08 Apr 5 Ways to Improve your Business Premises
A great office is a well-oiled machine with good organisation at its heart. If you own a business premises and you’d like to make it work even harder then take a look at these five ways that you can improve your building to increase productivity and make your business more appealing to outsiders.
1. Install a Covered Walkway
If you want to make a great first impression it’s best to start at the entrance to your building. Covered walkways are a great addition to any workplace because they give your building a more professional edge that will impress potential clients and offer staff and other visitors protection from the elements when they enter the premises. A covered walkway will keep everyone who visits dry and keep the floors in your reception area cleaner and drier too.
2. Clear Reception
One thing that really puts potential clients off is an ineffective reception area. Make sure the place where people enter your building is always kept clean and well presented, incorporate plenty of comfortable seating and give your front of house staff adequate training and make sure they know how they’re expected to meet, greet and treat visitors.
3. De-Clutter
A poorly organised and messy office is not conducive to productive working so enlist the help of staff to keep everything organised. Encourage workers to keep their desks tidy by choosing office furniture with storage and make sure unnecessary paperwork is cleared and recycled regularly. If you’re just starting out buy more storage than you need so you’ve got room to grow and if possible find a separate space for storing servers and other bulky electronic equipment.
4. Avoid Open Plan
Open plan has been all the rage since the 1970’s but recent studies have shown that it’s not as effective a way to work as you may think. Wall-less offices can have a negative effect on staff thanks to noise pollution, distractions and the threat of constant interruption. If your building is open plan consider using office wall partitions or create glazed office spaces to keep the space light and bright but cut down outside distractions like noise and traffic.
5. Give Staff a Break
One sure fire way to encourage your staff to work harder and go the extra mile is by letting them know they’re appreciated. If you don’t have anywhere for staff to take a break then install a break area in another room or somewhere in your office where staff feel able to relax and take five so they’re better prepared to deal with the rest of their day.
