​While rows of cubicles and corner offices are still the first associations we get when we think about office space, the knowledge of what boosts our productivity in the workplace has changed to better fit the needs of both the employees and the company, as well as the satisfaction of their visiting clients. Although closed doors and cubicles were created to keep all the distractions away and employees focused, teamwork and active communication were limited to staff meetings, thus lessening the odds of the employees' cooperation.
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If you are thinking about ways to manage your office space in order to increase productivity and cut costs, here are some ideas you should consider

​When it comes to productivity, you’re your own best friend.
 
The things you do now will ensure your future self is as productive as possible, and all it takes is a little foresight and forward planning.
 
I’m always helping my future self be more productive and, while it isn’t always 100% successful, I feel far better knowing that I’m doing whatever I can to keep on top of my ever-growing to-do list.
 
Here’s how to increase your own productivity levels by planning ahead.

When you first start up a new business it can take some time before it starts to make any kind of significant profit so many people continue to work full-time and run their new business on the side, at the same time.
 
It makes sense because you need money coming in to pay the bills while you work on getting your company up and running; however it can take a lot of hard work and very long hours to work two jobs effectively.
 
If you are planning to run your business alongside a full-time employed position there are quite a number of elements to take into consideration, not the least of which is managing your own health and wellbeing at what will be a very busy and stressful time.
 
To give us some tips on how to balance both we asked the experts from Crunch.co.uk and they gave these useful tips. 

In order for any for-profit business to be successful, it must be for-people before anything else. When customers decide to spend money on your service or product, they do so by expecting to be served in the best way possible. That’s what customer service is for. Otherwise, if the service isn't satisfying, they may go shopping elsewhere. This holds true whether you are oriented on service or product and whether you're a B2C or B2B business.

Around the world, a staggering 96% of customers are saying that customer service is a major factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. Great customer service will create a satisfied and loyal audience, the business will experience growth in the best way possible and the customer experience level will rise substantially. However, just one wrong Facebook or Instagram complaint or dozens of bad comments and reviews will ruin the years of effort that went into building a high-quality business reputation.
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For small businesses, one of the better ways of achieving such high-quality customer service comes with using a virtual assistant to deal with all the nuances.

​Lighting is one of the crucial factors that affect workplace productivity even if you work from home.

Insufficient and poor lighting can not only hinder your productivity, but also affect your mood and cause health problems, such as headaches. Fortunately, improving your lighting is a simple upgrade that will definitely have a positive impact on your motivation and inspiration. 

​This is a common trend among the more hands-on entrepreneurs, and while an active approach is something to be applauded, the need to delegate tasks, even important tasks, becomes more present.
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If this is not something you naturally do, don’t worry. Delegation is a skill that you can learn just like any other, and we encourage you to seek out those resources for the benefit of your business. Yet first, here are a few more reasons why we stress the importance of delegation:

​Running a small business isn’t easy. Working towards your dreams isn’t simple. It takes effort and commitment and it can be easy to justify working on your business every waking minute of the day.

The problem is, if you keep pushing yourself, working longer and longer hours, you’ll find yourself becoming stressed, losing focus and suffering from burnout which can actually have an opposite effect on your small business than what you’d intended.

The key thing to remember is that you need time away from your business, time where you can relax, clear your mind and take care of yourself so that you can approach your business feeling refreshed and with a new perspective.

​Here are our top tips to help get you started:

​How many times are you distracted in the average day?

It could be social media notifications, the phone ringing, someone at the door, Skype messages or emails - all of these things can distract you, forcing your attention away from working on your business.

Small distractions can lead to big problems, causing you to lose your focus on the task at hand and destroying the sense of ‘flow’ that you had going. If continued, it can severely hinder your daily productivity.
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Here a few tips to help you cut the distractions, stay focused and get more out of your day! 

When you run your own business, you’ll find that your mind is often focused on your business – how to grow it, how to run it better, how to improve sales etc. Having your business constantly on your mind isn’t actually a good thing and can often lead to stress, burnout and lower productivity levels.

How do we combat this? By practising mindfulness.

The dictionary defines mindfulness as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique." 
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But what does this actually mean? And more importantly how can you use mindfulness to boost your productivity? Keep reading to find out.