space you actually have to work with, read on to learn about office space efficiency.
The Principle of Verticality
If it has ever occurred to you that it is simply impossible to put all the stuff you need around you, either on your desk or in your cubicle, you may be right. Or perhaps you are not thinking about how to use your space the right way. That is because you can double or triple your space by simply repurposing your empty walls as extra storage.
Picking up wall-mountable shelves or built-in wall storage can alleviate your immediate elbow room from being too cramped; one only needs the essential items around them for the most urgent purposes. An added perk to this is that your immediate work environment feels less cluttered and is more presentable for guests.
Flexible Work Schedule Implementation
This applies to management principles, if that is indeed something you can control and have a say in. If all employees do not need to occupy the same space at the same time, then think outside the box to make some scheduling changes so that people do not all have to be at the office together.
Some ideas include implementing a shift system, turning to the cloud to let people work from home, or going with a flexi-time schedule to turn that cramped space into something with a little more breathing room.
Take Advantage of Crowdsharing
Why limit crowdsourcing ideas to only ride-sharing and house-sharing? With supplies readily available on the market like all-in-one printers, fax machines and copiers, this cuts down on the footprint of your devices and frees up space for everyone who uses them.
The general rule is, the newer the machine, the smaller the space needed, so invest in something that makes sense for your office space!
Regular Housecleaning
This one is important;out with the old, in with the new. Things you do not need to have on hand can be digitized pretty easily, while shelving the folders and files that need to be on hand can be put on wall-mountable shelves. And never be afraid to throw stuff that you don’t necessarily need out.
When it comes to office space, it makes sense to maximize every square inch of space as doing so has so many benefits – from making the inhabitants of the office happier to increasing productivity and improving the general mood of everyone that enters the area, it’s not just about saving space.
Photo credit: Lidia Varesco Lacoma / Pinterest
