Tag: office design

How to build a great office space for your first business

How to build a great office space for your first business

If you’re going to be running a business, it’s worth investing in a dedicated space from which to do so. Working from the sofa is all well and good if you’re stuck – but for long-term productivity, an office may be essential. Let’s show you how to go about building a great office space for your first business.

Set a budget

Your first step should be to determine how much you can realistically spend on the project. Your budget should cover everything from one-off set-up costs, like the investment in furniture, to ongoing ones like rent and utility bills.

Choose the space

Your choice of space should be informed mostly by its location and price. You’ll need something that fits within your budget, but that’s also located somewhere that you and your staff can easily reach. If you pick somewhere that’s too far out of the way, you might struggle to attract the new staff your business needs as it grows.

Plan your office layout

Working out the layout of your office in advance will save you hassle later on. Certain kinds of business will need different kinds of office layout. If you need private rooms to meet clients confidentially, then make sure that they’re built in. If you need plenty of storage, then going for a closed-off floor plan might be optimal.

Determine the essentials

If the wiring situation in the office isn’t up to scratch, you’ll need to get a few electricians around to give you a quote to sort it out. The same applies to other utilities such as water. If these things are already up to the required standard, it might be worth spending a little more in the short-term.

Buy office furniture

An office without furniture isn’t really an office at all. Ideally, all of your office furniture should be supportive and conducive to long-term health. After all, if you’re going to have employees laid off with back or neck problems, then skimping on chairs might not be such a good idea. Look at the furniture which delivers the most bang for your buck. Often, you can find these items by looking at liquidation sales, or for dedicated office furniture suppliers.

Secure your office

Keeping your premises secure is a necessity, particularly if you’re storing high-value items on the premises. If your budget allows for it, you might employ an overnight security team to keep the premises secure when you’re not there. Locks, alarms, cameras and other technologies might also play a role in your security strategy.

As well as thinking about physical security, you might also think about what you might do about digital threats. While this effort will mostly consist of educating your workforce (and yourself), the investment in digital security technologies might help to keep your data protected. This might mean thinking about where your server room is going to go, and how it’s going to get the required airflow.

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How you can create a stylish and functional modern office

How you can create a stylish and functional modern office

There’s a lot that goes into designing or redesigning an office space, and you want to know that what you get is what you’ll want to keep for the foreseeable future. To help you consider some of the intricacies and considerations that will be made throughout the process, Penketh Group take you through some of the things to keep in mind when planning your office fit out.

Open-plan, modern office

Create some room

Open plan offices are a popular option when it comes to creating contemporary office spaces. They can make an office feel more spacious and friendly, while also encouraging collaboration, which can help your staff work more efficiently.

In an open plan office, some of the most common complaints made by employees are over sound privacy, and noise level. Thankfully, there are some modern-looking and stylish ways that you can help keep noise at a manageable level, while maintaining a contemporary feel around the office.

You could place some colourful wall partitions around the office, which can be used to keep different teams grouped together within the office, facilitating collaboration, while reducing noise level. Acoustic wall panels are another great option. They can be an integral part of your office’s design, while keeping noise at a manageable level throughout the office.

Colourful office partitions

However, a fully open plan office could likely benefit from some smaller individual offices, to help staff working on a tight deadline to focus in comfort and privacy. Instead of conforming to a stereotypical office.

Set out some individual work areas that provide a balance between comfort and functionality. Keep it enclosed so employees can work undisturbed, but keep it colourful and bright so they don’t feel demoralised. Many employees often feel like they need to take a break from their usual workspace once in a while, so the change of scenery can help keep them motivated.

Modern office in vintage industrial interior

Make it unique

You could design your office around certain themes and commitments that you’ve built your business around, which help reinforce those commitments in the minds of your customers, staff and competitors.

For example, if sustainability is something that’s important to you and your business, look for furniture made from recycled materials, allow a lot of natural light into the building, and place plants liberally around the office.

Plants dotted around an open-plan office

Or you might decide instead that cutting-edge technology and innovation is what defines your business. So you’d include video-conferencing facilities, touch-screen PCs, and a variety of entertainment gadgets for staff on their break, while designing the office with a minimalist and sleek look. The addition of such technology will help encourage collaboration and efficiency in the workspace, while helping to define your brand image further.

Whatever you decide that your business and office space needs the most, you’re sure to be left with an office that meets your needs perfectly, especially when it’s designed in collaboration with industry experts who know exactly how to help you the most.

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