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Tips To Help You Set Up An Office For Your New Hybrid Business
Starting a new business can be an exciting but expensive venture, and the costs will significantly increase when you need to find a suitable office space. However, if you are choosing a hybrid model for your business, you may not need to get as big an office space, and there are ways that you can reduce the costs of fitting out your new workplace.
With creativity and thinking outside the box, you can create the ideal working environment for your hybrid business to help it flourish and become a resounding success. Below are some tips you can use to help you achieve this and ensure you do not break the bank.
Find The Ideal Location
You may dream of having a central location for your office in the heart of everything, with many amenities on your doorstep. However, you will pay for this privilege, and it can be expensive, so you are best moving further away from the centre of the town or city where you live. You may not have as many amenities on your doorstep, but your rent can be significantly lower, so it is worth moving further out of town.
You want to ensure adequate parking facilities and transport links to your chosen location are available to help your employees when travelling to the office.
Negotiating Your Rental Contract
You must remember to negotiate your rental contract when you find somewhere suitable for your hybrid business and see if you can get them to reduce the rent or throw in some extras for the price you pay. It is hard to know where the business will be in a few years, but the longer the rental agreement you make, the more flexible the terms are, so it is worth looking at longer contracts if possible. Once you have found the perfect office space and negotiated a suitable contract for your business, you must consider fitting out your new workplace.
Fitting Out Your Office Space
Fitting out a new office space can be expensive, and you will want to reduce the costs as much as possible. If you are in an older office that has plaster walls, rather than replastering them, consider making a dry-lining wall instead. Installing dry lining takes less time and effort than traditional plaster, so it can also help save money for your business.
You can also install a suspended ceiling, which will reduce the height of the ceiling and make it easier to heat during winter, potentially saving money on energy bills, especially if you add insulation to the ceiling. Adding as much insulation as you can to your office’s floors, walls, and ceiling can help reduce your energy usage and save your new business money, so it is an investment worth making.
Furnishing Your Office Space
As your business is a hybrid and not all employees will be in the office simultaneously, you do not need to have enough furniture for all employees and can use a hot desking model. Flexibility is key in a hybrid office environment, and you want to choose modular and ergonomic furniture that can adapt to different work setups.
Adjustable desks and chairs, workstations, and movable partitions allow you to create configurations that cater to individual and collaborative work. There are many options of ergonomic furniture for your office that are flexible and would suit your needs, and shopping around will show you the many options available.
Embrace Natural Light
You want to have as much natural light as possible to help create a comfortable working environment in your new office space. Natural light can help people concentrate, increase productivity, boost employee well-being, and increase energy levels. Ensure your windows are not obstructed and have desks and workstations close to them.
You will also need electric lights in your office for darker times of the year, and using energy-efficient LED lights is an excellent option to consider. You may pay a little more for LED lights, but they use less power and last longer, so they are a cost-saving alternative, and if you get Smart bulbs, you can adjust the light using your phone or computer.
Decorating Your New Space
Another vital aspect of your new hybrid office is how you will decorate it; the colour scheme is an important factor to consider. Colours affect us in different ways, and some are listed below:
- Red: Red colours can stimulate employees, but too much can cause anxiety
- Yellow: Yellow colours can boost productivity and energise employees
- Green: Green can create a relaxing atmosphere in your office
- Blue: Blue has a calming effect and can also boost productivity
- Orange: Shades of orange can increase productivity and promote high employee activity
Before deciding on the colour scheme of your office, research the different effects of colours and select ones suitable for the type of work your business does. Follow the tips above, and you can create the ideal hybrid office environment to help your employees and business succeed.
