5 Terrible Drawbacks of Your New Office You Find After the Move (and How to Fix Them)

You were so excited to move into your new office space. Everything looked perfect, and you were happy with the lease. You moved in, you set up, and you realize you might have jumped the gun a little bit. What can you do? Breaking a lease right after you’ve signed it is expensive. You won’t be able to use that unhappy landlord as a reference. It’s time to make the best of an unfortunate situation by thinking outside of the box.

1. It’s More Cramped Than You Thought

If it seemed like you had a lot of floor space but your perspective really shifted once all of your office furniture was unloaded, this could be a big problem. You’re going to need to be able to grow in this space, and if you can barely fit all of the employees you currently have, you certainly won’t be able to add more. One of the easiest ways to maximize space is by swapping out furniture. Instead of wide desks and shelves, opt for tall ones. Going up instead of across will open up a lot more floor space than you may realize.

2. It Feels Utilitarian

If you’re looking around and thinking that everything looks drab, you aren’t necessarily stuck in a dreary space. See if your lease allows you to paint. If it doesn’t, you can overcompensate by being a great decorator. Hang some art up on the walls. Use fun throw rugs and runners to line walkways. Bring in some fresh flowers, and hang up some patterned curtains. You’ll be adding a little more zest into the place by creating focus points.

3. There Isn’t Enough Light

It probably looked brighter before you put all of your furniture in. The light travelled freely with nothing to obstruct it. Now, things seem awfully dim. Opt for sheer window coverings, and keep the blinds open. Rather than relying on fluorescent track lights, swap them out for some daylight replicating bulbs. The brain interprets these bulbs the same way it interprets natural sunlight. Not only will it make the area feel brighter, but it will also promote a more productive attitude in your employees.

4. There’s No Storage Space

You set up your cubicles and moved in all of the equipment. Now where are you going to put all of your office supplies? It’s cheaper to order things in bulk, but bulky things are difficult to store. Rather than trying to stuff every nook and cranny of your office, you can always use a service like Spacer to help you find a local place to put it. When you need to replenish, send someone on a supply run.

5. People Can’t Find You

If your business requires you to hold meetings with customers or clients and you’re very far out of the way, you won’t want to inconvenience them. You can’t pick up your office and move it somewhere else, but you could entertain some alternatives. Treat these people to lunch somewhere closer to the city. Hold virtual meetings over Skype when you need to meet with a large number of people in the same day. As long as you’re still providing excellent customer service, your customers won’t be bothered by how you do it. In fact, you’re making it a little more convenient for them by going the extra mile.

Even the darkest clouds have silver linings. Your office is only the worst office if you allow it to be. As long as you value your company culture, your hardworking employees, and the work that you do, you’re going to survive until the end of this lease.