A small business could refer to anything from large, local clothing boutique to a small marketing company operated by a handful of telecommuting workers. Despite the different nature of each small business, they tend to share one characteristic: small office space. To have a happy, productive office, this space must be set up and designed to its greatest potential. Here are 5 tips for doing this in your small business:

Use Color

Color can greatly affect the perceived size of a room and the mood of your workers. Paint your office space to fit the purpose and size of your business. For a very small office space, avoid dark or very bright colors. Two options work great, however. One way you could paint the space is using a light, neutral color, like yellow. If you do this, be sure it is not pastel, which can wash a room out. The other option is to pick a bright, bold color and paint two accent walls; then paint the other two walls a muted shade of that color.

Clear Pathways

In a small space, every inch of the room matters. Just as clutter on desks can be distracting and make it harder to work efficiently, a cluttered floor space creates a poor work environment. Not only do superfluous lamps or tables make the office feel smaller, but they also make it hard for workers to move throughout the office. Remove any unnecessary furniture to open up the space. Uncramping your office will create a happier staff.

Buy updated equipment

If it is at all in your small business’s budget, buy updated electronic equipment for the office. Of course, this does not need to be all at once; gradually update computers, printers, and even lights; you may even want to consider asking employees to bring their own laptops and getting rid of office desktop computers. Newer equipment is much smaller than models of even just a few years ago. With an update, you can free of drastic amounts of floor and desk space.

Individual File Cabinets

Keeping projects, to-do lists, sales information, and other files on hand and organized is an important part of every office’s daily routine. In a small office where ultra-organization is key to successful operations, keeping documents stored and filed properly is incredibly important. The best way to promote efficient work and make it easy for workers to keep files organized is for each worker to have separate file cabinets. A small file cabinet that fits under a desk or beside it at desk height allows each worker to have their files located within arms reach of their workspace. Encourage them to develop their own filing system that helps them to best find and identify files.

Cut Down on Paper

While file cabinets are certainly necessary, not everything needs to be available in a hard format. Cutting down on paper eliminates office clutter. Utilize different types of digital office tools. For example, maintain a Google office calendar, where everyone in the office can add and update important meetings or dates. Create an office DropBox account to make it easy to share documents throughout the office without printing.

Liz Childers works in a tiny home office where every ounce of space matters! She is a freelance writer who covers topics like finding a tent for camping or a picnic basket.