The days of keeping an office to a plain, stuffy, cubicle-filled standard are gone.  Small businesses are opening themselves up to new ways of operating daily.  Whether they make choices based on sustainability, economy or wellbeing, the ‘average’ office space is rarer than ever.  That, as many people will agree, is for the better.

The average office setup may not appeal to the needs of modern businesses.  In a world where small firms are needing to think creatively about how to keep their running costs down, out-of-the-box thinking is commonplace.  With that said, here are some great office ideas you could put into practice for your small enterprise or business.

Collaborative Working

While technology is helping us all to collaborate digitally, there is a growing thirst for co-working spaces.  A great modern office idea is one which brings people together.  Depending on what it is your business does, you can share your space with others to work on big deadlines.  You can do away with individual desks and hot-desking.  Bring everyone together, and you are all on the same page.

Use an Alternative Building

Office rental is at an all-time high, cost-wise.  That’s why many smaller businesses are getting creative when it comes to where to set up.  For example, many enterprises operate out of empty shipping containers!

Containers can be used as big enough spaces to hold comfortable offices.  They are more cost-effective long-term than office rental rates.  They can even be customized however you wish.  For flexibility and value, there are few options out there that offer quite the same support in terms of the space and facilities you need.

Focus on Wellbeing

A modern office is one you should be pleased to work in.  Old style office spaces are functional first and comfortable later.  However, the tide appears to be turning, but we’re not saying switch all of your furniture for beanbags akin to Google!  We are, however, suggesting that small businesses are more concerned than ever with harnessing positive morale.

Modern offices increase the amount of natural light, with less of a dependency on artificial bulbs.  Some offices bring in plant life and allow personal items on workstations.  These are all nice little touches which will make a lot of difference from person to person.  Some even set up standing or treadmill desks to help people keep active while they work.

Practical and Unique

There should still be a firm balance between practicality and uniqueness.  Small businesses should look at creative ways to solve everyday working problems.  Throwing in a few design choices for the sake of it is only going to add to the confusion.

There are millions of fantastic small office ideas out there that go against the grain.  Small businesses should focus on building pleasant, collaborative spaces that are convenient and efficient.  While there are still plenty of traditional office systems out there, we will just have to see how long they will last.  Take a look at what you need, and then go all out to facilitate!