How to optimise your small office space

Bulky filing cabinets and draws filled with work from over 6 months ago are probably not doing your business or work environment any good. With the advent of paperless technology and cloud computing, there is no need for most professionals to hold onto their paper files. Invest in a few hard drives and purchase additional cloud storage and enjoy your newfound space.

Putting post-it note on important files has always been a recipe for disaster. Luckily in our highly mediated modern world there are several new options for reminding oneself of important deadlines, dates and files. Smartphone calendars are very effective in planning ahead for events such as the iPhone calendar and Google Now. 

There are also 3^rd party applications such as Evernote which not only reminds you of dates of deadlines but connects scanned, photographic or typed information surrounding the reminder so that you are not fussing about trying to find the receipt or invoice. Take advantage of modern calendars and storage systems to liberate your office from the bulk of storage equipment and the stress of finding paper documents.

If you share desk space with other workers then it is unlikely that your office will be a suitable place to meet clients. If you are in a serviced office or virtual office serviced office or virtual office take advantage of the meeting rooms for a professional and private meeting.

Cafes and restaurants are a fantastic way of meeting your clients particularly if the mood is informal. It is a break from the office for both you and your client and a way of showing off your local knowledge. Have a look at our blog about the fantastic food options in Crows Nest if your office is in the area for some ideas for your next business lunch.

While everyone aspires to a clean uncluttered office environment the most rudimentary way to approach that is to remove everything you don’t need to do your job. This may sound simple but unless you are a true minimalist you are undoubtedly holding onto something you don’t need. 

Take everything away then add back in things you think are essential such as photos or your child’s pre-school drawing and endeavour to keep your space clean. Perhaps one of the benefits of working amongst others is that you do not want to get the reputation of the office grub. Keeping your office in order will make it feel more spacious.

This applies to your computer space too. If you are guilty of cluttering up your browser with tabs, you need to find a better online note storage system. Traditional bookmarks are good for this or the more advance online version called Diigo. Diigo is a free online note-taking interface that allows you to bookmark, highlight, make notes and tag your webpages. If for example you were researching serviced office options and wanted to revisit your searches, simply bookmark your page with the tag #servicedoffice, then when you access your Diigo account all your bookmarked pages will be be archived under the tag saving all of your notes and highlights.

Delicious is another bookmarking website that offers a similar service. Though this tip is purely for mental organisation – feeling in control of your space will greatly improve your feelings towards your office.

While a plant isn’t going to make your office feel any bigger it has been proven by NASA scientists to improve your working environment through purifying the air of carbon dioxide and other pollutants helping relieve headaches and improve productivity. Earth911 website has made a list of five excellent office plants that wont take up too much space or require much or any sunlight. If you think your cactus/succulent/wax plant will make the perfect office partner be warned! While these plants require almost no water they can’t live without sunlight so only bring them to work if you are close to a window.

Unless you have particularly heinous office neighbours the physical space you are in does not have to affect your work. A change of habits and a change of attitude can do far more than an extra square metre for your work enjoyment and productivity. Excen provides serviced office and virtual office options with incredibly flexible office space sizes. There is nothing wrong with starting small, particularly in a serviced office as you are keeping your overheads down in order to grow your business in other ways.