Expanding your office space is one way to improve productivity among workers. It’s also a milestone for a company as a sign of growth and positive changes. This step also indicates how well you value the comfort of your on-site employees.
Site expansion is expected for growing businesses. As you hire new employees, you’ll need a larger room to enhance operations’ efficiency and maintain workers’ safety. However, this can be a major challenge. To help your workplace match your company’s success, here are six easy ways to expand your office space.
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Add A Modular Office
Adding modular offices is a practical solution to your worksite expansion. It allows you to keep the operations undisturbed while creating additional workspaces nearby. It’s convenient and time- and cost-efficient.
One practical option is building a modular office from a shipping container. Shipping containers are rigid structures, perfect for any weather conditions. You may also insulate them to reduce the noise and keep the space quiet and conducive for tasks that require heightened focus. They’re also stackable for convenient and low-cost expansion in the future.
Another great alternative is engineered modular offices. Modular office buildings, such as ones from MPH Building Systems, come flat-packed and assembled on-site for at least a couple of hours, depending on the size. They are similar to modular houses with customizable configurations to fit your office needs.
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Change The Office Layout
If adding and building another structure for offices isn’t the most practical choice for your business, you may change the current office layout instead. Office floor planning significantly impacts traffic and productivity. Optimizing it can help you maximize the available space and boost employee productivity.
Changing the office layout can be challenging, so it’s best to hire an architect to develop the best space solutions. The first step is to get a copy of the floor plan and mark the busiest areas or the spots that receive the most foot traffic. You may rearrange the desks and appliances to give enough room for movement and avoid obstructions.
Moreover, you may add room partitions to redirect traffic from office spots that need to be kept quiet at all times. Choose dividers that let light pass through to avoid compromising space visibility. You may also request a 3D render of the new layout to visualize the space and evaluate its suitability for your business.
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Choose Space-Saving Furniture
One common problem in office spaces is picking bulky desks, drawers, and cabinets that disturb efficient workflows. Choosing space-saving furniture pieces can help you maximize the full potential of the current office.
Thinner desks and large shared tables are perfect examples of space-saving furniture. You may also maximize the space under them to add moveable drawers or shelves. Modular office tables are also a smart option if you’re looking for flexibility. These desks can be put together to create a big table for collaborative tasks and meetings and can be separated for individual work.
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Build Smart Storage
Sometimes, office expansion doesn’t have to involve building new workspaces. If your office lacks storage, creating one can solve the problem. This way, you’ll have more space for desks and chairs and less clutter.
One of the smartest and most cost-efficient ways to expand your office space is to build smart storage. Having a designated spot to store files, appliances, and miscellaneous items improves efficiency better than separating and placing them in individual desk drawers.
Furthermore, an efficient storage system frees up space for improved foot traffic. It’s an excellent solution to a minor office expansion.
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Create Flexible Workspaces
Keeping each employee’s work habits in mind during your office expansion is one way to show how much you value them. One way to do it is to create flexible workspaces to cater to their individual preferences.
Some employees function better in a room open for socialization, while some prefer to work alone. Creating flexible workspaces like a lounge area to work on their laptop and collaborate with their teammates and quiet private spaces for better focus on individual tasks.
Utilizing individual and holistic approaches to expanding your office space makes the job easier and more enjoyable. It can also save time and resources since you no longer need to set up a secluded desk for each employee.
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Declutter And Organize
Never skip decluttering and organizing before you decide to expand your office space. As you realize how much room is wasted with clutter, you can see the full potential of the current worksite with proper layout and organization.
Decluttering and organizing should start in your storage areas. Sometimes, storerooms are filled with unusable items and appliances you need to dispose of, which is a common issue in older offices.
When the clutter is cleared, you may convert and renovate these old storage areas as new offices. It’s a cost-efficient solution to office expansion since renovating existing rooms is more affordable and convenient than building additional offices from scratch.
Conclusion
Expanding your office space shows how much your business has grown. Instead of looking at it as a problem, you may take it as an opportunity to utilize everyone’s creativity to develop practical solutions.
