Sometimes, one’s office needs a little reinvigorating to give it a new lease on life. Perhaps you’re coming into an office space for the first time and need to reinvent the space to make it more distinctly personal to your company, or perhaps you’re looking to fit out an ageing office that your company has occupied for years, that’s in desperate need of a refurbishment.Whatever the case, here are five useful tips to keep in mind when you go ahead with an office refurbishment in Brisbane, Gold Coast or Sydney.
1. Plan Thoroughly
It may seem obvious, yet many people go ahead with an office fit-out without planning properly, which can result in mistakes, important aspects being overlooked, costs running over and the fit-out taking longer than it should. Proper planning of your office fit-out doesn’t just mean working out how many desks and chairs you will need but also what the layout will be. This will help you identify what gaps might have been overlooked or require more attention.
You should involve employees in the planning process. As stakeholders, they should have some kind of input, particularly since they will be the ones working in the space once it has been fitted out. Employees will be the most intimately involved in knowing what is needed, what flows, and what doesn’t work on a day-to-day basis.It is important in this stage to set clear deadlines and budget limitations so that you know where the boundaries are.
Tip: Plan your office fit-out to integrate with your business plan so that the long-term is accounted for.
2. Stay On-Trend
When planning and designing your office fit-out, it is important that you consider the latest office design and layout trends. The kind of interior decor you choose for your fit-out tells customers and associates what kind of business you are and speaks volumes about how management runs everything.
If your office space is keeping with the latest trends and interior design, it will create an excellent first impression with those who visit, sending the message that your company is in tune with the times.
Tip: head to Pinterest and make a mood board that you can bring up at your design meetings to give your fitout contractor an idea of what you like.
3. Have A Good Design Team
If you’re going to refit your offices, then you need to have a good design team. A good design team is one that will ensure that your vision is brought to life and that the refit reflects your business's unique personality and culture.
Moreover, they will help you revitalise and refresh your office’s look and feel to bring it up to date. If you’re unsure of office fit-out trends or need advice on interior design features, an experienced team will help ensure that your office refurbishment is carried out to the highest standards.
4. Future Proof
You should work with your team as much as possible to ensure that your newly refurbished office is future-proof. This can mean several things.
Firstly, you should take your business’s growth into consideration. Where do you expect to be in five or ten years' time? How many more employees do you think you will have by then? You need to ensure that you have enough office space to facilitate growth.
Secondly, you should consider today's technologies and how they are evolving. Then, where possible, try to ensure that your company has the technology it needs to remain competitive in the future.
5. Prepare
Before you carry out your office refurbishment plans, prepare thoroughly. Fitting out an office can be quite disruptive to the company’s workflow; therefore, accommodations and concessions need to be made.
Speak with your office fit-out team to understand how long the process might take and which sections of the office will be finished first, for example. It is important to understand as best as possible how big the disruption will be so that you can plan for it.
Also, prepare your staff so that they all understand exactly what is going to happen, when and how. This will help your staff accommodate the fit-out without issue.
For more information on office fit-outs and refurbishments in Brisbane, Gold Coast or Sydney, contact us at Outkast today!
