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QubiGlass: The Spatial Solution We’ve Been Waiting For!

Arming your office with invaluable safety solutions will be a crucial part of your business’s game plan heading into the upcoming winter months. Rather than focusing on decorations and outfitting the workplace with seasonal accouterment, your transition to winter may look a little bit different this year!

As a business owner, this pandemic has been rough for many reasons. While the Coronavirus loomed over us, we had to steer the ship in uncertain waters, lead our team forward with little preparation or training, and continue on amidst a global crisis with an undefined end in sight. It has been our responsibility to ensure that our employees are safe and healthy, COVID-free, and comfortable enough to return to a physical office environment. This has become one of our most daunting tasks as leaders, and even more so for those of us ill-equipped to separate our workers from one another swiftly. Many of us leading an entire workforce grappled with this issue and desperately sought spatial solutions to achieve the necessary safety barriers within the workplace. Without the time or budget to completely redesign our office spaces, most of us have felt somewhat powerless- until now.

With the introduction of QubiGlass by Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company, we’ve now been able to work with what we have in our current office environments and improve the safety and quality of the workday of all of our employees. These systems have become especially important now, as more and more workers return to shared office spaces and the start of flu season is upon us! These new systems are an integral facet for those of us running businesses.

In our modern era, most office spaces and conference rooms enjoy a vast open floor plan with little physical separation or view-blocking partitions. And until this transformative year, open floor plans were celebrated! However, with the current pandemic, it’s completely unthinkable to maintain large sweeping open spaces indoors in which the virus could easily travel from workspace to workspace. That’s why the best way at stopping an airborne viral spread indoors is to put up spatial dividers and limit contact between employees.

How It Works

QubiGlass systems work by wrapping around pre-existing cubicles or walls to upgrade them with a glass protective layer. This new QubiGlass design makes it seamless to work with what you have and enclose your existing spatial dividers in this glass system, with hardly any disruption to the office during installation! This innovative system is affordable, quick, and painless to integrate into office interiors, and can be installed in less than one day! Compared with other alternatives that require abrasive construction taking up weeks or months, QubiGlass Partitions allow you to get back to the normal workday as soon as possible.

The best part? These sturdy glass systems are extremely versatile. Not only do they work as an addition to wall partitions and cubicle walls, but they are also available in freestanding form, with an array of unique configurations available. Spatial dividers and glass office wall partitions should be able to work with your space, not against it, especially in these turbulent times!

Glass VS Plastic

Throughout this pandemic, there has been much debate over the difference between glass and other plastic glass forms such as Plexi or other synthetic acrylics. So, why is it important to use glass for cubicle surfaces rather than fabric material, plastic, or wood?

Glass is much more sanitary, easier to clean and disinfect, and is far more durable than all other materials used for cubicle lining. And while plexiglass and other acrylic alternatives are shatter-resistant, glass will stand the true test of time. Acrylic is very porous, and after months and years of cleaning with harsh chemicals to disinfect, the plastic surface area used in these acrylic glass replacements will begin to wear, yellow in color, and fog while glass will remain unscathed throughout the years. QubiGlass spatial systems are designed for durability and longevity.

Putting these tips into play, you can safeguard your staff, employees, and your customers against this fall flu season! For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to swing doors, wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all! Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and order your very own custom QubiGlass partitions today!

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A New Kind of Necessity

Interior upgrades for your commercial space or retail business that add convenience and offer flexibility are an absolute must these days. If you own and operate any business that interacts with numerous customers per hour, you need to safeguard both your employees and your clients from spreading the Coronavirus by implementing methods for safe separation.

The key to success is finding a solution that is not only quick, affordable, and cost-effective to install, but one that also offers must-need flexibility during the workday. At Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company, we’re the experts at finding the right solutions for your business. Take our advice, and invest in the best. Here’s a list of some of our safety recommendations if you’re currently operating a business during these unprecedented times.

Be Prepared

To run and operate a safe and effective business or medical practice in the modern moment, you’ll need to arm your place of work with safety measures before anyone even enters the door. This looks like:

  • Hiring a door greeter that is capable of taking people’s temperature or issuing medical questionnaires to incomers.
  • Offering a hand sanitizing table, complete with wet wipes and sanitizer pumps.
  • Keeping the doors closed with a sign on the outside stating your requested protocol such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and store capacity number.
  • Having a time limit for appointments/shoppers to keep the flow of traffic steady and fair to all visiting.
  • Request that visitors to your business make an appointment online or through the phone prior to visiting.

Pass-through Windows

Pass through sliding panels allows you to open or close spaces between workers and visitors, such as a pharmacy counter, medical testing site, or food window! Reception windows are a perfect solution to healthcare waiting rooms, education, and any commercial space where people walk up to a counter. The best part? Your business can select from various glass types, frame finishes, locks, handles, and other accessories to find the ideal solution for your business needs.

Transition Your Business Online

Many businesses and even medical practices have made the transition to online, offering all the services they can on a virtual platform while COVID cases remain high and safety is a top concern. While not every need can be met through a screen, the majority of shopping, consultations, and medical questionnaires can be fulfilled using a computer. This helps reduce the number of people visiting the physical place of business and cuts back on the number of workers necessary.

With the integration of glass partitions and wall dividers, hospitals, health care facilities, pharmacies, and retail shops will be able to serve patients, clients, and customers in need.  Spatial separation is the most crucial element in this process to safeguard citizens against this deadly virus. Make your facility or place of business as safe as possible for everyone involved. Stop the spread of COVID-19 by integrating glass wall partitions and increasing physical separation between visitors and workers. Visit Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company online for your commercial needs including glass office dividers, privacy walls, and sliding room dividers. View our online catalog, Get a quote from one of our professionals today, and order the perfect pass-through glass windows you need to ensure safety for all online at SpacePlus.com.

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Shut-downs Present the Perfect Opportunity to Remodel

Last week, California announced another round of restaurant closures due to a recent and troubling spike in COVID case numbers. This comes as the second wave of mandatory restaurant shut-downs, which will result in widespread job loss (both temporary and long term) and will be financially devastating for millions. And while the next few weeks will be exceptionally difficult for both employees and employers, there might just be a silver lining.

This is because customers, clients, and employees will be gone from the business over the next few weeks, allowing you (the owner) a chance to finally make those restaurant upgrades you’ve been putting off for years. Without the ability to serve in-person dining, it’s time to start thinking about the direction you would like to see your restaurant move towards. If you own a food or beverage establishment in a top California city, chances are you’ve been competing with some of the best in the business. And these top restaurants are not only judged by the quality of the food and service, but also the ambiance and aesthetic. With so many competing restaurants to choose from, you have to make your business stand out and pique the interest of passersby.  And if you haven’t put work into your business in over a decade, chances are it’s due for a serious interior upgrade. Luckily, Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company has the expert know-how and innovative ideas to bring your environs into the modern moment.

To help get you started, we’ve provided a few interior design tips and tactics for your new project.

Expand the Space

These days, we tend to feel most at ease within wide-open spaces and sleek open floor plans that ooze contemporary modernism. And this considered style doesn’t just apply to restaurants but also is integrated into workspaces, retail shops, and homes. The truth is, the decade-long transition to a more light-filled, open-air environment creates a breathable space and allows your patrons to feel included in the greater experience. Providing easy interior visibility broadens the space and creates a kinship between patrons. A great way to achieve expansive interiors is to adopt a minimalist approach and reduce the number of physical barriers and even tables within the space. Though if your restaurant requires a few physical barriers within the dining area, we suggest installing beautiful glass wall partitions or Glass Room Dividers to achieve this medium. This way, you can enjoy some spatial separation between tables or entire dining rooms, all while retaining an open floor plan and the same visibility.

Modernize it

Lately, the interior design industry is promoting the use of natural textiles, rustic materials and timeless pieces. Juxtapositions of natural elements such as wood with metal, or glass paired with earthen materials like stucco create a fascinating narrative for your customers to appreciate while they dine. Integrate metalwork with comfortable opposites like velvet, linen or corduroy to use for upholstery like seat cushions. Also, don’t forget to update your bathrooms to reflect the rest of the renovation. Pair modern Sliding Glass Bathroom Doors with rustic concrete floors and finish the room off with worldly wall textiles. Women in particular will truly appreciate the extra effort

Now that you have a springboard of ideas, it’s time to jump into the interior remodeling. After all, you may only have a few weeks until restaurants are allowed to reopen! By implementing these spatial solutions into your interior space, you’ll be able to compete with your surrounding restaurants and attract the customers you’ll need to emerge from this crisis unscathed. For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to Swing Doors, wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all! Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and order your very own custom Qubi Glass partitions today!

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Reimagining the Workplace Following COVID 19

For many, this is an extremely daunting task to be faced with; reimagining how one’s business should evolve to meet the new normal set by the Coronavirus pandemic. How exactly, can one’s business push forward and arrive at a completely altered working landscape? Will life ever be “normal” again?

For the past six months, normal has become Work From Home. Stay safe, stay home, flatten the curve. But after practicing social distancing and enduring home isolation for the better half of the year, many are beginning to question whether transitioning their team back into an office environment could be possible, and if so, how to keep everyone safe and risk-free during the typical 9-5 workday. To do this, there will have to be many structural and administrative changes to your once well-functioning office environment. This process may not be a cake-walk, and you’ll have to meet this challenge with an open mind, and enough resources to be successful in this transition. Here are the top four ways in which you can adjust to changing times and prepare your business to emerge from the current crisis unscathed.

  1. Spatial Separation

To achieve enhanced health and safety for you and your employees transitioning back into the office, it is going to take some physical reimagining. You’ll need to alter/change the overall layout and respective environment to accommodate the necessity for physical distancing. Remember that many employees are still quite nervous and apprehensive about returning to work and putting themselves in a potentially dangerous situation. With so many people disregarding government recommendations, it can be understandably hard to know if your peers and coworkers are doing the right thing by wearing a mask/socially distancing outside of the office. As a business owner, the responsibility is on you to ensure your employees are safe when they come into work. Consider ordering modern glass partitions, glass office walls, and easy to disinfect glass office dividers. These spatial solutions offer enhanced barrier and boundary for anyone in the office and will help keep your employees safer and more distanced than normal. They serve a high purpose, allow natural light to flow through the entire office and keep a sense of continuity between employees, raising morale and maintaining a team environment even during the most isolating of times.

2. Enhanced Safety Measures

The next best thing you can do to ensure your office is as safe and as risk-free as possible is to continuously clean, disinfect and manage the health of your working environment. Consider hiring a full-time cleaner or if your company is large enough, a cleaning service that is present the entire workday. They will scrub down surfaces, disinfect and wipe down areas that get high use and traffic such as door handles, bathrooms, communal kitchens, and lounge areas. This way, your employees can feel comfortable existing outside of their little cubicle when necessary. Additionally, require each and every one of your employees to wear a face covering, to refrain from coming into the office if they feel slightly ill, warm, have a runny nose or a cough. Some companies and establishments are even requiring compliance of a routine daily temperature check before entering the building (this applies to both employees and clients alike). Additionally, think about the ways you can evolve your communal spaces, such as kitchens and lounges/co-working stations to become more spaced-out and safer. Move couches and chairs apart to maintain six feet of separation, offer reduced food and beverage options in the communal kitchen area, and ask employees to bring in their own personal utensils and cups.

3. Reduce maximum capacity

An effective tactic in crafting a safe workspace is to stagger workers’ schedules in order to reduce your daily capacity. Organize your employee’s schedules so that some work from home half of the week, while others come into the office, then switch through the week and have the WFH group come into the office and send the others home. While this may be confusing at first, people will fall into this new normal and may even enjoy mixing it up during the week.

Glass Sliding Doors

Transition your workplace into a safe, welcoming work environment by integrating new techniques, safety measures, and spatial barriers for everyone to benefit from. Install glass office walls, sliding room dividers, and glass sliding doors to allow for increased separation while still maintaining a community feel. A “separate but together” floor plan will become a crucial element throughout this reintegration process to safeguard everyone in the office moving forward. Visit Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company online for more spatial inspiration,  to view our online catalog, and to Get a quote from one of our professionals today.

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