Psychologically, we tend to associate small with less, and in business when we are keen to make a good first impression the last thing we want for our staff or prospective clients are to lead them into a small and cramped office that exudes the scent of struggle.
That said, if you’re just starting out it’s wise to be frugal with your funds and not invest in fancy premises. In fact, many clients, staff and certainly investors will respect you for not feeling the need to go out and get fancy premises. It suggests you are more grounded in your start-up and are focused on what actually matters; creating value.
Here are three ways you can make the most out of a cramped office space.
Office Space Light
The phrase “dark and dingy” is a phrase for a reason; as the two seem to go hand in hand. When it comes to small spaces, you want as much natural light as possible, for the darker the space is the more small and claustrophobic it tends to feel.
Indeed, light is the key to making the most of a small space; you want to get in as much natural light as possible but also bounce the light you have around the room by painting the walls in white; this might, at first feel a little stark but it makes such a huge difference and will open up the space more than you can imagine.
Also, white walls are cool, have you ever noticed how most creative spaces such as art galleries and creative studios are white? They’re white for a reason, and in addition there’s plenty of studies that attest to how important light is to productivity.
UNCLUTTERED work space
The more cluttered an office space feels, even if it’s with useful things like books or perhaps a whiteboard on the wall with tons of writing scribbled over it, the smaller the space will feel, and if you have boxes lying around with product samples, for instance, whilst this might feel convenient you are significantly reducing the amount of space in your office and it will likely feel very cluttered and chaotic as a result.
Some people thrive in such clutter, but most people prefer a calm and relaxing environment to focus on their work. The challenge when working in a small office space is that it can be very easy for the space to feel cluttered… even if it’s not… and for this reason, a minimalist approach is often the way forward; even if this means putting some items into a storage unit.
Ikea (www.ikea.com) is a great place for innovative space saving furniture that is designed to fit in with contemporary small spaces.
COOL work space
The challenge with most small spaces is they often feeling stuffy and hot; heat seems to make every space feel smaller than it is, so for this reason, you’ll want to make the space as light and airy as possible.
Of course, painting the walls white will bounce light around the room in addition to reflecting rather than absorbing heat. The best tip here, however, is to stay on top of your air conditioning maintenance with a company like https://www.penair.com.au/ that can service your air conditioner; as just in the same way that our cars need to be serviced if we want them to run efficiently, our conditioning units require the same treatment.
