Every business owner, manager, or commercial property owner is involved in workplace budgeting, whether it’s meetings every quarter, monthly, or annually to discuss how funds should be spent. While payroll, utilities, mortgage/rent, and subscriptions are top priorities, many companies should consider commercial interiors cost planning in their workplace budgeting.

Whether you’re considering making major or minor changes around the office, budgeting for workplace improvements is an investment that will improve your employees’ workflow, productivity, and overall well-being. However, not all workplace improvements are a wise investment; continue reading to learn where companies overspend and underspend, and how SPACESINC can help.

Where Companies Overspend when Workplace Budgeting

Workplace budgeting can be a tricky task, especially when you need new office furniture or a commercial interior upgrade. While cost planning is a wise way to estimate future expenses, including more positions and office upgrades, most companies will overspend on certain things. Below are some of the most common things companies overspend on when workplace budgeting:

Physical Office Space

Have you ever considered whether your office has too much physical office space? Whether you built your building from the ground up, purchased it, or are renting from a different owner, utilizing every inch of your space gets your money’s worth, right? Wrong! Unfortunately, companies tend to overspend on physical office space when workplace budgeting. If your company has evolved to be a hybrid/flexible workplace, you might not need to budget for extra office space. While planning for extra space for growth is great, not every inch of the office needs to have a desk. Rather, you could invest in collaborative spaces or lounge areas for your employees to enjoy while keeping things minimal and less expensive.

Software Subscriptions

What’s the number of softwares your company subscribes to? How many free trials have you signed up for yet, accidentally forget to cancel, or are paying for a service that can guarantee X but not Y, only to pay for a different one that guarantees Y but not X? While having multiple softwares to help with daily operations is great, companies tend to overspend on software subscriptions. Scale back by gathering a list of all subscriptions you have, then determine which ones you can unsubscribe to and consolidate your needs into less subscriptions.

Unused Company Perks or Swag

Do you offer an employee gym membership or perhaps have a pantry or snack area stocked full at all times? While company perks and swag are nice, not all the extra bells and whistles are necessary and often go unused and accidentally get abandoned. Most perks, like joining a gym, require employees to take more time to utilize when they already feel stretched thin. Reconsider the perks you offer and determine whether you can consolidate or reduce them.

Layouts that Don’t Foster Creativity

Too many times, companies will completely gut and redesign a building with a layout that doesn’t foster creativity and actually slows productivity. Offices with a functional, efficient layout foster creativity, allowing employees to communicate easier, improving workflow.

Impractical Office Furniture

Older offices often have impractical office furniture that slows productivity and creativity, making for a slower team and a diluted brand image, especially if you frequently host client meetings. Mismatched furniture, or bulky, impractical office furniture, is uncomfortable and often expensive, making employees feel uninspired and less focused on their work. Office furniture should be practical, ergonomic, and comfortable for all employees and guests.

Where Companies Underspend when Workplace Budgeting

Again, planning for future expenses is a great way to ensure you stay within your annual budgeting goals, but office upgrades can make all the difference, especially to your employees. Below are some of the areas companies underspend when workplace budgeting that should be more carefully considered:

Office Furniture

Companies tend to underspend on furniture solutions when workplace budgeting, unknowingly hindering workplace performance. Big, bulky, old furniture might initially save money, but it can negatively impact your employees’ overall well-being, including their physical and mental health. Investing in ergonomic, comfortable, and flexible workspaces and office furniture solutions increases your office furniture ROI by making your employees more comfortable, fostering creativity, and productivity.

Flexible/Hybrid Schedules

Flexible/hybrid work is a modern approach, with modern workplaces in Kansas City implementing workplace changes, including sustainable efforts and flexible office furniture options for their employees. Consider investing in a flexible/hybrid schedule that appeals to your current and future employees.

Workflow Design

Traditionally, most companies had rigid carbon-copy desks throughout their buildings, with the same chairs, partitions, and rows of the same equipment, creating a bland work environment with poor workflow design. Traditional office furniture often includes stationary desks, forcing employees to remain at their desks during the workday. They also usually include one or two—or more, depending on the size of the office—stationary conference desks, often meeting in the same room at the same table for collaborative meetings and work. However, modern office furniture includes flexible furniture that encourages movement and creativity while collaborating.

Acoustic Barriers

Companies underspend on dampening sounds and vibrations throughout their office, especially if they share a building with multiple offices. Acoustic barriers should meet or exceed standard requirements to deliver a strong acoustic barrier so your team can focus, not be distracted by outside noise.

How SPACESINC Can Help You Stay on Budget Without Compromising Employee Productivity and Creativity

Let’s face it – designing an office space for your employees to enjoy while they’re in the office can be challenging, especially while you’re juggling your daily to-dos and trying to stay on budget. That’s why SPACESINC exists: to design and build flexible spaces that encourage creativity and collaboration. Our interior space experts execute with excellence throughout the whole project experience, assisting with your commercial interiors cost planning needs. Below are some of our office furniture solutions we’ve implemented for our clients in the greater Kansas City area:

• Functional workspaces
• Flexible conference rooms
• Individual workstations around the office
• Acoustical ceiling and panels
• Beverage stations
• Cozy workspaces
• Demountable (movable) walls
• Prefabricated Furniture Walls, 
• Pre-manufactured Construction Materials
• Glass Walls
• Ergonomic office furniture
• & so much more!

Take a look at our portfolio for some inspiration and learn about individual projects that transformed workspaces into creative, collaborative, and productive environments for modern offices.

Let’s Design Spaces that Complement Your Aesthetic & Employees’ Needs

Whether you’re revamping your traditional office or your office needs a more modern feel, trust SPACESINC to design, build, and install furniture applications that complements your aesthetic and employees’ needs while making your workplace budgeting easier. Whether you need office furniture solutions, interior construction, or architectural products like modular walls, acoustic treatments, and more, we have everything you need to transform your office into a modern workplace in Kansas City. We’ll transform your office on time and on budget, keeping open communication and creativity at the forefront.

Our office furniture solutions include workplace furniture, interior construction, functional workspaces, and private office settings, among many others. Whatever your office’s needs, SPACESINC will design and build an innovative solution that makes the perfect environment to foster creativity and improve your office furniture ROI. We’re ready and excited to serve you – get in contact with our team to get started today!