Partner Article

Making the Most of Your London Office

You know that office space in the great city of London is at a premium, and you might think that will translate into a dull and tiny workspace. That couldn’t be further from the truth! There are a lot of different ways to inject life and organization into your office with just a few simple changes.

Make a Shared Lounge

Sometimes our best ideas come when we are relaxed and just chatting with coworkers about an issue that we are trying to tackle. Promote this on-the-spot solution creation by giving your office a comfortable space to meet informally. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a few chairs or a couch by a table. The point is to give them a break from staring at a computer screen in a stiff office chair. Maybe put a few plants around to incorporate inspirational natural elements into the space. Soon you’ll see employees taking a few moments to recharge, and you’ll likely overhear some pretty inspirational chatter. If the talk strays too far from work-related topics you may have to set some (light) ground rules to ensure the space is being used for its intended purpose.

Streamline Your Supplies

Every office needs backup supplies to make sure they meet their employee’s needs. Still, most offices overdo it when it comes to ordering and end up with a supply closet full of unused supplies. If you’ve ever walked into your office’s supply closet and seen a stack of unused notebooks and whiteboard markers tumbling all over the place, it’s time for an internal audit. Which supplies don’t you need, and which ones are you constantly running out of? Figure out what you use the most and only keep those things. Any special requests can be obtained later, but they don’t need to be taking up your precious space.

Create Fluid Workspaces

A lot of companies have employees with incredibly dynamic schedules. They’re often out on sales calls, traveling to far away meetings, or working from home. This means that while a traditional company would allocate one desk per employee, in a more modern company that’s probably pretty excessive. Instead, have free spaces for employees that come in and out of the office on erratic schedules. Make sure there are enough outlets for laptops, and desktops available for the people who need them. Typically, there won’t be much overlap and you’ll find better uses for the desk space that used to sit empty every day.

Invest in Good Storage

Some offices forget how important it is to stay organized. Have you ever searched high and low for a document from way back when the company was founded? If you’ve ever wished that things were easier to find, then stop stalling and start sorting! There are many companies that now create storage units and furniture that looks appealing while also doubling as high-quality storage solutions. Get enough storage to grow into as well, because as soon as everything fills up you will have to get more, or risk being in the same disorganized state again. It’s also important to remember to properly and clearly label all of the storage. One common mistake people make when trying to maximize their office space is simply hiding things from sight without having a clear organizational structure. A clear and easy-to-understand labeling system will go a long way.

Once your London office space has been redone to be more inviting and efficient, you will start to see your employees feel more comfortable at work. The less cluttered and chaotic the space, the more they can focus on doing the best work possible. Give your employees the calm and inspirational space they deserve, and you will start to see your London office thrive.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kelly Wilson .