Space is currently at a premium, and to paraphrase Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor from 1978’s Superman; it’s the one thing they can’t make more of.

As a small to medium-sized business owner, you will quickly come to appreciate the importance of making the most of available space as your company grows. Unfortunately, expansion isn’t always a viable option. First, it’s costly. It’s also disruptive, and it takes a lot of planning and organization. Fortunately, you can stay productive without expanding by assessing your needs and adapting as required.

Use External Space for Essentials

If you have no available space of your own, then use someone else’s. Secure storage lets you place unused items in lockers. You can safely remove documents and filing cabinets from the office. Just make sure to cover legal issues before doing so, as some data is confidential, and you are obliged to take care of it. Further, meeting rooms are available for hire when you don’t have your own space to hold essential daily or weekly briefings and updates with your team.

Outsource Critical Services

As your company expands, you might find you require extra services. For example, your reliance on updated and modern systems such as IT infrastructure demands space, time, money and trained personnel. However, you can outsource such systems to an external company as part of a managed IT service. In addition, modern IT utilizes custom infrastructure, and most tasks, such as networking, can be scheduled and performed remotely from a secure location.

Redesign the Office

Of course, you can completely redesign your office to make the most of the available space. However, this isn’t easy, and physical access points dictate where you can place certain things. For example, without adequate extension installation by a trained professional, PCs and printers might need to stay near the closest power outlets. However, you can get rid of anything that doesn’t need to be there. For example, a trophy shelf might look cool, but the space could be better used.

Replace Bulky Machinery with Modern Devices

Some offices are stuck in the past. For example, you no longer need bulky and heavy computers at workstations. Since 2020, over 60% of businesses have now operated via cloud-based systems. This means smaller purpose-built office PCs or tablets can run your company’s critical IT infrastructure. For example, modern designs use much less space, produce less noise and cost less to purchase and operate due to energy-efficient manufacturing. This means less noise from fans and cheaper energy bills.

Reduce Desk Surface Area

Further to replacing bulky office components, slimmer designs from devices like laptops, tablets and hybrid computers mean they require less surface area of a desk. As a result, a large desk is no longer needed. It is possible to work from slim-line desks that can be installed along walls or grouped in the centre of the floor plan. Just make sure health and safety conform to current guidelines with ergonomic, height-adjustable chairs to prevent repetitive strain injury with your employees.