How to make sure your office space is a great working environment

Whether it’s a traditional office, a serviced office or a home office, the way your office looks and feels is hugely important for three reasons. Firstly, it’s where you realise your dreams and drive your company forward; secondly, it’s the public face of your company; and thirdly, it’s also a home away from home – for both you and your staff.

The best and most productive offices achieve a good balance between home comforts and a professional business image. So if you are starting out in a new office, or you’re looking to revitalise your existing office space, here are some tips for getting the best out of it.

Add some colour

To an extent, your office should reflect the type of work you do. For conservative lines of work like accounting, banking and legal services, neutral colours tend to be a good fit. For more creative offices, like photographers, copywriters and graphic designers, take a more vibrant approach and warm up the space with lively, vivid colours and patterns. Think about how to incorporate your company’s branding in the process.

Look for cheap office furniture or office furniture alternatives

Buying a whole office furniture set – even from a discount furniture store – can set you back thousands of pounds in some cases. Look for bargains on individual pieces of a similar style and colour, because often people won’t notice that the furniture isn’t part of a set, and often it’ll be a lot cheaper.

You might also consider purchasing furnished serviced office space, because then you don’t need to worry about furniture at all. Send Business Centre offers both furnished and unfurnished low cost serviced office space options in Surrey, on the Woking/Guildford border. Send BC also offers fully furnished and equipped meeting rooms for hire, self-storage units and warehouses to let, all available on easy-in, easy-out terms and within easy reach of the M25.

Get rid of office clutter

Office clutter is both a symptom and a cause of being disorganised. But it happens in a lot of offices nevertheless. Over time, most businesses acquire huge amounts of paper, and not all businesses keep on top of it.

But if you set aside a few minutes a day to file documents, and to sort out office clutter as you go, there will be much less of a backlog of organisation to do. You’ll quickly find that an uncluttered, tidy office makes you feel more organised, more energised and improves your productivity.

The importance of light and layout

Aesthetics have a huge impact on productive business environments. You need to consider carefully how you use lighting and where you place furniture in your office, because it can impact how happy and energised you and your staff are.

When it comes to arranging desks in an open plan office, you want a balance between personal privacy, the ability to concentrate, and communication and friendly conversation with co-workers. You might want to turn off harsh fluorescent lights and have some more indirect lighting, like lamps and task lights, to give the office a more ambient, homely, comfortable feel. And always take advantage of windows and natural light, because natural light – even if it’s raining – generally has a positive impact on people’s moods. On the other hand, a lack of light or windows can create a stuffy, murky, claustrophobic atmosphere that’s not conducive to productive working.

Showcase local artwork

One thing you might not have thought of is inviting local artists to display their artwork in your office, such as paintings, sculptures and photographs. You get to add some colour and style to your office for free, while at the same time you are giving artists exposure and a place to showcase their work. Doing this can brighten your office space, enhance your company’s branding, and expand your company’s marketing message to a new audience. It can also help leave a far greater impression on guests and customers who visit your office, as opposed to when your walls were bare.

Ergonomic Issues

The whole ‘home away from home’ status of an office means that you and your staff have to be comfortable, and your working environment has to be safe and healthy. Make sure you consider ergonomics when selecting office furniture, because back pain, eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome can lead to plunging productivity and morale. Things like keyboard trays, track-ball pointers and ergonomic chairs that offer good back support can be vital aids to those employees who need them.

The importance of a decent view

Not every office is lucky to have a decent view from its windows. Most businesses get to look out over a high-street, which is a lot better than looking out at an alleyway, a fence or a brick wall. Being able to see some distance ahead from a window is also good for morale and productivity, as it reduces the feeling of being closed in.

But at Send Business Centre, you don’t get a high street, or an alleyway, or a brick wall. Serviced offices at Send benefit from views of the lush and beautiful Surrey countryside and the River Wey Navigation Canal, and yet they are only a five minute walk from local amenities.

For more information about what Send BC can offer, call 01483 225617 or email enq@sendbc.co.uk.