Organizing Your Small Office

When it comes to organizing your office small, design and layout is critically important. After all, a work environment can influence employee productivity, morale and retention rates. In fact, a recent study done by Gensler, a prominent corporate architecture firm, reported that over 50% of surveyed employees said that they would work an additional hour every day if they had a better work environment. That's 5 extra hours of productivity per employee... simply because their work environment is pleasant.

The benefit of a pleasant, well-organized office space is clear. Unfortunately, most small businesses cannot afford an expensive architecture firm to come in and professionally design the office layout. As with most things, the small business owner must find creative solutions on their own.

So... what makes a work environment… well, work?

There are several key factors that you should address.

Comfort. Above all, you should strive to create a comfortable work environment for your employees. Things like ergonomic work chairs, natural lighting and a pleasant color scheme go a long way to establish a productive environment. Interior design elements such as architecture and furniture style can affect the office’s over-all mood and influence company culture. Do you view your brand as sophisticated and modern? Create an environment that exudes those qualities using classic furniture pieces and rich colors. Is your company young and innovative? Modern pieces and up-tempo colors will set the right tone and encourage employees to emulate that identity. Not sure where to start? HGTV offers a nice home office design gallery that can help inspire the right office aesthetic for your company brand and culture. Still stuck? Ask your employees for their ideas and input.

Efficiency. The office should be organized to fulfill specific objectives efficiently. Define the top 3 to 5 objectives of each department and organize their space around making those objectives easier to achieve. This means grouping collaborative teams together, placing equipment and supplies where they are most often needed and creating a logical flow through the office space that allows for quick communication. Each area of the office should have a meeting space and printing station with a stocked supply closet featuring everything from paper clips to toner cartridges.

Budget. As with everything in small business, budget matters. At the beginning of any office design project, you should create a rational budget and stick to it. If you cannot make all the changes you would like today, plan your office changes in waves that are aligned with cash flow. The International Facilities Management Association recommends budgeting between $3,870 and $6,447 per person to outfit a completely empty office space. For very small businesses this estimate may be a bit high. Consider cutting costs by buying/renting used furniture and doing easier tasks yourself, such as painting walls.

About the Author: Andrew Yeung is President of CompAndSave, a leading online provider of premium printer ink cartridges, including Canon cartridges and HP deskjet cartridges.

Managing Your Office Supplies

As a small business owner, it is important to be economical, efficient, adaptable and prepared. Of course, it sounds a lot easier than it is. These core values are easily put to the side facing the demands of day-to-day business. That said, there is one strategy that will save you money and time, improve your office efficiencies, keep you prepared, and allow to you quickly adapt to change… it's mastering your office supply logistics.

Many managers and business owners overlook the importance of office supplies at their own peril. Not only are these items critical to keeping an office running, but they can add up to a significant cost. Your office supply policy deserves more than a passing thought. It is a strategic business decision. Here are a few tips for making sure your office supply policy is efficient, effective and economical.

Buy your office supplies online.

As simple as it sounds, buying your office supplies online can have a significant impact on your business. Legitimate online supply stores offer the most competitive prices, ship quickly and make time-consuming visits to over-priced mega-stores unnecessary. As market conditions change, you can quickly (and easily) change supply orders. Run out of something unexpectedly? You can place an express order at 2 in the morning.

Keep necessities on hand.

Keep a surplus of essential supplies on hand. What constitutes an "essential" will depend on the specifics of your business, but some popular essentials include paper pads, printer ink cartridges or laser toner cartridges, paper clips, staples and whiteboard pens. Keep this cache of these essenial supplies in the office at all times.

Manage access to supplies.

Office supply theft seems harmless enough, but in adds up. Manage your employee's access to supplies. Have lower level employees request office supplies through their manager. This will make them less apt to waste supplies or take packs of pens and envelopes home for personal use.

Document your supply use.

Keep a monthly log on the supplies used and ordered. This practice will allow you to order replacement supplies when needed, as well as track usage and expenses. You can spot areas of excess and perhaps find a less expensive alternative. For example, if you are spending quite a bit on printing, consider purchasing discount cartridges in bulk. It can save you hundreds - even thousands - of dollars over the course of a year.

If you delegate this duty to an employee, make it clear that the goals are efficiency and cost effectiveness. Reward them for coming up with creative ways to save the company money on office supply expenses. Every couple of months, review the office supply log with this employee and discuss developments or areas of concern.

About the Author: Lianer Kuang is a Senior Product Manager for CompAndSave, a leading online provider of premium printer ink cartridges, including HP compatible toner cartridges. A streamlined state-of-art manufacturing facility and online distribution model allows CompAndSave to sell laser toner cartridges at steep discounts, saving small businesses thousands in operating costs every year.