A startup is a completely different experience as compared to an established business. From breakfast meetings to product launches and all-nighters to happy hours, working at a startup isn’t a job, it’s a complete lifestyle. Work-styles evolve fast and collaboration among teammates is necessary.
Also, most startups are low on resources and they rent an office space instead of purchasing one. So, you must ensure that your office is equipped to handle all demands and requirements, all within a small budget. If you are looking for a budget-friendly workplace without compromising productivity, we have some smart office space solutions for you.
Get Flexible Furniture
Invest in flexible, modular furniture that is easy to reconfigure and move depending on your requirements and needs.
This way, you can use a single piece of furniture for different purposes, and you won’t have to buy new stuff whenever new members join your team. Also, you can rearrange such furniture anytime you want in order to create more space in your office.
Multi-Purpose Spaces
As a startup, it is highly likely that you won’t have an enormous budget, and you’ll have to consider renting an affordable office space. At lower prices, you will get less space, and you need to create multi-purpose areas to make the most out of available space.
This will also enhance productivity and collaboration among your team members. For example, your conference room can also act as a quiet area where employees attend client calls or work individually. The pantry zone can be utilized for more activities than just eating food there.
Go Paperless
You can save a lot of space and resources if you decide to go digital and stop using paper. The cost of purchasing a printer and operating it can be cut down this way. Also, when you have plenty of documents, you’ll need an ample storage area to keep them.
Going paperless and using cloud storage solutions will solve this problem. Also, employees should communicate with each other digitally and minimize the use of paper.
Use Open Source Software
One tech-savvy and interesting solution to balance productivity and budget at your startup is using open source software instead of expensive, custom tools.
Right from accounting to project management, there are multiple open source solutions available that’ll save money for your business, without compromising work quality. Use project management, collaboration, and communication tools with the best features for better teamwork and efficiency.
Promote BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
In order to save space and hardware costs, you can implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy at your office. This way, you won’t have to purchase new laptops or desktops whenever new people join your startup.
Also, you’ll have more free space as systems take up a lot of area in the office. Moreover, employees will have access to their system all the time, whether they are at work or home.
Offer Rotational Remote Shifts
To save on office space as well as utilities, you can offer remote work to your staff members. Start keeping flexible, rotational shifts for employees where part of the team works from home, while the other part works from the office.
Fix specific days in the week for every employee so that everyone spends equal time working from both home and office. This will give workers more time to spend with their families and cut down some travel costs as well.
Focus on Team Building
Even though it is not directly related to your office space, team building, and understanding are important to boost the productivity of your startup. When team members bond with each other and have a healthy relationship, they work well together.
It is easy for them to communicate with each other and handle joint projects. You can organize team building activities while staying under budget by hosting a game night, a picnic in the park, lunch at a nearby restaurant, a singing competition, and much more.
Conclusion
A good mood and a pleasant environment are key to productivity and efficiency at a startup. Employees need to be comfortable at work, and for a startup, it is hard to lease a large office space in the beginning.
By following some simple tips, you can utilize the available space at your office to the maximum, while maintaining both your budget and productivity levels. Design your workspace to be aesthetic and functional, so workers can use their skills in the best way.
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