Tag: Office Planning Solutions (page 2 of 13)

Budget Office Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

October 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Do you have a small space for your office or work space? Whether you have just a desk in your home or a small office, chances are you will need storage. The storage can help you keep the space organised and pulled together looking.

I just emptied a closet/office at work to carve out some space for myself. After using the space for a few days I realize, it’s a disaster. I have papers everywhere and a mishmash of filing bins and metal organizers but nothing goes together.

Do you feel like your work space is a mess and you need to look at the space with fresh eyes? Before you buy follow these steps to make sure you choose the storage that’s right for how you use the space.

Determine Your Storage Needs

The first step before you buy anything is to look at what you need to store. Does your desk have drawers? Do you have lots of papers, office supplies, files, printers, pens and pencils, craft supplies, etc. Knowing what you need to store will help you when you start shopping.

If possible, your space will look more coordinated if you can get storage that serves your purpose, but also coordinates. To make the space look organized and pulled together don’t buy a piece here and a piece there. Once you determine what needs to be stored, get pieces that work together.

In my case, being a paper pushing CPA I have lots of invoices and other paperwork that stacks up. I also have many printers and lots of office suppliers. I really wanted shelves, but to keep them from looking chaotic I needed lots of storage inside the shelves.

Ask Yourself What You Use Every Day

What you need to store may be different from what you need to access every day. For example, you may want to store paperwork, but you don’t look at the paperwork daily. Things you use daily might be stapler, envelopes, tape, pens/pencils, etc. These things need place to be that isn’t just sitting on the desk.

Desktop Storage

If your desk doesn’t have drawers. you will probably need something to hold things like stapler, tape, stamps, pens & pencils. There are so many desks now that don’t have any storage. Consider whether your desk faces a wall or faces the open when you get desktop storage. If it faces the wall you can mount things on the wall for more storage.

Shelving

If you have the space to fit shelving, there are so many inexpensive options. You can choosing floating shelves, but be aware that these are not usually a good option for heave things. For shelving, Ikea is one of the best and most budget friendly places to go.

Pulling it all together

The most important thing about storage for your work space is that it works together. This is what’s going to transform your office space from just a desk with a stack of papers to a grown up place.

Working from home and the global energy crisis

September 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

The global financial crisis two years ago had revealed a new trend in society: people no longer wanted the traditional 9-5 job with an exhausting and expensive commute. The genie is well out of bottle when it comes to work, as employees now look for more freedom than ever before; not just time off during their lunch break or after dinner hours but also flexibility on how they spend those free moments.

Having documented the changes to organisational life through the Covid-19 pandemic, what is significant about these findings is that this mindset shift appears to be permanent. Figures show nearly 40% of working adults in Great Britain are now working across multiple locations in a hybrid working model. However, as the energy crisis threatens to bite, there are warnings that this winter’s looming energy crisis could kill off our new working “culture”. So, which one is it?

Amid the detailed calculations being made, one aspect is already clear: socio-economic circumstances will be a main driver in whether working from home remains firmly rooted in our way of life, and people’s decisions about work are still the product of their circumstances.

A guardian news article reports that one public sector graduate trainee told me that, by her calculations, the cost of train fares, coffees and snacks left her better off working from home. But if energy costs rise sharply, she will probably switch to travelling into the office over shouldering a punitively high heating bill. It is precisely this fluctuating picture that makes this winter so difficult to plan for. Another senior manager working for a London local authority told me that while some of her staff had indicated that they might want to be coming into the office more often in the coming months, there was a lack of concrete information or certainty.

When we consider how working trends might be affected by the rising cost of living, the geographies of labour markets cannot be ignored. With the UK having some of the longest commutes in Europe, financial savings from reduced commuting were some of the most notable markers of lockdown delivering some measurable benefit to working people. And as train fares continue to outstrip inflation, organisations staffed by suburban commuters are likely to find employees continue to be more attached to working from home to save money, while those who live closer to offices may find the lure of a heated space outweighs the benefits of home working.

Of course, these financial decisions are rarely made in isolation. In our research, we saw people adapt the quality of their workspace over the lockdowns, working in separate rooms where possible to prioritise privacy and maximise concentration. But as heating becomes more expensive, this looks less feasible, while merging home workspaces could provoke personal tensions, damage productivity and even have a disruptive effect upon family relationships.

Home office wall decor ideas to create an inspirational display

August 9, 2022 / / 0 Comments

With so many of us working from home on a regular basis, the space we spend so much time in deserves some extra love. Home office wall decor ideas will refresh your space and help you keep motivated throughout the day.

Let’s face it, staring at the same bland four walls everyday hardly make for the most motivational working environment. Luckily, it’s easy enough to switch your mindset from ‘out of office’ to optimistic by treating the walls of your home office ideas as a blank canvas.

Home office wall decor ideas

Getting creative with your working space is proven to boost positivity and productivity, making you much happier day to day. Whether you opt for positive paint shades, styled-up shelving, decorative artwork, or all of them, your home office wall decor ideas are sure to make the work days fly by.

Build a beautiful backdrop

While it’s important to consider the view from your desk, consider the backdrop from your computer camera, too. You’ll need to think carefully about the wall behind you and the impression it will create on video calls, as it is likely to now be one of the most seen parts of your home.

Work in tandem with your home office lighting ideas to ensure both your face and backdrop are perfectly lit, while avoiding irritating screen glare.

Stay serene with green

Bringing greenery into an office environment helps evoke a sense of calm and stimulates creativity, making it just as perfect for craft room ideas.

Try painting walls a soothing shade of green, or for a quick fix, fill a shelf with plants.

If you’re short on desk or floor space, or you’re not very green fingered, hanging botanical wall art can help destress and set you in the right mood for a productive day.

Pick a positive colour scheme

One of the main benefits of a home office is the opportunity to create a colourful environment that works for you – not your colleagues. Think about how you react to colours and tones and pick accordingly: some people feel stressed by bright shades while others find them stimulating.

If you’re wary about home office design mistakes and unsure on colours, there are some that might be worth considering, given the proven effects they have on mood and productivity.

Stay organised

If it’s small home office ideas you’re after, think about making your walls work a little harder. With a few practical accessories, they can easily accommodate all your organisational needs – the key is to make it look stylish.

Whether it’s a blackboard, corkboard or DIY pinboard, position it in the middle then work out with a couple of wall-mounted pockets and small shelves to keep all your bits and bobs close to hand.

Drawbacks of working in the office

July 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Working from home can have certain benefits in terms of time efficiency and mobility. However, there are many other advantages to working in an office that cannot be compared to remote working.

In this blog we look at the drawbacks of working in an office.

Regular distractions. The simple fact of being in an office with more people makes communication more fluent and more fluid, which may result in a noisier working environment. This could possibly interfere in the worker’s concentration and may reduce productivity.

Lack of privacy. Some people are not as extroverted and may not like working in a team as much as others. This is a disadvantage if we work in open spaces and offices, as these more introverted employees can end up feeling uncomfortable.

Your productivity will decrease if you’re feeling stressed at work. And, in an office setting where there’s more pressure from both your superior or fellow employees – it can be hard to stay on task with what needs done when everyone else seems so preoccupied too!

Advantages of working in the office

July 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Why workspaces are so important

Many of the employees who work in these workplaces need certain skills to be able to perform their tasks such as face to face communication between teams, ability to exchange views, write, work as a team or knowing how to function in an collaborative work environment with other professionals.

Unlike remote working, the office has been designed and conceived from the outset as a place to carry out a specific job. Another of its differentiating factors is the complete separation of the employee from home: working from home can lead to stress and a lack of disconnection from the workplace, as cohabiting in the same space where you “work” and “rest” makes people not able to separate and take a real break from their working day.

Benefits of working in the office

When working in an office, there are times when you need to shift your workspace around and take up tasks at different places. This is because each space has its own unique functionality that helps maximize productivity while minimising any distractions from external factors like people or noise pollution – it’s always best if we can work without interruption.

Working as a team. Being part of a company project with a team of people boosts your creativity, as well as developing our collaborative and social skills. In an office we can interact and work side by side with other colleagues, something that can help us move away from static work routines. In addition, productivity in the office is increased.

Conduct face to face meetings. For certain work or projects, it may be necessary to hold face to face meetings. For example, arranging a meeting with a very important client at our place of work can help us to sell a proposal, because the customer engages, feels part of a whole and is able to see in person how we perform naturally and safely in a professional environment.

Establishing new links and contacts. Being immersed in a daily work routine with a lot of people around us can benefit us in the future, as this will allow us to acquire new contacts that can help us in the long run to find new job opportunities or start new professional projects. Interacting with other professionals in the office can benefit us when building new business or if we want to initiate and create new personal projects.

Top Tips to Keep Cool in An Office

June 17, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Employers should make sure they provide reasonable working conditions to their employees, but the burden of providing extra allowances falls on them. However there are many benefits for both employers and staff in terms or looking after themselves during a heat wave – so long as it doesn’t pose an additional hazard due excessive strain/weariness caused by high temperatures within one’s environment which could lead into illness etcetera . This includes drinking enough water throughout each day along with taking regular breaks outdoors if possible!

Top Tips

  • Relax the dress code. If office wear usually means wearing a suit, relax this rule in hot weather. Allow more informal wear such as no ties or no suit jackets to cope with the heat.
  • Provide refreshments. By law, employees should have access to fresh drinking water, but providing ice and squash will refresh people even further.
  • Offer desk fans, or temporary cooling units to improve air circulation and keep people cool at their desks.
  • Use curtains and blinds to block out sunlight to prevent the office from getting hotter.
  • Avoid over exertion. If you usually go out or exercise at lunch, take care not to do too much, and consider staying out of the sun where possible.

Can It Ever Be Too Hot to Work in the UK?

June 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Can It Ever Be Too Hot to Work in the UK?

There is no legal minimum or maximum working temperature in the UK, but that doesn’t mean it is never too hot to work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) say that working temperatures should provide ‘reasonable comfort’ to workers, and provide recommendations such as:

The temperature in a workplace should be at least 16 °C, or if the work involves rigorous effort, it should be at least 13 °C.

Other factors such as humidity, air flow and worker clothing and movement also play a part in determining if the temperature in a working environment is reasonably comfortable. As there is no recommended office temperature in UK law, it is up to each workplace to determine their own ideal temperature.

If you do find the heat is making you uncomfortable, this can impact on your working ability. You may find you cannot concentrate, your productivity will drop and you may suffer from heat stress.

What is Heat Stress?

When you are too hot, your body will try to cool off by sweating and radiating more energy. Unfortunately this can lead into heat stress if the temperature continues for an extended period of time without relief from water shortage or natural processes that help regulate temperatures in a human being’s environment.

Symptoms of heat stress can include having a red face, excessive sweating, a heat rash, muscle cramps, dehydration and fainting. If allowed to continue, heat stress can cause heat exhaustion, and this is a severe disorder that can lead to death in extreme cases.

Some working environments are more at risk of being too hot to work in than others. For example, those in well-ventilated offices are less likely than those working in a kitchen to feel the effects of a heatwave. However, we all have a responsibility to stay safe and healthy at work, no matter our working environment.

What Are Employer Responsibilities During Hot Weather?

All employers have a duty to protect the health and safety of employees. Whilst there is no legal requirement to provide air con in offices, employees will work better when they are comfortable. It is therefore in everyone’s interests to make the environment as reasonably comfortable as possible.

Employers should also take extra care to protect any vulnerable people in the office. Hot weather can make people feel tired and less energetic than usual, especially for young and elderly people, pregnant women, and people who may be on medication. Vulnerable people in your office may appreciate extra rest breaks or a desk fan to improve air circulation.

The beauty of working from home

May 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

The beauty of working from home is you don’t have to bring the office’s cold, clinical feeling desks, wheeled chairs and bulky filing cabinets back into your space with you. You can create a workstation that inspires creativity without having to sacrifice on your current interior style by blending office furniture beautifully into your home.

Make a room with a view

By positioning your desk so you have access to natural light, it will give off an amazing feeling. Not only are there benefits for the quality of work but also how much more productive people can be with some fresh air interacting positively within them! Science has found that it may improve alertness, health and wellness. This can lead to increased productivity overall.

Go green

The air in your room will be cleaner and healthier with plants around. Not only do they add a healthy dose of green to any space, but data shows that plants can remove up toxins from the atmosphere through photosynthesis!

The connection between nature and improved mental health has been well-established for decades. Getting out in the great outdoors can help you feel refreshed, calm down from stressful situations more quickly.

If your work area faces north and doesn’t get much direct sun, consider a snake or ZZ plant—low-maintenance varieties that thrive in minimal indirect light.

Seek higher ground

Keep in mind, your workspace isn’t just the confines of your desk. By utilising the wall above, you can maximise surface area and storage potential.

You can create a functional workstation by installing an office desk in any nook or corner of your home. To save space, use floating shelves to mount the legsless Walldesk and utilise sconces for lamps so you won’t crowd things with light sources!

Frame your space

The best way to organise your office is by using bookcases or shelving units that you can easily move around the room. This will make it easy for people who are working in different areas of their job, as well as visitors coming by without knowing exactly where they should go!

Doing so helps delineate the space and creates room for more decor. This way, the surface of your desk will simply look like it’s part of a cohesive, built-in unit. A few decorative baskets on shelves can hide paperwork in plain sight in between collectibles and curio.

Office Storage Ideas

April 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Smart home office storage ideas

The best way to store your items on open shelves is by using hooks. You can find them at any hardware store, but if you don’t have one then just use nails or staple gun blades as long as they are flathead ones so that there won’t be too much space between each piece of furniture and its neighboring stand!

You can’t go wrong with a classic wooden rack or baskets to store your things. They’ll not only look great on top of an office desk, but it’s also easy enough that you could make one yourself! If function is more important than form for what resides in this space then try using something like notice boards which allow ample room inside them so important papers don’t get lost when they’re needed at their most secure locations.

Boxes and letter files are useful additions on your desktop to store items you use frequently. But to stop them looking too business-like, cover them with your favourite wrapping paper, wallpaper or fabric to create a cohesive theme. A storage ottoman or trunk is the perfect place to store your paperwork, but invest in hanging files or separate folders to keep everything separate.

There’s never enough space in our homes for everything we want and need. That is why it pays to invest some time into finding ways that will give you more storage options, like using a drawer organiser! These handy gadgets ensure all those pesky papers stay put while also keeping your workspace neat at any given moment.

Squeeze desktop storage into an alcove

Make use of an empty alcove if you’re needing to set up desk in a bedroom or living area. A slimline ladder-style desk won’t protrude into a room too much and makes a great landing spot for a laptop or tablet.

This bookshelf has a secret drawer for all your little secrets. It’s perfect if you’re looking to create an inviting, organised space that also doesn’t look too cluttered!

Build a wall of storage

Take office storage floor to ceiling with a flexible shelving system that can be tailored to suit your space. Position it adjacent to your desk, so you can grab paperwork and essentials as and when you need it.

Start your set-up with uprights and support brackets to create a framework, then add a combination of shelves, racks, panels or drawers as required.

Keep clutter out of sight

If not kept super-tidy, open shelves can easily look messy, especially if you’re working out of a living room or bedroom.

Corral small-scale clutter away into pretty baskets or decorative storage boxes and stack neatly on shelves. Choose a colour theme that ties in with your decor for a co-ordinated look.

Office Gadgets

February 21, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Working from home or at the office is great, but it’s difficult without certain gadgets. A light for your workspace and charging points will make you more comfortable while working on these late nights! A chair that supports back are also essential so please don’t forget them when buying new furniture in order to get rid of chronic pain caused by improper posture all day long.

Here we have a list of cool office gadgets in 2022 that will make your office work more comfortable and effective:

Wireless Charging Mouse Pad

Now, this is a well-thought-out device- a wireless charging mouse pad. The designers have worked hard to create a product that meets all of the end-users needs. The charging area is increased because of the three coil method. The dual charging port has been included so that users can charge their devices in the most convenient locations. This device eliminates the frustrations associated with a shortage of workspace and comes in various appealing colours.

Charging Docks

One of the handiest tools you may have on your desk is an all-in-one charging station. Keeping all of our electronics charged is undoubtedly one of the most time-consuming activities we have. As a result, having a charging port that can simultaneously charge all of your precious devices is a godsend.

Monitor Lights

When it comes to creating the ideal workstation layout, we consider a few factors. An excellent monitor paired with a wireless mouse and keyboard, a charging dock to keep our expensive electronics charged, and perhaps an ergonomic chair is thrown in for good measure! But how frequently do we consider the importance of good lighting? Our working environments aren’t as well-illuminated as we may believe. We often take lighting solutions for granted when we really shouldn’t. Inadequate illumination puts a burden on our eyes and can be rather irritating to work in.

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