If you have got to the point in your startup when you can afford an office, you are already doing well. Moving your team into a permanent space is quite exciting, and it is a huge milestone for you and your company. When you start to plan your office, you need to think about functionality. How are things going to work? Don’t make the mistake of choosing items because they look good. You likely have a small budget to furnish your office, and so you need to choose things that will help you to run your company. Here are some important things that every startup office needs.
A comfortable meeting area
In your new office, you need two separate areas; a meeting area and a working area. There will be times when you need to call group meetings and talk to your staff. Make sure that you have a separate area in which to hold meetings. When you try to have meetings in the main office area, you will find it difficult to hold people’s attention.
A fantastic air conditioning system
During the summer, offices tend to get super hot. Sometimes, the heat inside the room can be unbearable. If you expect people to work long hours every day, you need to make sure that your office is cool. Ensure that you get an AC system so that your employees can work in comfort when it gets hot. Call a local company and see whether they can help you out. Getting your system now will mean that you don’t have to wait during the summer. An air conditioning business in St. Louis says that spring and summer are their busiest seasons. If you can beat the crowds, you will do yourself a massive favor.
An efficient office layout
When you are planning your office, you need to make sure that the floor plan is suitable for work. Open-plan office spaces are contemporary, but can often cause problems in the workplace. You might be better off sectioning off different areas of your room so that people have privacy while they work. That way, you will not have to deal with office politics in your company.
Large windows
When you are getting a venture off the ground, you will spend hours and hours in your office. You should make sure that you look for offices with large windows. When you are working, it will help you to see the outside world. Many studies show that natural daylight helps people to work. If you are struggling to settle down to work on particular projects, being able to see an excellent view will help inspire you.
A pleasant visitor area
When people come to visit you at your office, you need to make sure that they get the right impression about your business. If you expect people to wait for you in your office, you will lose their respect. You want people to feel comfortable when they come to see you. You should create a visitor area in which people can wait to see you. Provide people with business magazines and literature so that they have something to read while they wait.
Printing and scanning machines
Some entrepreneurs think that there is no need for printing and scanning equipment. Although, most things are now digital, you still need some hard copies of documents. Invest in a printer scanner so that you can still use paper documents when you need to do so. It is worth investing in a quality machine that you know will not break. You can get some cheap machines online, but they don’t tend to be great.
