Downsizing to a smaller office doesn’t have to mean cramming your team into a shoebox. Whether you’re cutting your costs, you’re choosing to embrace hybrid work, or you just realise that you don’t need quite as much space as you once did, moving to a smaller office can be a great opportunity to streamline and simplify things.
And hey, if you’ve got stuff you’re not quite ready to part with, storage units can be lifesavers for stashing it all until you figure it out. Before you start elbowing your Co workers for desk space, here are some tips to make the transition smoother and more enjoyable.
Declutter
The very first rule of downsizing is not to bring more than you need. Go through your office furniture, supplies and equipment with a critical eye. The clunky filing cabinets from 2008 can probably go. Broken chairs, outdated technology and anything gathering dust can be sold, donated or responsibly recycled. Fewer things means fewer stress opportunities and fewer things to trip over.
Rethink your layout
Smaller spaces don’t have to mean cramped spaces. Being smart with your layout means that even the compact offices out there can feel more open and efficient. Multi-purpose furniture, flexible seating and communal workspaces can really make a difference. There are the opportunities for you to have desks with built in storage, foldable tables that maximise every square inch and if you can involve the team in the layout planning, all the better. You’d be surprised how many clever ideas are out there if you just ask.
Embrace the cloud
When your physical office shrinks, digital space becomes your best friend. You can go paperless where possible by scanning and storing the documents in the cloud rather than have them stacked up. Swap your filing cabinets for cloud storage and physical memos for project management tools. Not only will this free up your space, but it also makes collaboration much easier, especially if your team.Working partly remotely. Plus no one misses the office printer, let’s be honest.
Zone your office
Having different zones for different tasks keeps things running smoothly. It’s all about streamlining and it’s quite a corner for focus work. A small meeting area and a breakout space can do wonders for both morale and productivity. You don’t need walls, just some creative furniture placements, maybe a plant or two, and a shared understanding that the coffee table corner is not for conference calls.
Keep it light and bright
Even in a small office, lighting can completely change how the space feels. Natural light with big windows is the best option, but if you don’t have that sort of lighting coming in, then use bright warm lighting to keep things cheerful. Mirrors, light coloured walls and minimalist decor can also help to make the space feel much larger than it is. You get bonus points for adding a few plants.
Downsizing to a smaller office doesn’t mean your business is shrinking or less successful. It just means you need less space.Â