Whether you’re operating out of a small office with just a few employees or managing a large, bustling workspace, it’s important to make sure your office space plan is efficient and comfortable. Everyone needs to be able to do their job effectively, and that includes having the right environment and layout. Let’s take a look at how you can create an effective office space plan.

Think About Your Employees’ Needs

When planning your office space, it’s important to consider the needs of your employees. Are your team members spread out in cubicles or working in an open-plan office? Do you have meeting spaces for collaboration? Does everyone have enough room to work comfortably? Taking the time to think about these questions ahead of time can save a lot of headaches down the road.

Make Sure Your Employees Have Access to Natural Light

Natural light is essential for productivity and wellbeing, so make sure that your employees have access to natural light during the day. If possible, try to position desks near windows or other sources of natural light—this will give your staff a much-needed boost during those long days at the office. Additionally, make sure that there are plenty of desk lights available if needed.

Knowing How Much Space Each Employee Needs

It’s important to know exactly how much space each employee needs in order to be productive and comfortable. Therefore, it is essential to provide each employee with their own desk and chair. This will help them feel more secure and productive throughout the day. And if you need more flexibility with space allocation, consider investing in adjustable furniture such as sit/stand desks or folding chairs that can be tucked away when not in use.

Collaboration Spaces

Allowing space for collaboration areas is key to enhancing the quality of teamwork in the company. Office collaboration spaces allow employees to work together in an efficient and productive manner. Not only this but they are great for creating a sense of community within the workplace.

By providing a space that is designed to encourage team-building and open discussion, organizations can promote innovation and problem-solving among their staff members. Employees have the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other without feeling constrained by time or the formal structures of traditional meetings.

This not only leads to better solutions but also helps foster stronger relationships between co-workers. An office collaboration space can be an invaluable asset for any business looking to boost morale, establish a culture of trust, and foster creative thinking amongst its staff members.

Creating an efficient office space plan doesn’t have to be difficult—it just takes some careful consideration ahead of time. Think about what kind of layout would best suit both your business’s goals and your employees’ needs. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way towards creating an efficient office space plan that works for everyone!

Contact Us

Are you looking to refresh your office design? Why not do so in the cash flow and tax efficient way? Get your office renovation financed by the experts, give us call today on 01494 506 385, or send an email to hello@fitout.finance.

Read more on how to effectively plan for your office refresh here.

The look and feel of a workspace has a bigger impact on employees, visitors, and your brand image than you may think.

Colour is also a key contributor to the atmosphere of an office. So, in this blog we will be taking a closer look at the psychological effects of different colour schemes in the workplace.

Things to think about…

Focus on company culture, what message do you wish to convey through the design of this space?

Each colour has different psychological effects on the human brain. So, it is also important to factor in your objectives. For example, the objective for the office area might be to maximise productivity, the meeting room to inspire, and the breakout room to relax.

Go green and make them beam…

For many, green has connotations of nature. A fun fact about the colour green is that our nervous system doesn’t have to work as hard to perceive the colour green because it has been so far engrained into our lives since the days of hunter-gatherers.

So, because our receptors don’t have to work as hard to see green, it frees up more energy and brain power for creative thinking.

Studies have also shown that the colour green relaxes people. This could be due to its strong ties with nature that create positive and healthy connotations.

Green evokes feelings of:

• Calm
• Creativity
• Positivity

Blue: a background go-to

Blue can be easily misconstrued as a melancholy shade. But in reality, blue has been proven to promote thinking, creativity, and performance whilst also having a calming effect.

However, be careful in not making the area too institutionalized, try injecting contrasting accents to counteract any cold or hostile feelings that the blue alone might give off.

Blue evokes feelings of:

• Serenity
• Tranquillity
• Cold

Did you know?

The presence of blue in a room has also been found to lower blood pressure.

Bring calm to your office with purple

Much like its primary counterpart, purple has a soothing effect on the brain. Not only does it have a relaxing effect, but it also evokes connotations of luxury. Not only this, but purple can also be associated with wellness, so it could be the perfect colour for your modern-age office yoga suite. Or even for your employee break out room! Although, perhaps purple isn’t the best colour choice for a workspace as it may have the adverse effect to productivity.

Purple evokes feelings of:

• Calm
• Peace
• Luxury
• Mystery

Controversial red

Red can be an effective accent colour when used within reason as it emits a feeling of warmth to a room. However, you want to avoid going overboard with this colour as too much red can cause some people headaches. So, if you want to create a warm and inviting environment without the risk of being too intense, why not opt for orange as an accent instead?

Red evokes feelings of:

• Warmth
• Anger
• Sensuality

Factor in Furniture

Furniture is also key to the look and feel of your office, and you want your colour scheme and furniture to align or compliment each other. So, when trying to achieve a clean and modern look for your workspace, perhaps consider ditching those 30-year-old chesterfield sofas you’ve had kicking about for yonks. Because there’s nothing worse than a mismatched interior.

Contact Us

Are you looking to give your workspace a refresh? If so, why not do it the cash flow friendly way? Give us a call on 01494 506 385, or send an email to hello@fitout.finance and we can help you give your office a facelift without compromising your cash flow.

No clear solution to this question

Here at Fit Out Finance we know that every office fit out is different and tailored to you and your business. In this blog, we ask the question of whether open plan offices are defeating productivity. We know that for many of our clients, open plan offices are a way of modernising their workplaces. It creates a new sense of life into their working environment. See here for how else you can modernise your workplace. Open plan offices can create a feeling of togetherness and can in some cases boost creativity and conversations. It allows people to not have physical walls or borders between them. It also means all parts of an office can work together easier. However, despite these advantages there are arguments against introducing more open plan workplaces. If you would like to find out more, then please read on.

What does an open plan office do to your business?

According to a study by World Economic Forum “office noise created by open plan offices increased the negative mood of employees by 25%”. This is a huge proportion of people who say they are negatively affected as a direct result of working in an open plan office. This study was also carried out in only 8 minutes, meaning that in real life, the results could have been a lot worse. This shows that although there is still a need for large open plan areas, there needs to be a bit of both. As increase in technology may have also played a part in if open plan offices are defeating productivity. This is because there are less face to face interactions and more typing and emailing from across a room. This kills creativity which leads to decreased productivity.

As mentioned above the need for both collaborative and independent working areas may be the best solution. It may be more costly to add these 2 things to your office fit out. However, if it’s going to give your office more differentiation, it will be worth it. If you would like information on what other finance options are out there for you, then please contact us using the details below. At a time when there is a drive for recruitment too, having something that sets you apart is essential. This could be it!

Therefore there is no clear solution to this issue. However, as mentioned at the beginning of this blog, open plan offices have both their advantages and disadvantages. Get in touch with us below about how we can help finance your next fitout project. Whether that be a collaborative or independent space!

Contact Us

If you would like more information on whether open plan offices are defeating productivity, then head over to our contact page on our website to speak to a member of our team. Furthermore, if you would like to talk to us over the phone then please call 01494 506 385 or email hello@fitout.finance. You can also see more over on our LinkedIn page.

Below are 4 steps to an office refurbishment success. In this blog we will cover how to make your next project count. It will include how to budget well and finding the correct design for your company. We will also cover why it’s important to listen to your employees as well as the research needed before you go ahead with the job. If you want to find out more, then keep reading…

Budgeting well

One of the first things you need to think about when starting to plan your office refurbishment has to be your budget. This not just ensures you stay on track of your costs, but others do too. For example, any external companies you use for the build can know early on what your budget is so they can set up a clear plan from the start.

If you choose to finance your project, then you will pay fixed monthly payments over the term you choose. This will allow you to budget easily as well as making it easy and quick to pay. There also may be a large upfront cost for the total of your fit out which could out you off the project altogether. Breaking it down into monthly repayments will make it easier for you to make decisions. More importantly, the right ones.

Here at Fit Out Finance this is the part of the project we can help you with. We provide finance options for office refurbishments that include spreading the cost over a 1–5-year term (although for fit out projects it’s normally 3-5 years). This is to go in line with your lease. If you would like more information on this type of finance, then please get in touch using our contact details at the bottom of this page.

The right design for your company

The right design for your company is essential. We have spoken before about the importance of your brand image and your office space. Being the first thing clients see when they enter your office, you must take care of it. Showing key things such as your brand identity, your working environment, your collaboration styles and the general feel of how your company operates should all be visible when you first walk into work.

Listening to your employees

Listening to your employees is an essential part of an office refurbishment. For obvious reasons it means your new office design will be the most productive as you have taken advice from those who will be using the space. An input of more people will also lead to new and innovative ideas. In a previous blog we did about hybrid working, employees are now changing the way they work. Therefore, office spaces are needing to adapt more, and listening to your staff will help and even accelerate this process.

Research

The importance of research has never been more important than when planning an office refurbishment. Planning such a big project usually means an input of a lot of time and money. Making sure you research well in terms of external companies, financial advice companies, as well as finance services (such as ourselves) is crucial. No matter the case we will always want you to find the best fit for your company. This is all part of our 5* customer service, allowing us to make sure you always receive the best possible care.

Benefits of office refurbishment leasing

There are several benefits of office refurbishment leasing. These include things like tax benefits, flexible rental terms, preserving existing lines of credit, and making your monthly budgeting easier.

Contact Us

If you would like more information on these 4 steps to an office refurbishment success, then head over to our contact page on our website to speak to a member of our team. Furthermore, if you would like to talk to us over the phone then please call 01494 506 385 or email hello@fitout.finance. You can also see more over on our LinkedIn page.