Whether you’re working out of a 100 square foot office for one or a sprawling 3,000 square foot shared suite, you want to use every inch efficiently. After all, inefficient use of office space can cost you money since you’ll end up paying for more space with less function.
These tips will help you get the most out of your office space and help you work more efficiently in the bargain.
Take the vertical challenge
Oftentimes when we think about organizing our offices we think about how to clear the clutter on our desks. We tend to focus on the horizontal surfaces while forgetting about vertical space. The smaller your office, the more valuable vertical space becomes.
Tall filing cabinets and bookcases are just the beginning. You can mount file sorters on the walls to keep essential documents organized and within reach.
Consider a rail-based shelving system for floor-to-ceiling storage. Keep day-to-day items close to desk level and knick-knacks or files you use less often on higher shelves.
You can even store office tools like scissors, tape, stamps and more on a peg board on the wall rather than letting them clutter up your desk. Add a stylish frame and these office essentials double as wall art.
Purge and consolidate
Cutesy storage options are all well and good, but they’re not very helpful if you have more stuff than your office can hold. Take a good hard look at everything in your office. Is it essential? Do you use it regularly? If it was stored down the hall or in a storage unit would you even notice it was gone?
Paper files are some of the biggest clutter makers in most offices. Yes. You need to keep tax-related records for seven years, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep them in your filing cabinet next to the bank statements. Consider boxing up old files and putting them into a storage unit, your garage, or a closet.
Offices tend to accumulate supplies. You keep five pairs of scissors (just in case) or that old laminator that you keep meaning to get fixed but you can’t find anyone who works on them. If it’s not essential and useful in the everyday running of your business, get rid of it. Donate it to a school or hand it off to office mates who can get more use out of it.
Digitize everything
We live in a digital world. There’s no reason to keep paper copies of everything. Instead, scan and digitize what you can. Just be sure that you make regular backups of your data. Several companies do this for a monthly fee. Or you can store your information in the cloud – it takes up zero space in your office.
Multi-functional and modular
Obviously, your desk and chair are essential pieces of office furniture. If you have other pieces, think about ways that you can make them do double duty. Consider file cabinets that double as guest seating or a meeting table that folds out from the wall.
Get a bigger office
Eventually, you will probably outgrow the office space you have despite your best organizational efforts. When you’re ready to move to a bigger space, call Jackie at College Park Executive Suites. Whether you need one office or five, she has a turnkey office solution for you.
