Between switching to a hybrid or mostly remote work force and digitizing records for a variety of reasons, many companies are now finding that they have more than a little extra office space.
What to Do with Empty Office Space?
Before you do anything else, figure out if existing employees need more space. A simple change like offering employees a bit more room to do their jobs can be a benefit in a very competitive hiring environment and promote goodwill among your employees. Since many employees are reticent to return to crowded offices, acknowledging that by giving employees more room to breathe is sure to be a hit – and it helps slow or deter the spread of germs… whether they're from colds, flu, or COVID.
Another option to consider is offering to create an employee lounge or break room that is a bit more comfortable than the standard lunchroom. After two years of working from home, many employees have embraced the use of a power nap to improve afternoon productivity. Forbes suggests that employers promote this behavior to increase the amount of work done in a workday.
Other suggestions for using newly opened up office space include creating a hot desk for employees who primarily work from home but occasionally need to come into the office. Or even offering the space for rent to small startups.
How Do I Maximize Space in the Office?
If you have downsized your office footprint, or just want to think about freeing up some office space, the keys to minimizing your space needs are to think vertically and to eliminate unnecessary space hogs.
When you decide to go paperless, you free up a large portion of space in your office. Even all-in-one-printer and copier combinations take up a large footprint. When you add filing cabinets and storage areas for the paper records you produce, you need even more space. You also need space for storing paper, toner, and other supplies related to paper records.
American Express suggests you also think vertically – using wall space or desk hutches to keep needed supplies and materials within reach. Many storage devices also fit neatly underneath a desk, allowing your employees to keep their work surface cleared for actual work.
Clear Design promoted maximizing your workspace by creative use of conference rooms. While most companies need a place to hold conferences, few use them every day. To make the most of that space, use cabinets or shelving in the conference room to store things you need to have on hand but not at your fingertips.
How Do I Make More Space?
If your office is in need of more space, there are a lot of things to consider as ways to improve or add more storage without adding actual square footage.
Start by thinking about what you absolutely need in the office and what can be moved to an alternate location. Things like paper shredders, copiers, and printers can be moved to a shared space like a conference room.
Make use of wall space and vertical space with things like desk hutches and shelving.
And then, eliminate the things you don’t need… like paper. Moving to a paperless office saves you money and space. Instead of spending money on ink, toner, and paper, you can spend it on providing better service to your customers. Instead of losing half your desk to a printer and storage space to boxes and boxes of paper, records, and receipts… you can devote your office space to being an office.
Storage Quarters Can Help You Find More Space in Your Office!
With our digitization and document management services, we can eliminate the need for paper archives of client records, sales, and anything else you might need to hold on to. With our help, you can streamline to a digital office and have more space for the things you actually need. Call us today to start reclaiming your office space.