Top office trends in 2019

Simone Hjorth wrote an interesting and helpful article recently about some of the top office trends that are "becoming a thing" in 2019. We found the article helpful, as it pushed us to think about our own small business and how these trends might affect us. We thought it might also be a helpful discussion for our customers, many of whom run their own small businesses or work from home.

Here are three of the trends the article mentions:

1. The future is wireless.

This one might seem obvious, but we have customers call all the time and ask about whether they can get wire management grommets put in a desk or a conference table. We try to explain that more and more manufacturers are skipping this option, since more and more workers are going wireless. Sure, as of now most monitors and computers still need wires, but the day is not far away when the majority of our electronic gadgets are wireless. If you can find ways to adopt this trend sooner (perhaps by going with wireless mouses, laptops, etc., you'll be more ready for what the future holds.

2. Technology is often taking the place of receptionists.

This is sad for those who work as receptionists and have that skill set, but more and more companies are saving on their bottom line by using sign-in kiosks, virtual phone assistants, and other technology to cut down on the need to pay office personnel. Since efficiency will become more and more important as the economy changes, this is something to keep in mind or plan for if it makes sense for your small business. But don't worry - we are going to keep answering the phone ourselves around here!

3. Healthier human beings make better employees.

This one has needed to be a trend for centuries. We are not convinced the majority of businesses will take it seriously, but we certainly will. Employees who feel they have the space to be healthy, through time off, exercise, vacation, and the like, end up being better workers when they are working. Employees who feel trapped and unable to have flexibility in their work schedules are often less productive because they are distracted and less passionate about their work. In other words, if we value the human beings who make our businesses go enough to make sure they are healthy and whole people (instead of simply cogs in a machine), we will see the benefits from that come back to the business in important ways (but it's still about valuing people!).

We hope these have been helpful to think through, and we'll keep our eye out for more trends we can write about in the future. In the meantime, if you need furniture to help make your office look better or function better, please check out our desks and storage items and conference tables and chairs and decor - we would love to serve you!