Scale up: How to Know When You've Outgrown Your Workspace

BizBritain By BizBritain
over 3 years ago read
Scale up: How to Know When You've Outgrown Your Workspace

 
There comes a time in every entrepreneur’s journey when it’s time to move on to bigger and better things, especially when it comes to workspaces. For many, this realization comes suddenly. You’ll be sitting with your head down working away, when you take a brief look up to find that…there is literally no space for anything in your office anymore. 

Other times the signs aren’t so clear, and businesses will therefore continue to stumble on in cramped conditions until it is explicitly pointed out that, yes, your workspace is far too small for your enterprise. 

So, what are the signs? And how do you know when the time is right to move to or construct a brand new workspace for your needs? Here are a few red flags to look out for… 

Meeting rooms are constantly full 

It’s a bit of a cliché to complain about busy meeting rooms - but they are a good indicator of just how cramped your surroundings have become. Meeting rooms are used for important purposes such as client discussions, pitches and HR conversations. As such, many people will want to use them frequently, so there must be enough rooms so as not to disrupt the flow of business. 

If meeting rooms are booked to a capacity that means flexibility is no longer possible, then it is probably time to start looking for a bigger space. After all, what’s the point in a place of business if you have no space to conduct that business in? You’ll probably be solving a lot of arguments and ill feeling in the process too. 

Personal space

In the past, giving people personal space was seen as courtesy done out of politeness, now it's seen as a health issue. Social distancing has meant that employees must be sitting at least one metre apart, and cramped office conditions will not allow people to do this safely. 

Besides, cramped conditions have always been a motivation killer. If there is no room to sit quietly and concentrate on a task, and employees are continually disrupted by others, productivity will fall and staff irritability will rise, resulting in a bad working atmosphere. 

Volume levels 

Workspaces are meant to be places where you can concentrate without much disturbance. Unfortunately, if you pack too many people and pieces of equipment in a short space, the volume levels are bound to rise. If you find that the general working volume is elevated to a level where you are now unable to carry out work, it’s a warning sign that a move might need to be on the cards. 

Storage 

Whether its stock, documents or marketing paraphernalia, having room to store any and all business assets should be a service your office space provides. Having to constantly hire out storage units or even stockpile items at personal residences is a sign that your current premises are just not big enough. Having all these assets stored under one roof, will save time on unnecessary travel and be of great convenience to your operation. 

 

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