Packing up and moving your entire business to a new location may seem like a monumental task, but in the long run, it’s sure to be a positive and profitable move. With that said, how do you know when you’ve outgrown your current office space?
Below, we explore some signs that indicate your business has grown beyond its current location. If you notice one or more of these signs, don’t see them as drawbacks. After all, they’re often signs of success!
1. It’s Difficult to Maneuver Around the Office
To be happy, productive, and able to do their jobs efficiently, your employees need to be comfortable in their workspace. If they must step over wires or squeeze between desks, copy machines, and other equipment, it’s probably time to consider a bigger office. If this sounds familiar, contact a realtor to inquire about commercial offices for lease sooner rather than later.
2. Your Storage Spaces are Full
It’s difficult to be productive in a cluttered office space. If your closets, cabinets, and other storage spaces are overflowing and chaotic, it might be time to consider finding a bigger office with more storage. Of course, if these spaces are unorganized, you could clean them out, get rid of stuff you no longer use, and employ organizers to help you keep them neat, but eventually, they will fill back up, so a larger office may still be your ultimate answer.
3. Lack of Parking
If your staff has difficulty finding parking at or near your business, it’s a sign you’ve probably outgrown your current location. As we said earlier, don’t consider this a negative thing. It simply means your company has grown and needs a more spacious location to accommodate your expanding team.
4. Staff Meetings Are Tight
When you hold a staff meeting, is the conference room packed with a standing-room-only vibe? This clearly indicates that your team has outgrown the space. Continuing to squeeze into a too-small conference room will only be distracting. Eventually, it will hinder productivity, so it’s best to look for more spacious office alternatives as soon as possible.
5. Productivity Is Dwindling
Cram a bunch of people into a small space, and you’ll see productivity begin to slide. When people lack the privacy and personal space needed to be creative, their output and job satisfaction tends to suffer. With someone always looking over their shoulders or bumping into them, they don’t feel they have the freedom to be themselves or express their ideas. All in all, it is simply too distracting when privacy and personal space go by the wayside.
6. You Have No Desks Available for New Employees
It’s great when your company grows, and you need to hire new employees. With that said, there’s nothing worse than bringing on a new hire only to discover you have nowhere to put them.
Sure, you could just order a new desk and cram it into the only available space left in the corner, but as we’ve discussed earlier, cramped employees are neither happy employees. If you’re pressed for space with each new team member you hire, it’s time to look for a bigger office space.
We all strive for business growth, but it often brings unexpected side effects. In this case, that side effect is the need for a more spacious location that better meets the needs of your customers and employees. If any of the points above rang true, it might be time for you to contact your local commercial real estate agent to get the ball rolling on a roomy new office suite.
