The end of financial year is upon us, and it’s the perfect time to consider giving your workspace an upgrade to make the most of potential tax deductions. Whether you’re considering sustainable office solutions, improving office organisation or creating a smart office, these ideas will help you elevate your space.

How to Create a Smart Office

Upgrade to a smart office with intelligent voice assistant speakers, secure hard drives and security cameras.

There’s one surefire way you and your team can work smarter: keeping tech, both hardware and software, current. The end of financial year is the perfect opportunity to assess what you could update, as you may be able to claim all or part of the cost when completing your tax return.

Laptops should be installed (and upgraded whenever necessary) with applications that allow people to communicate and keep track of projects. Investigate integrated team productivity software, such as Monday and Asana, that creates excellent workflow. With tools like these, members of a team can share what they’re working on, delegate tasks and responsibility, as well as have access to a clear and up-to-date project plan. Other essentials include anti-viral software, a video chat program (Zoom or Microsoft Teams, for example) and an instant messaging system like Slack. The ideal is to create a system that operates effortlessly.

Working towards a truly smart office also means integrating a security system that gives you both visibility of the workplace and control over all the elements (interior and exterior security cameras and lighting, alarms, smart locks, motion sensors, smoke and glass-break alarms) by using a program that can be operated from an app on a smartphone or device. It gives small-business owners, whether they’re in the office or not, the ability to limit and track access for both employees and visitors.

Smart lighting is an excellent addition to any workspace, too, says Melissa Marsden, director of workplace strategy at interior design studio COMUNiTI and author of The Next Workplace: Designing Dynamic Environments that Inspire Human Potential. “Access to natural light is important,” she says, “and you can also install a system that changes the colour temperature throughout the day to support circadian rhythms.”

One of the most important aspects of the smart workplace is protecting data. A 2020 study found that 51% of companies in the Asia-Pacific region had at least one data breach or cybersecurity incident after shifting to remote work. According to Biz Cover, which offers small-business insurance, there are many ways to safeguard security when staff members are working from home. These include storing data on a reliable cloud service or secure hard drive, investing in firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs), and performing regular upgrades to technology systems and tools. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has a downloadable guide outlining the steps necessary for small businesses to protect their assets.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How to Create a Work From Anywhere Ergonomic Setup

Tips for Making Your Workspace More Sustainable

Sustainable office solutions have risen in popularity, including eco-friendly stationery supplies and accessories.

In the past 10 years, sustainability has become an issue that has big ramifications for not just the environment but also employee morale. A recent study for the University of South Australia found that initiatives that encourage sustainability in the workplace have benefits for both workers and the bottom line.

“Our research suggests green human resource management that fosters eco-friendly or ‘green’ behaviours can lead to non-green workplace benefits, such as higher job satisfaction, stronger employee engagement and increased productivity,” says Dr Subha Parida, a human resources expert at the University of South Australia.

The research found 40% of Australia’s CBD office space is Green Star certified, which produces higher cognitive function in workers, less sickness and higher sleep quality scores compared to people who spend their days in non-Green Star buildings.

If you don’t work in a Green Star-certified office, there are some sustainable steps you can implement in your workplace quickly, both in central offices and your home workspace. One way to do this is to minimise paper usage, says Melissa.

She suggests digitising most of the files that need to be saved. “Even when you’re brainstorming you can use a digital whiteboard,” says Melissa.

Once paper is finished with, it should go straight into the shredder for recycling at a centralised waste station in the office. Continuous ink tank printers that instead use ink tanks instead of cartridges can also help save money, as well as create far less waste. 

The end of financial year is the ideal time to replace furniture or stationery, and take advantage of possible tax deductions, so look for products that are kinder to the environment. These include products certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council, which supports sustainable forestry and the people who rely on it, and supplies made from recycled plastics or sold in recycled packaging. 

You can also collect used items, such as unwanted tech, batteries, pens, markers and ink cartridges, as they can be properly recycled for free through programs such as Officeworks’ Bring It Back.

Looking at the bigger picture, working towards large-scale goals, such as switching to 100% renewable energy, using natural ventilation, reducing business travel and giving back to the local community, will all help your small business make a big difference. 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Small Business Tax Deductions to Consider

Ideas for Improving Workspace Organisation

Planners, sticky notes, whiteboards and document folders can help with office organisation.  

One of the biggest changes to workplaces is the organisation of the space, a trend driven by hybrid working. In 2022, Seek data found more than half of Australians expect to work remotely at least some of the time. Now, with people working in the office on different days, there’s a move away from workers having their own desk.

“Not hot desking,” says Melissa. “We prefer to call it unallocated seating or agile working.

“We’re creating more open work areas where people work collaboratively. They might be sitting around a larger table working on their own projects but also chatting. Companies might also have project rooms or war rooms that teams working together take over for the duration of a specific project.” 

After working at home for the best part of three years, many people have become used to minimal distractions. Therefore, Melissa explains, spaces where workers can concentrate are essential.

“We’ve been adding more individual pods, ones that are a bit like phone booths, and acoustic screens to give people more privacy and some quiet time,” she says.

When people don’t have permanent desks, it’s important to have areas where important files and, for example, reference books can be stored. The end of financial year is a perfect time to consider what exactly the space now needs to maximise its efficiency, as there’s an opportunity to claim new furniture or tech that’s essential. These could be a bookcase kept in a room everyone can access or, if the information is sensitive, there could be a number of lockable filing cabinets. 

The other important consideration is where people keep the ‘things’ – their bags, gym gear, pen cup, diary – when they don’t have a desk. This could be a set of cupboards, lockers or drawers set up near the foyer or kitchen. 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How to Get Organised at Work

Hints for Enhancing Workspace Design and Aesthetics

Coloured desk accessories and indoor plants are simple office design elements that can help improve a workspace.

How a space feels can make a significant difference to worker satisfaction. A study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health showed art in the workplace reduced exhaustion suffered by healthcare workers in vaccination centres. Another study published in journal Employee Relations in March 2022 showed workplace aesthetics act as a driver for job choice when employment is offered. In short, it pays to keep attractive office design top of mind, whether you manage a team or work solo in a home workspace. When you upgrade furniture or equipment before the end of the financial year, you might be able to claim all or part of the cost as part of your tax return.

Gone are the days of grey, white and black utilitarian furniture and long straight lines of desks. “You should use your space to convey your brand’s personality,” says Melissa. “This is your chance to show the business’s unique aspects to both your clients and staff.”

There are many ways to do this using colour, art and other design elements. While team members might not have a dedicated space to display personal items, adds Melissa, consider starting a shared display zone to display awards, trophies and photographs important to the team. Even if you don’t have a big budget to refresh an entire space, small fixes to office design and aesthetics will improve how people feel while they’re working. 

“Introducing more plants around the office will lift the atmosphere. Research has shown people have a physiological response to plants, and they act as air filters,” says Melissa. 

If you’re considering upgrading workplace stationery this end of financial year, opt for matched sets of magazine racks, keyboards, drawers, trays, pen cups and mouse mats that allow people to put away their stapler, pencil and the files on which they’re working. 

For a more environmentally sustainable approach, you could even buy many of these products made from bamboo (see eco-friendly office supply list above). Scientists from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that, because our brains like order, keeping a desk tidy and uncluttered helps workers focus, process information and improve productivity.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Tax Return Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Return

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‍This is general information only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Other requirements under the law apply. Seek professional financial and/or legal advice to determine the right outcomes for your business.

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