Moving to a smaller office could have many benefits, and may be more feasible than you think. Below are just some of the reasons to consider downsizing your office.
A smaller office can save you money
Downsizing your office could be a great way to save costs. A smaller office is likely to be cheaper to rent. Energy bills are also likely to be cheaper because you don’t have as much space to light and heat up. On top of this, smaller offices are generally cheaper to insure.
If you’re finding it difficult to keep up with expenses and make a profit, consider whether a smaller office could be the solution to your problems. Of course, you do need to consider your lease agreement – exiting your lease early could result in fees and you need to make sure these are not too high. Similarly, you need to factor in moving costs.
Alternatively, you could afford a better location
Offices in prime locations typically cost more. It’s possible that you may not be able to afford an office of the same size in a better location. However, by being willing to downsize, you could afford somewhere more central and attractive.
If your current location has a high crime rate, unpleasant visual surrounding or poor access, consider whether downsizing to a smaller office in a better location could solve these issues. Consider the fact that business rates may go up when moving to a more attractive location.
You don’t need all those desks anyway
Many companies are finding that they don’t need an individual desk for every employee anymore. This is because a growing number of employees are choosing to work from home.
If many of your employees work from home or you’ve been thinking of letting employees work remotely, downsizing could make practical sense. You can focus on finding space that is suitable for the amount of desks that you actually use. This means that you’re not paying for unused space.
A lot of companies have embraced a hybrid working model in which employees work several days at home and then several days in the office. This typically involves sharing desks via a system called hot desking, instead of having assigned individual desks. Consider whether this is a working model that your company could embrace.
In most cases, meeting space isn’t necessary either
A lot of offices contain meeting spaces, which also rarely get used. Opting for a smaller office without meeting space could be a way to save you money and reduce unnecessary space usage.
The reality of meetings is that they can usually be carried out anywhere. You could take out all your employees for lunch or just get everyone to huddle around a couple desks. For when you want more formal meeting space, there’s always the option of hiring meeting rooms. And then of course there are virtual meetings which can be conducted via Zoom.
You may even find that most meetings can be cut out from your weekly schedule. When it comes to providing people with information that’s useful but not urgent, a company group chat or company group email may suffice. You don’t have to hold a meeting every time you need to tell your team something.
It can be an excuse to declutter
Downsizing your office could also motivate you to declutter your office. Many of us accumulate files and ornaments and excess machinery over the years that simply gathers dust. Moving to a smaller office can encourage you to get rid of these unnecessary items so that your office is cleaner and more minimal.
You can get rid of paper files by converting them into digital copies. There are services that can help you with this digitisation process if you have huge amounts of paper files. Meanwhile, things like ornaments and excess equipment may be possible to donate or even sell for profit. Using local selling sites like Gumtree to sell equipment like old computers or printers. Even broken machinery can usually be sold for parts.