5 Simple Tips to Keep your Office Space Organized

We all know that how an orderly and neat office space creates a way for less wasted time and higher productivity. Most of us think that organizing the office space takes a whole lot of time, which is not true. It doesn’t have to take days, organizing can be done taking little at a time.

Fact is that, maintaining an organized office space is much more effective if you see it as an on-going project, instead of looking at it as a massive thing. So if you are thinking to have a neat and organized office space, here are a few tips which can help you transform your office into an efficient workplace.

1.      Purge your Office: Just take a look at your office space and observe the things which aren’t necessary. Shred, de-clutter and get rid of the things which are no longer in use. Take your time to see what you haven’t used for quite a long time. Consider one area at a time and see if the things can be repaired and reused; if not, show them the way to the bin. This applies for unused furniture, supplies and other equipment. Not to forget the artificial plants, knick knacks and the decorations that are covered with dust; it often makes your office look shabby.

2.      Establish Work Zones: Establish the work zones to keep your office organized and neat, so that the defined activity happens only in that particular area; this avoids things messing up at office. You will probably have a main workspace (your desk), a supply area (shelves, closets and drawers) and a reference area (cabinets and binders). Make sure you use appropriate area to carry out your work.

3.      Organize your Desk and Drawers: Organizing the desk space stands in the first place when it comes to neatness. Make sure you keep your desk space clean by removing the things which are not in use and putting back only the things which are essential. Also, keep your drawers organized by placing the relevant items together in the same drawer space, like stick pads and notes, stamps and envelops, etc. It avoids clutter and provides you easy access when you need them.

4.      Clear the Piles: Pile or heap of files or any other things can add a clumsy look to your desk. Make sure you clear the heap then and there itself. Also, go through the old files and check if they are really necessary, and keep it in an appropriate place if they are necessary; dump it if they are of no use. Consider maintaining a separate tray or a folder for all those you work with. This keeps the things more organized and avoids the formation of heap.
     

5.      Assign Discard Dates: Assigning discard dates for the things which are in place for a long time helps you get them out. You don’t have to keep each and every piece of paper indefinitely. Give a discard date for the files and documents after which they can be tossed or shredded. Some documents and legal files have to be maintained for some specified length of time; make sure you know the length.

Not just the above mentioned points, you just have to be aware that the amount of effort you put in to create an efficient work place will certainly pay off in a great way. You can spend your time productively instead of shuffling the files and looking for the things you need.

For more information:

Office space for rent in Bangalore

How to Design a Productive Office Space?

World Green Building Council recently concluded that there is overwhelming evidence linking the office space design and productivity of employees. But it’s not a new thing; it’s been there from quite a long time and we all know that productivity level of employees go down when they aren’t comfortable. May it be the atmosphere, temperature or the noise level; the employees need to be relaxed and comfortable to work at their best productive levels.

So, it’s really important to set the office to create the best possible working environment to make the employees more comfortable. There is no straight answer when asked, which is best among closed cubicles and open plan offices. As there are pros and cons associated with both the designs, you just have to think which design suits your business type the best and which design would be comfortable for your employees.

Cubicle vs. Open Plan

Cubicle Offices: Today, closed cubicle has almost become a synonym for ‘office space’ being employed across the major cities in India. It was designed to get the employees out of the old time open plan offices.

In 1960s, a designer called Robert Props proposed an idea of providing independence and autonomy to the employees working in office, and offered a flexible three walled design that can be reshaped to satisfy any need.

It didn’t take too long for businesses to realize that they can cram more people into a smaller space if they use cubicle design at offices. As the result, we can see majority of the office spaces designed with cubicles.

Open Plan Design: It has been the latest trend to have an open environment at office. The logic behind this is that, the employees will be more productive and happier when they work together instead of getting isolated within the walls.

Open plan offices allow employees to interact with each other which make them feel less isolated. The design also allows spontaneous interjections which helps in promoting the creativity.

Also, open plan is potentially helpful for less experienced members or interns as they can interact with the experienced employees easily.

There are lots of employees who think that privacy has been one of the major causes of work dissatisfaction, and they also complain about increased noise levels and distraction. This issue is just because the employees feel that they are being watched and they can’t just get away with their Facebook visits during work hours.

Colour and Lighting

Different colours at office can have different impact on the employees. Green makes the employees think broader and help them come up with creative ideas; Red boosts their energy; Pink gives them a calm effect and White has a modern appeal associated with it. So, while choosing the colours, make sure you consider the psychological effects of the colours.

Next comes the lighting; just check how much natural light the office is receiving and see is there any way to increase it. If you have to get settled in a windowless space, obviously you’ll have to go with artificial lighting. In such case, consider using full-spectrum bulbs which simulate daylight keeping the light soft and warm.

Ultimately it’s you who know the business well, so just look at the size of your company and the roles of employees, and choose a layout that suits the best for your business and employees. If your employees spend a bit more time on their phones, open plan might not work out for you. But if the team looks creative sharing their ideas with each other, open plan can allow your employees interact with ease. The same applies for colour and lighting as well;all that you do is not just for your employees, but also for your own

More information:

Office space in Bangalore

5 Tips to Bargain the Finest Office Space

Once you have chose your options for office space and you like them, the next step is to acquire the best deal possible. But at times knowing what to bargain is peculiarly complicated. Landlords may be worried to congest empty spaces, but they are also keen to make up for the money and except you are not cautious, that negotiation lease you sign now can be filled with hidden charges, rising fees and clauses that knock down when you would least anticipate it. 

Obtaining great deals on office space is a blend of market timing, and good tenant planning. 

The real estate office market has strike a tipping point. With increasing vacancies and new sublease opportunities coming to market daily, when it comes to renting an office space it’s the tenants market. Rental rates are falling and will continue to do so. Landlords and Business centers are providing huge concessions to new tenants, but you won’t get the finest deal except for you know what to request. Smart business leaders know this as a suitable time to leverage their tenancy and take benefit from the market conditions. To take advantage of current market conditions business managers must bear in mind the following important success factors:

1.  What is the Optimum Price?   

When moving closer to the negotiating table, the peculiar tenant who’s doing this for the first time is most centered on obtaining the monthly rent as low as possible. This is the most frequent mistake tenants commit when a broker is not representing them.  The correct way to scrutinize a deal is to consider its total value (i.e. annual value, taxes, lease period, free rental period and other charges). That’s the way landlords evaluate deals, and that’s what you should also do.

2.  When to Initiate this Process?

Start the process early. This offers negotiating leverage and wiggle room. Initiate at least a year months before your lease ending date. Exploring the options can take 3 months, negotiating a lease can take 2 months, and if there is building new developments at another location can take 3 months or more. Set aside a generous amount of extra time for unforeseen delays in the leasing process.

3.  Don’t Give a Hint  

In no way give your landlord the feeling that their space is the only one that works for your company. Always create numerous feasible leasing options. Obtain proposals from each. Don’t grant a positive suggestion to any landlord until you have a fully executed new lease or lease renewal document with you. 

4.  Do your Groundwork

Always employ a tenant cost comparison spreadsheet. This spreadsheet comprises pricing of the potential offices you have chosen. Make the landlords completely aware of the fact that you will be directly weighing and comparing their lease suggestions with a tailored Excel spreadsheet. Put in the main factors from your different lease proposals. Make use of the resulting bottom line cost comparison as your major negotiating lever with each landlord to bring down the price of the competing sites. While making use of a tenant cost assessment spreadsheet, make sure that the landlord at each leasing option is offering you all the key cost factors you require. If it is clear that any landlord is delaying cost comparison details, just remove that property from the catalog of competing options. 

When employing a tenant cost comparison spreadsheet, pay attention to the landlord profit centers:

·         Put in key factors on base rent increases, tax and operating escalations, and other cost areas that increase over time.

·         Use the cost comparison keenly in your negotiations to eradicate, lessen or limit the landlord profit centers.

5.  Obtain a Representative 

Before starting the process, think about engaging an office tenant representative broker. If you are proficient in your business, you are most likely not a skilled in the profitable real estate office leasing business. Market dynamics change each day. An expert office lease negotiator is much better prepared to influence the market to the tenant’s fiscal advantage. Wait for each prospective landlord to be an expert office lease negotiator, controlling the office leasing market to the landlord’s economic advantage. If you settle on to employ a tenant representative, think about choosing one from an exclusive tenant rep commercial real estate firm. There are a lot of firms in the commercial real estate industry who stand for both landlords and tenants. This practice is observed by many tenants as a main clash.

Inquire your office tenant representative broker about economic details on current office leasing transactions in your local office market. The more deal your tenant rep broker has to reference, the more efficient he or she will be in influencing the local office market. Appoint your own commercial real estate architect to confirm the accurateness of the affirmed usable square footage of the office space.

Speak to other office tenants frankly regarding a potential landlord’s reputation in the areas of office building management and fair dealing.

More: Office Space Bangalore