How long has your company been in its present space? In that time, have there been substantial changes in numbers of employees or changes in the nature of your work?

Maybe you have more employees, and crowding is a real problem. Or maybe there are less employees now, and you're paying for space you don't need. Possibly you've changed the nature of your company, say from an emphasis on manufacturing to one on service, and your current space was not designed to accommodate a larger staff working with the public.

Another consideration is productivity. If your space is incorrectly laid out or if it's obsolete in terms of amenities like lighting, acoustics, or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), employee productivity is probably less than optimum. For starters, observe your employees as they perform simple tasks. Does your current space cause them to expend extra energy on tasks like making a copy or finding materials or equipment?

According to a study done by Louis Harris and Associates for Steelcase in which 1,004 office workers were interviewed at home, office productivity is closely related to office space and design. 74% of the workers interviewed felt they could do more work in a day if the conditions and circumstances under which they worked were changed.

Another determining factor is image. Does your current space project the proper company image to employees and to the public? Possibly your company has made some major acquisitions, and your current space no longer projects a progressive image to the public or to your employees. Perhaps the way your business is viewed by your clients and the general public has changed over the years; your new space should reflect that change. At any rate, if you've outgrown your current space, now is a good time to consider what image you want to project to the public and to your employees.

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