Should You Spend Your Office Budget Surplus on Office Renovations?
It’s the end of the year, and you find yourself with a big budget surplus. Is an office renovation really a good use of that extra money? Probably not, but here are a few other good ways to spend, or not spend, your surplus:
- Take the profit, and build a back-up cash reserve
- Pay off any debts, like business credit cards
- Invest it and build the surplus
- Pay bonuses to your employees
- Reinvest in marketing or offer discount rates on products or services
- Invest in your employees, or hire for positions you’ve been putting off
- Upgrade your office or workspaces
These are all great ways to spend a surplus, and many can provide a boost in profit or employee satisfaction. Office renovations can be very expensive, so it can be just as beneficial and can bring more instant return if you simply invest in upgrades around the office. Upgrading your workspace can benefit employee productivity, satisfaction, and keep your business up to date and attract better employees and customers.
Employees feel more motivated and productive when they are in a good work environment, with comfortable seating, functional workspaces, and one that promotes health and wellbeing. Therefore, an office update can encourage a better work environment for your employees, which in turn invests in them.
Sit-Stand Convertible Desks
Being sedentary all day can have negative impacts on physical and mental health, as well as productivity and concentration. Sitting all day at work can lead to chronic back pain, low energy, slower metabolism, and worsening depression. Being able to stand during the workday is a benefit a lot of employees look for. If your office is not in a place convenient to go get up and walk around or stand at a high table during the day, a sit-stand convertible desk could be the perfect answer. A sit-stand desk means the employee can sit at a normal desk height, but have the option to lift the desk to a standing height with the simple life of a lever. No need to remove anything from their desktop, and they can switch from sit to stand whenever they need to in the day. This is an incredible benefit to many employees, and would be a great use of a budget surplus.
New Office Chairs with Lumbar Support
Focusing on ensuring proper workspaces and desks for your employees can be as simple as a new desk chair, or removable lumbar support. An employee’s comfort at their desk can help achieve optimal performance and satisfaction. If you don’t decide to get new chairs, a detachable lumbar support can be attached to virtually any desk chair. Get them as gifts for your employees for the new year!
Upgraded Configurations or Fabric
There is really no need to buy brand new $3,000+ cubicles for your office upgrade. Go the sustainable route and simply work on reconfiguring workstations, or upgrade the fabric and tabletops! Refurbishing the office furniture can look just as nice, plus are sustainable and can be crafted to suit your needs just as easily. Everyone can get involved and be a part of the process of planning their new workspace upgrade. Plus going this route rather than buying new furniture can leave some of your surplus left over for a party, or additional bonuses for employees.
Monitor Arms & Organization Tools
A cool way to freshen up a workspace is to find unique ways to improve organization, and modernize the workspace. Magnuson Group has some awesome “up and off the desk” organization tools that are unlike anything you may have had in your office before. Their tool rails allow you to attach lamps, filing systems, shelving, and pencil holders to it, but keeping everything up and off the desk. With everything raised 4-6 inches off of your desktop clears up so much space for other things and less clutter can actually alleviate unneeded stress. Monitor arms also create a lot of space for more work area and more organization. Raising your monitor can give a nice clean feel to your desk and help with concentration.
Sound Solutions
A way to give a bit more privacy or improve the work environment overall, especially in shared workspaces, is with soundproof panels. Acoustic panels in an office or common area can help absorb sound so people’s phone calls or chatter don’t echo and disturb others. Employees with these have said it’s improved concentration and can make meetings more effective when people don’t have to worry about being too loud, at a normal volume.
Collaborative Decor
Lastly, simply sprucing up your office with low-light plants, cozy rugs in offices, some nice armchairs or just hanging some nice art can give the office a renewed look. People spend a lot of time at work, staring at those walls, and sitting in these offices. Adding pops of color and visuals can improve livelihood in the office, and can give the place a homey feel. Investing in your office, means investing in your employees.
So the short answer to the question of spending your budget surplus on an office renovation is no. Bringing in important upgrades to your existing office can give the same effect as a full renovation. Minnesota Office Furniture can offer multiple options for new-to-you cubicles, desks, and office furniture, plus new fabrics and configurations to give workspaces a new, fresh look.
