It’s the eternal question faced by all business owners: Should I let my employees work from home one or two days a week?
There are obviously a whole lot of pros and cons on both sides of the debate. On one hand, some bosses are afraid that productivity will take a hit when employees leave the discipline of the office environment. You also lose the brainstorming that happens organically when people actually talk face to face.
But, on the other hand, an article in the Harvard Business Review found that employees are actually more productive when working from home and less likely to quit.
What’s more, letting your employees work from home saves money on both office space and office furniture. (One company cited in the article saved $1,900 per employee during a nine-month period.)
Office Space Ideas for Small Businesses
Forget all the ideas you have about what you think think an office should look like and you’ll be on the right path to coming up with unique solutions for small offices.
For example, some companies that don’t have a dedicated meeting room, use collapsible tables that can be set up on the fly. Employees simply pull up their chairs and—voila—brainstorming can begin.
Desks that are on wheels are another way to build a team environment in a small space. If you need Joe’s help on a project, you can simply move your desk over for however long that project takes.
If the weather’s nice, consider a walking meeting. The movement may lead to a new way of thinking—and the activity will energize you.
The point is, you don’t need to be held back by convention, especially if creativity and collaboration are important to your business plan—and your success.
Maximizing Office Space with Self Storage Units for Business
The break room that doubles as an intern station. The hallway stacked with boxes. Work stations that keep getting smaller.
Utilizing a self storage area for your business won’t magically solve all of your problems. But if you combine that extra storage space with a smart work-from-home policy, you might just find that your office functions a whole lot better—without taking on much extra overhead at all.
All those boxes in the hallway? The stacks of records you’re keeping? The holiday decorations? They can all be neatly packed away in a self storage unit.
At StorageMart, we offer clean and well-lit self storage units that are available to rent on a month-to month basis. If you think that might work for you, check out our storage unit guide or rent a unit online today.
There may be a time when you simply need more space but—until that day arrives—creative problem solving can save you money, keep your employees happy and maybe even spark a new idea or two.