Having the right office space can be crucial to the success of your business. Setting up an office takes more than just finding a location or building to rent and furnishing it with furniture and equipment for people to use. Most of us spend the majority of our lives at work, so you really should spare a thought about your workers’ comfort. Happy workers are productive workers, and having an office layout that fosters comfort, and some happiness can do wonders for employee performance and your company’s bottom line.
Your office layout should reflect your company’s values
When setting up your office, keep in mind that it is not just a building full of people, but it is also part of your company’s image and brand. In this way, offices can be quite a business tool. Your office should reflect your company’s core values, with the design elements reflecting or reinforcing the brand and culture of your company. How you design the layout of your office space can speak volumes about the business you run.
Different types of layout
Office space designs have changed over the years. People used to strive for their own little office where they could sit and work alone, but that poses problems for companies that want to encourage collaboration between employees – and so the open office layout became popular. The benefit of creating an open space is that it encourages interaction and demonstrates that the company values openness and transparency. Office design trends are constantly changing and evolving, however, and open floor layouts have evolved to become more like living spaces and less like cubic bullpens. They can be adapted in a hundred different ways, however, so you need to decide which layout will work best for you before you start moving furniture and equipment in.
Furnishings and equipment
The equipment you need will depend on the kind of business you are running. Decide on the items that you really need to run the company. If efficiency and productivity are important to you (and let’s face it, who is it not important too?), you need to think about getting the latest smart technology, particularly in terms of computers, phones, printers, Multifunction devices, and more. You also need to think about the systems you will run and what technology these will need, for example, the bandwidth of Wi-Fi. There are a number of suppliers in Dubai who offer a one-stop service with all the information you need about how to set up an office.
Consider where each employee will work. How will the workspaces be arranged? Determine if space will allow for one or two collaboration workstations or standing desks. Is a healthy workplace important to you? Maybe you want to think about getting in a treadmill desk even! Consider the fact that your employees probably spend all day sitting in their chairs and choose quality, ergonomically correct chairs and furniture. The desks should be big enough to accommodate the computer and still have room to spread work around.
As you can see, there is more to setting up an office than most people think. Clients are influenced by first appearance impressions, and if your office makes an impression, then you have won half the battle – the next important step is designing an office that your people would look forward to spending time in…
For any questions about equipment requirements or recommended business processes in UAE, feel free to contact one of our experienced team members.
