Choosing office space is a crucial decision that affects your company’s success through employee satisfaction and efficiency, as well as the perception of your business by clients. Whether you have a small business, a large corporation, or you are a freelancer, we have gathered the key points in this article to bring you one step closer to finding the right office space.
1. Location Matters
The importance of location cannot be overstated. Consider where your employees are coming from. The daily commute and its duration can be a decisive factor in motivating employees to come to the office. The smoothness of everyday life also affects the efficiency of the workday and work motivation. What about your clients?
Is the office centrally located, making it easy to reach from various directions? An impressive address is also an image factor for your company. A strategic location enhances the accessibility and usability of your business.
2. Cost-Effective Office Spaces
Evaluate how much space your company truly needs. Large spaces with minimal utilization are expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Find out if shared meeting rooms and collaborative spaces could offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution. Nowadays, flexible office spaces provide not only private offices
but also shared spaces such as meeting rooms, workshop areas, and comfortable lounge spaces. Office spaces with the option of using coworking facilities offer the opportunity for cost-effective expansion for your company. If your company has a significant remote work component, also consider whether each employee needs a dedicated desk or if flexible coworking spaces could meet this need. By assessing your company’s space requirements, you can optimize costs and resource utilization. When comparing different office spaces, pay attention to what the price includes and what services are covered. Does the price include cleaning, telecommunications, or are there potential move-in/move-out fees or other unexpected costs?
3. Company Image and Synergy
Your office space is a visible business card for your company. Consider what your clients see and experience when they arrive at your office. If possible, choose a space that aligns with your brand. The office, work community, and work environment can offer synergy with other companies, enabling the growth and development of your business. Consider what kind of synergy your company would benefit from: do you lack expertise in a particular industry, and could a neighboring company offer that, or is it ideal for your company’s development to be close to businesses in the same industry? The right kind of synergy can affect collaboration and networking opportunities for both business development and team well-being, especially for a small company, finding the right synergy nearby can be a significant advantage.
4. Efficient Workspace Design and Employee Preferences
An ideal office promotes employee satisfaction, interaction, and productivity. With the increase in remote work, modern office spaces aim to attract employees to collaborate, interact, build community, develop, and innovate. The office should also provide an environment suitable for various activities, where employees can thrive and support the efficient completion of tasks. Therefore, it is important to have dedicated spaces for different tasks: collaborative spaces, areas for quiet phone calls, and quiet spaces for deep thinking. It’s essential to consider employee opinions and working methods.
5. Necessary Services and Amenities
Evaluate your company’s needs regarding services and amenities. Consider services that affect the smoothness of workdays and time management, such as whether reception services are available, how cleaning is handled, and whether telecommunication connections are ready and support the devices and maintenance services your space requires. Factors affecting the comfort of the workday, such as nearby lunch restaurants, comprehensive and well-equipped kitchens, and break areas in your office, should also be considered.
6. Social Environment and Community
Working in a small company or as a freelancer can sometimes be lonely. Remote
work has also been found to cause isolation and loneliness. If you want to bring more people around you and your employees to combat loneliness and promote community, choose office space where you can meet and get to know people and be part of a community.
7. Impact of Workspace on Employer Brand
Attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for all companies. Invest in spaces that not only meet the functional needs of your company but are also aesthetically appealing. Well-designed and comfortable spaces promote employee satisfaction and create a positive impression on clients and partners.
8. Ecological Office Spaces Save the World
Office spaces can have a significant impact on a company’s carbon footprint. Choosing an ecological and flexible office space is a strategic move in line with environmental awareness. In an ecological office, sustainable choices are made, acquisitions are minimized through sharing spaces and equipment, and efforts are made towards environmentally friendly actions such as proper waste sorting and energy-efficient lighting. Choosing ecological spaces not only promotes the well- being of our planet but also enhances your company’s image as a socially responsible player. Consider choosing an office space that meets your business needs while leaving a positive ecological footprint, reinforcing your company’s commitment to a greener future. Certifications for ecological practices are also awarded to office spaces, and it’s worth checking for them.
Choosing the right office space requires consideration of many factors. However, it’s
worthwhile to make the effort by pre-considering responses to the points in this article and visiting spaces in person. Ideally, the right office space supports your company’s growth, brings synergy, acts as an impressive business card, combats loneliness, and enhances efficiency and well-being in workdays.
At VillageWorks, we are experts when it comes to office spaces. We are happy to discuss space-related matters with you. Call us for sales at +358 10 271 0671 or contact us, and we will get back to you soon.