Adapting to shared office space

Office

You’re probably delighted that your business has grown from a bedroom to a garage and now to a shared office space. It means that you were right on the money with your idea and that it’s making serious progress!

It’s very exciting to be able to finally move into that office you found at Cattaneo Commercial, but it’s not just a physical transition, you have to make some changes to the way you think, behave and work if you’re going to fit in well in your new surroundings.

If you’re feeling those last-minute nerves about starting in your new workspace, then these tips should help you to start on the right foot with your fellow sharers.

Make sure your desk is always neat and tidy

Of course, you’ll want to have your desk and work area just as you need it, but you may not be using it five days a week. If you’re sharing the station with someone else and they’re coming in the next day, make sure it’s “blank” when you leave. Even if you have your work station five days a week, you’re most likely in an open-plan office, so consider your neighbours and keep it tidy and organised.

Don’t make too much noise

No-one’s saying you can’t listen to your favourite Norwegian death metal heroes now that you’re out of your mum’s basement, but just do it through earphones. If you need to make calls, go ahead, but if you’re a loud talker or you know the line will be dodgy, try to take the call to an outdoor area or a quieter corner so you won’t be entertaining the rest of the building with your mangled Italian!

Make use of quiet spaces

If your facility has quiet rooms available and you need a bit more privacy – maybe to really focus on a particular task of if you need to bring another person in for a day or two – then book a meeting room. It helps if you try to book the room for early in the day or just before the end of the day as there’s usually less demand and it may be cheaper.

Don’t just run home if you’ve forgotten something

If you have to run out and back in again because you’ve left your notepad at home, then you might disturb your co-sharers, so ask the office administrator if there’s a stock of basic stationery, or phone chargers or even pens. It’ll save time and a lot of coming and going.

Tidy up after yourself

You shouldn’t just keep your desk clean, you should always tidy up after yourself in the kitchen and any other shared areas. If you leave dirty cups around or a pile of scrunched paper under your chair then you’re making it harder for everyone else to get the best out of the facility. It can also mean that no-one wants to lend you their Android charger when you’ve forgotten yours… Buy in some coffee and biscuits once or twice a month, as well – if everyone did this then there’d never be a shortage of the pick-up stuff!

Tell the office admin if you spot a problem

If you notice a broken printer or a leaking coffee machine, don’t just leave it up to someone else to report it and sort it; tell the administrator as soon as you see it so that it can be fixed.