One of the most important things to take into consideration when starting up a new business would be to figure out your office. (Unless your startup is about selling hotdogs – then you just need a hotdog stand and that customized suit + a cap your cook will wear.)
Modern offices really are quite different from the workplaces of yore. Well… from the workplaces 40-50 years ago, where you were frowned upon if you didn’t smoke and wear a suit while seated behind your typing machine.
Nowadays, smoking is completely unacceptable in a growing number of companies, the typing machines have been replaced with computers, and the suits are not that important anymore. (So, it’s pretty laid back now as it is – imagine then what box o’ wonders the millennials have in store for us!)
In this article, we’ll talk about the important points of interest you need to take care of when setting up your new office.
Right then, without further ado, here’s the deal:
1) Security System
If you have strong enough employees, you don’t need this one. They’ll take care of any potential threat and you won’t have to pay them a dime for that extra work!
Jokes aside, having a well-developed security system onboard that can help you protect your company grounds from any unwanted visitors is quite an important asset for a startup – especially if you live in a place with a high crime rate.
Also, you should consider installing video surveillance indoors, as well, as you never know what you will need the footage for. What if an employee gets injured and needs some proof for his or her insurance company, for example?
2) Internet
In the modern-day workplace, setting up the Internet is the process you do before you set up the chairs. Depending on your line of work, you’ll need either a quick ‘n’ powerful Internet connection or just a rudimentary one for checking the e-mails. Ooor, something in between.
Although you may get tempted to install the most potent Internet package there is for your office, you should take a step back and assess how badly you actually need it. So, in case your employees are doing some sort of work that is not that browsing-intensive, a simpler, less expensive sort of Internet deal can be all you really need.
3) Communication System
Maintaining an open line of communication between your employees throughout their workday represents one of the most important aspects of office work there is.
Sometimes you’ll have to send your employees to fetch something from the other part of the town. Other times, you might have to dispatch a negotiating team to meet with a potentially big customer. (Or dispatch a team to find that first guy who managed to get lost and his battery’s dead and he also lost his wallet.)
So, to ensure all of your employees are connected, you can make good use of such free software as Slack or Viber, as well as give everyone a company phone they can use for company-related matters. Even you should plan to have some decorative items like nightstand light to make the Workplace look really attractive.
4) Ventilation System
One of the major downsides of working in an office is the lack of fresh air and regular exercise that you get with other, more physically engaging jobs. This situation is guaranteed to get worse if you don’t have a proper ventilation system in place.
Imagine having to spend eight hours in a stuffy cubicle with only your wayward printer for company! A fate you wouldn’t wish on your worst business rivals. (Ooor you would wish that upon them, come to think of it. But that’s not the point. The point is that you and your employees are suffering, and the lack of a ventilation system is partly to blame!)
In order to ensure the air in the office is always fresh, install a sturdy ventilation system. As simple as that.
When we’re talking about ventilation, it’s also crucial to mention that you also need to think about a reliable fire system as well as a smoke extract ductwork. This way, you’ll be fully protected against different worst-case scenarios.
5) Exercise Room
This entry represents the continuation of the topic of your employees’ health AND fitness, actually.
The curious thing is, even though we got rid of smoking, we’ve slowly but surely embarked upon a new foul voyage that leads down the path of unhealthiness, so to speak. We’re talking about sitting, believe it or not.
Prolonged periods spent sitting in front of a computer can do as much harm as smoking, in fact!
To counter this phenomenon, make sure to include an exercise room as a part of your workplace so that your employees can make up for some of that time spent sitting down.
Take a page out of Valve’s book. Good ole Gabe Newell figures out how important exercise was for his employees some years ago and now he actually hired a professional athlete to train his workers.
All things considered, organizing a viable workplace from scratch can be quite a tricky process, especially for a startup. Besides the checklist above, there are also other essential office equipment every startup needs. Think about stationery, office printers, coffee machines, collaboration tools, and so on. That said, with a little bit of organization and insight from your employees, you can make an office everyone will love working in with ease.
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