How to Furnish an Office on a Budget
For Advice Call Us, You Friendly Office Removalists in Melbourne
October 2017
If your business is booming, then relocating your office to a space better equipped to handle your expanding business activities in inevitable. Shopping for a new office space is an exciting time for a growing business, particularly if you’ve been a part of the business since its inception. Seeing rapid growth big enough to justify an office relocation spells an exciting new chapter for the business.
Before you get a bit too ahead of yourself, there are several factors that need to be carefully considered before relocating office:
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Location
Your new office location requires careful consideration. It must not only be suitable for clients to visit, but also for your staff members to get to and from easily each day. Also consider the surrounding infrastructure and facilities, as well as the security of the neighbourhood. It also pays to be in an area where similar businesses to yours are located.
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Size
If your business is expanding, you will obviously need more space, but how much more space? Is your business likely to continue to expand? If so, you should be looking at offices that are slightly larger than what you think you need, to account for continued growth and to avoid having to move again too soon after moving in.
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Facilities
What business are you in? Do you need space for a specialised studio? A commercial kitchen? Staff parking? How about storage? Talk to your staff and see if there are any facilities they think would be a great addition to the new office. They may suggest things like break out rooms, areas they can work with others or by themselves away from their desks.
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Technology
So you’ve found the perfect office space, but what if it doesn’t have the technological facilities your business needs? Inadequate power, heating, connectivity and cabling can seriously hinder productivity and efficiency, and result in significant installation costs.
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Furnishings
Moving into a new office is a great time to consider your current furnishings – do they reflect your brand and where your business is headed? If your furnishings are a little tired, your new growth is an excellent excuse to upgrade. This is also a great way to boost staff morale, especially if they can be part of the consultation process. New furnishings can also help foster a productive work environment, that your staff feel they can thrive in.
The way you furnish your new office will say a lot about your company, so it’s important to get it right. The office furniture and décor is your chance to make a firm statement about what your company stands for and what you’re capable of. But with all the costs associated with moving to a new office, especially a bigger office, how are new furnishings also supposed to fit into the budget?
Here’s how to furnish your new office on a budget:
1. Rent furnishings until you can afford to buy them
Renting office furniture offers great flexibility for a new office. This is a great short term solution, particularly if you don’t yet know how big your business is going to grow, and how many staff you’ll need to cater for. If your staff end up asking to work remotely, or with more flexible hours, you may find you won’t need as much furniture as you think you would, which will result in unused but paid for furniture. With rental furniture, you can just send the items back when they’re no longer needed, or rent them out to freelancers for extra money. Rental furnishings also require less money upfront, and less stress, so you can get back to focusing on your business.
2. Have an open plan office
Open plan office spaces foster greater collaboration amongst teams, and a better sense of synergy as opposed to individual offices with closed off walls. Instead of installing walls, consider partition screens. These will offer enough privacy while keeping costs down. Be sure to make a few more meeting rooms or private rooms available for staff to make personal phone calls.
3. Invest in a few statement pieces for the office
Rather than blowing the budget on all new furniture for the office, consider if there are items you can bring from your existing office to keep costs down, and instead splash out on a few statement pieces for the new office to invigorate the space. Perhaps a few pieces of art, or a new front desk, or even a foosball table for the team to enjoy during lunch breaks.
4. Ditch the lobby
Do you really need a reception area? And if so, does it need to be so big? While a lobby or reception area is your first moment to make an impression, it doesn’t need to be as big or grandiose as you think. Make your lobby inviting and tidy, but don’t blow the budget on it.
5. Buy some plants
Sometimes all it takes is a few nice plants scattered around the office to really lift the atmosphere. Plants can be cheap, and so can some decent pots to display them in, just be sure to water them so you don’t have to replace them!
Once you’ve secured your new office space, talk to John Ryan Removals for a customised office relocation plan. As the leaders in office removals in Melbourne, John Ryan Removals can help you get into your new office without disruption, so you can focus on your ever-growing business.
To find out more, contact our friendly team or request a free quote.