Tag: office design

Why You Should Renovate Your Office

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When you are in charge of your own office, you are also in charge of any changes that you want to make to the building. It may not have crossed your mind before, but when business is going well, a revamp will never hurt! You can impress clients and drum up a good amount of business when you invest in your business premises.

The benefits of a renovated office far outweigh the costs it will take to get it looking up to scratch. Not only that, but you can focus on running your company and know that you can feel pride in what you are showing off to your customers. Upgrading your office does more than you think to make your business look good, and bringing on office architects and builders like TPM Builders will help! So, why should you go ahead and go for it with your office renovation plans? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons below.

  • Boosting Your Image. Renovating the office is a big sign you are successful. You can afford to make changes purely to make your brand look good, and this will lead to you being able to impress your clients. Your image is what sells what you can do to your clients, but if it’s not up to scratch, people won’t pay attention to you. Once your renovation is completed, you can upgrade your brochures and document your renovation journey on your business social media. Clients and prospective clients will be happy to see what you have to offer.
  • Motivate Your Staff. No one likes to work in an ugly, dark space. When you renovate your office, you get to bring in more light and changing the decor can make it a more pleasant place to work. Staff morale goes up as a result, and it’s one of the most critical components in the success of your business. Your staff will want to come to work and they’ll feel more motivated to be in the office as a result, especially if your upgrades involve more perks for them!
  • Better Productivity. An office renovation improves the productivity of all those working in the office space. A business is only as good as those who show up and do the job, and if your staff feel comfortable in their environment, they’ll work better and be happier in their role.
  • Improved Value. One day, you may grow out of your office space and start looking to move. However, if you choose renovation instead, you can expand your office and do more about the value of the property itself. Any positive changes you make will add monetary value, and this will reflect if you ever put your office up for sale.
  • Future Preparation. You already have a business plan we hope, so knowing that you are future-proofing your business with a renovation is a smart idea. You can gain some extra space, and with your advanced planning, you can save money in the long run. Office renovation is a convenient option for upgrading your business, and when you choose to deal with one single contractor for it, you can drive your business to success.

Thinking of Renovating Your Office? Here Are 4 Things To Consider

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Are you thinking of renovating your office space in the near future? Something that many businesses decide to do as they grow, it’s a wonderful way of making the most out of a space, while adding exciting new features. Creating a great environment for staff to thrive in, they will love to come to work each day when the project is completed. 

But before you take the leap and sign on the dotted line, there are several key things that you should consider, including the following:

Your Renovation Budget  

One of the first things that you should consider and determine at the start is how much you want to spend on the project. It needs to be a realistic budget that you know that you can cover – so it’s a good idea to make a list of all the features you want in the new space and their costs before agreeing to the project. 

From the price of the materials needed for the renovation to labor costs and any downtime that comes as a result of it, it will put you in a better financial position if you plan for this sooner rather than later.

Your Ideal Time Scale 

Another key thing to consider when it comes to your office renovation is the time scale that you want to stick to. It’s vital to keep in mind that if it’s a large renovation project, your staff might have to work remotely or you’ll be on skeleton staff until it’s finished. 

So, make sure to determine how long you can realistically operate in those circumstances before agreeing to it. An alternative to this, is to complete the renovation in parts so that there isn’t lengthy downtime. The timescale will of course, depend on what you’re planning on having done and how long the contractors have estimated.

The Design of Your New Office 

As well as your budget and timeline, you’ll also want to think about what type of design you’ll go for. Whether you’re planning on simply updating the decor so that it’s more modern or you’re looking to add new spaces (i.e. a creative space for your employees to work in) within the building, this should be decided on in the first stage of the project. 

What Services Will You Need to Hire?

Your renovation project will undoubtedly require the assistance of various services to ensure that it’s completed on time. From hiring a construction business to decorators, architects and skip bin hire, there are more people involved in a renovation project than you might initially think.

Although it might seem costly to hire certain items and professionals, it’s worth it in the long term. Giving you the peace of mind that everything has been done correctly the first time, you won’t need to invest in alterations in the future. 

Final Thoughts

So, there you go! Those are the top 4 things that you should keep in mind if you’re considering renovating your office space. Of course, what you do and the way that you renovate your office is up to you. But if you are organized and prepared for the venture, then there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be successful.

A Strong Structure For A Strong Workforce: Building Your Perfect Office

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The working environment is vital to productivity and efficiency. When you are leading your company to greatness you can’t take credit for every effort. You must remember that it’s the combination of approaches from your workers and the environment in which they inhabit. When you start out, you may not necessarily give consideration to what impact the office environment can make on productivity and morale, but it’s something that you start to focus on as you gradually improve your business efforts. Building your perfect office can encourage productivity but also help your company to thrive in other ways. What does this entail?

A Flexible Space

It’s crucial to retain some sort of flexibility and plan for growth. There could be so many fixed components of an office that it will restrict your progress further down the line. You may have it in your head that there are perfect spaces for your employees to sit and thrive right now, but you also need to consider the importance of scaling the company further down the line. And when the business begins to improve in other ways you may want to incorporate this into the office environment. You may want a reminder of the brand identity which can reinforce the initiative in your employees but you must also think about the feelings it will evoke to visitors of the office, like the clients. A smart choice of fabrics and furnishings can easily reflect the personality of the company. And when you start to think about the little touches that make for minimal maintenance like epoxy coatings and rough and ready upholstery, this will communicate a very specific message to everyone, inside and out.

Focus On Collaboration And Privacy

Everybody needs the opportunity to work closely with others but at the same time if they need the chance to work by themselves you should provide this as well. Collaboration is one of the things that will build up a business, and this can be seen in numerous open-plan offices, but you must also think about incorporating small meeting rooms where people can go away to focus on their tasks in private. Not everybody likes the idea of a thriving and vibrant office. If you can put the components in that focus on collaboration and privacy at the same time, you will be covering all bases.

The Importance Of Breakout Areas

Nobody wants to be surrounded by reminders of work. If someone is on their break they want to be able to escape for an hour. And when the office location is away from the bustling city center it’s crucial to incorporate some form of escapism. Providing breakout areas that don’t just encourage relaxation but also provide that sense of escapism will ensure that your employees come back feeling refreshed. It’s a very difficult thing to be away from your work in your head if you are still in the environment. And this is why escapism through games consoles or a change of scenery can encourage an employee to feel distant from everything.

It’s crucial to be flexible but it’s also important to realize that an employee is only as good as the environment they inhabit. Make it a strong one.

Making Your Employees’ Workspace Practical and Comfortable

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Your employees spend a lot of their time working for you in whatever commercial premises you provide for them. Often, this space is an office. Now, bearing in mind that the majority of your staff will spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week in this location, it’s a good idea to make sure that it’s practical and comfortable. It’s the least you can do as an employer. At the end of the day, these are the people who form the backbone of your company. They’re the individuals who keep things up and running. They generate the sales and interaction that boosts your profits. So, prioritize their needs and do your utmost to achieve top quality office goals. Here are a few steps you can take to achieve this.

Choosing the Right Office

If you’re in the process of choosing your first office or you’re planning on moving offices, take time to make the right decision. Ideally, you should opt for somewhere that has more than enough space (rather than being cramped), a building with plenty of natural light (which looks nicer and boosts your employees’ productivity) and preferably somewhere that’s either a central location or has good public transport links (this will improve your workers’ commute). It may take a little time to find the perfect spot at a reasonable price, but once you’ve settled in, your company could remain there for years. So, it’s worth making it the right fit the first time round.

Making Alterations to Your Office

If you’re not planning on moving but own your office space or can strike a deal with the owner in order to improve upon the office space, there are a number of changes and renovations you can carry out to help the space better meet your employees’ needs. You could have bigger windows fitted. You could have the space extended. You could have extra bathrooms added. You could alter potential hazards, such as unexpected steps or low ceilings. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure to use a high quality cleanup service like MC Janitorial to clear up any debris at the end of the work.

Invest in Ergonomic Furniture and Equipment

Sure, you’ll already be following health and safety rules. But immediate threats aren’t the only threats that your office can pose to your employees. You need to be aware of hazards that can worsen your employees’ health and wellbeing gradually, or day by day. This is where ergonomic furniture and equipment comes into play. Ergonomic furniture and equipment are specially designed to help your employees work in a safe and comfortable manner, reducing injuries like general sprains or strains and repetitive strain injury. There are plenty of options on the market, like ergonomic desks, chairs, keyboards, footrests and more.

These are just a few areas you can focus on. There are plenty more that can make all the difference to your employees’ happiness and wellbeing. So, don’t let the journey stop here. Always strive for the best for your staff!

How To Design The Ideal Office Premises For Your Business

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The premises your business can occupy come in all shapes and sizes – from historic buildings to modern glass skyscrapers and everything in between.It’s a fact that the environment that we work in definitely influences our behavior, productivity, mental and physical wellbeing and your mood, so good office design is something which needs to be carefully considered. You pay a lot in leasing costs, so it’s important to ensure that the space suits your needs and enhances your capabilities. Each square foot needs to work hard to deliver what you need. So what factors do you really need to consider when it comes to designing an office space which delivers?

Fostering Concentration

You and your team need to be able to focus in order to get the job done, but this need is also balanced with other requirements – such as space to be creative, work as a team or to relax in between tasks. It can be a hard call to get all these elements working in harmony, so looking at some office interior solutions which enable these different working modes can help. Whether it’s including sound proof pods where people can take confidential or noisy calls, or providing modular seating which can be reconfigured easily to suit different working groups and meetings, there are ways to design a space which is flexible enough to suit all your needs. It has been shown in a study that up to 28% of each employee’s working day can be lost to needless interruptions, so using good design can help to minimize this and get everyone back on track.

Enabling Communication

Just as important is ensuring that your ways of working are supported by your office environment. So if you go in for scrums, pretzel meetings and sprint reviews, you’re going to need the right space to accommodate that. Designated areas for discussion can include helpful things such as videoconferencing stations, interactive whiteboards and tables and seating which can be moved around to accommodate different group sizes.

Recharging And Relaxation

It may seem counter-productive to consider this amongst wanting people to maintain productivity, but enabling appropriate relaxation and screen breaks is actually the best way to keep your company on track. When people have a separate area where they can properly relax, they are able to decompress and refocus their minds on the next task at hand, and overall they will perform far better. So think about providing a breakout room with space to eat, rest and discuss away from desks. Including some real plants also helps to mentally promote a state of comfort by making people feel close to nature, and also filters the air in a natural way. You should also consider providing some little touches such as a lending library or complimentary fresh fruit  – anything which is geared towards the health and wellbeing of your employees is worth some consideration. If people are happier and healthier then your employee retention rates increase and there are less sick days, so it benefits everyone.

Reasons To Use PVC Strip Curtains At Your Business

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There are many different businesses that could benefit from using PVC strip curtains. If you have rooms and openings at your business that require regular access by vehicles or pedestrians, plastic door curtains are ideal. They provide you with an efficient way of managing traffic while also providing protection from dust, wind, and noise. Below, we are going to take a look at the many benefits of using a PVC strip curtain in further depth.  

  •   Prevents interference from pests and weather – While humans can easily walk through PVC curtain strips, it is not so easy for smaller pests, and even the wind and heavy rain will struggle to break through as well. Plastic strip curtains are effective at creating a barrier that will provide exceptional protection. This is why a lot of food businesses use strip curtains, as it helps them to maintain high levels of hygiene in their kitchens. It also highlights why plastic curtain strips are popular in factories and warehouses, including temporary warehouse tents, where deliveries happen on a regular basis. PVC curtains will ensure that the interior of the factory or warehouse is separate from the outdoor elements.
  •   Suitable for demanding environments – PVC strip curtains are made to last. They are flexible yet strong and resilient and, therefore, they are suitable for many different businesses. They do not damage easily, and even if a tear or a split occurs, you shouldn’t notice a drop in performance. 
  •   Helps maintain temperature – Another benefit associated with PVC strip curtains is that they help to maintain temperature. Let’s say you have a walk-in chiller or freezer. If you had to open a heavy sliding door every time, it would be a great inconvenience. However, you can’t simply have an open passageway. PVC strip curtains provide the perfect solution. Plus, the material can create a barrier between cold and hot spaces effectively due to the insulating properties of PVC.
  •   Manage traffic – You will also be able to manage the flow of traffic more effectively with PVC strip doors. This is especially beneficial in warehouse and factory environments whereby they are hundreds of people moving boxes around and delivering parcels. Things can easily get hectic, and with plastic curtain strips, you have an effective way of managing them. 
  •   They are easy to use – Last but not least, another benefit to consider is the fact that plastic strip curtains are really easy to install, maintain, and replace. By opting for such a system, you don’t need to worry about there being any inconvenience to your business’ day-to-day running. Plus, PVC curtain strips require very little maintenance. All you need to do is give them a wipe down whenever you notice that they are dirty.

As you can see, there are many benefits that are associated with plastic strip curtains. No matter whether you are looking to regulate temperature, protect your business from the outside elements, or manage foot traffic, PVC strip curtains can help you to do the job.

Designing Your Office with Productivity in Mind

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When you run a business, you may be more concerned about finding an office space you can afford and filling it with furniture and that is practical, than with the design of the place, but that may be a mistake. Why? Because there is growing evidence to suggest that the design of the office can help or hinder productivity.

Obviously, every business wants to be as productive as possible because it is this that will help the business thrive, and that is why you may need to take a closer look at your office design… 

Allow for Movement

If you want your employees to be more productive at work, don’t limit their ability to move around the space too much. Being able to walk around for a few minutes helps tired, stressed employees to refresh and come back to their work ready to tackle anything.

You may even want to think about installing stand-to-sit desks so that they can switch positions while working, feel more comfortable and thus get more done.

Install Security Cameras

Security cameras, whether they be analog cameras or digital devices, are not only important for keeping your place of business safe and secure, but they can also be used to boost productivity when used inside the office. They show employees that you are keeping an eye on them and that means they are more likely to get on and do their stuff.

Place a Few Plants

Plants aren’t just decorative – they can have a very real effect on our mind and our wellbeing. Numerous studies have shown that being surrounded by nature, including plants, helps to keep stress at bay and boost productivity by at least 15 percent. Being surrounded by plants in the office can also help to boost employee satisfaction levels and engagement. The more plants you have around the better.

Build a Gadget Cubby

It’s perhaps not surprising that a study conducted by OfficeTeam found that the average office employee spends as much as five hours every week using their mobile phone for non-work-related tasks. A good way to get around this is by building a gadget cubby where all non-work devices must live during non-working hours, excluding the lunch hour, of course.

Keep It Clutter-Free

If your office space is packed to the brim with shelving units, papers, and other general office debris, it might be time to channel Marie Kondo and get rid of anything that isn’t necessary or beautiful. Why? Because cluttered space can be too stimulating in all of the wrong ways. It can distract employees from the task at hand and see their productivity drop.The same is true of an unclean office space, so take some pride and make it as clean and clear as you possibly can.

Make it Personal

Allowing your employees to personalize their space can help them to feel happier and more connected, which can, in turn, improve their productivity. A few personal pictures of ornaments won’t hurt, so as long as they’re sensible, give your employees free rein.

The right space can totally transform the quality of your business!

4 Hiring Mistakes That New Business Owners Make

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Hiring the right employees is key to business success in any industry. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great entrepreneur, you can’t run a successful business all on your own and without a good team behind, you’re really going to struggle. As a boss, it’s important that you know how to motivate your team and help them to develop their skills so you can get the best out of them. A good employer knows how to unlock the hidden potential in their employees, but they also know how to spot that potential in the first place. While it is important that you know how to develop your employees and get the best out of them, it’s equally important that you know how to hire the right people in the first place.

This is one of the biggest challenges that new business owners face because they don’t realize just how difficult it is. They assume that it’s a case of looking through the resumes to find the people with the best qualifications and experience and then interviewing them to see who they like best. In reality, there’s a lot more to it than that and there are a lot of things that you can get wrong along the way. If you’re going to hire the best possible people for your business, you need to make sure that you avoid these common mistakes. 

Hiring Without A Reason 

Whenever you hire an employee, you should have a reason for doing so. If you don’t have a reason, you’re likely to hire somebody that doesn’t really add much to the company and you’ll just be wasting your money. In some cases, there is a very clear cut reason for hiring somebody. If an employee leaves, for example, you’ll need to hire a replacement. However, if you’re expanding your team, it’s important that you are doing it for the right reasons. Whenever you hire a new employee, it should be to fill a skills gap of some kind in the company. For example, if your sales team are stretched because you’re seeing a lot of growth and they can’t keep up, you need to hire more employees in that department. If you have been handling digital marketing on your own but you aren’t seeing much engagement from potential customers, you should consider hiring a digital marketing specialist to handle it instead. In these situations, it is clear why you’re hiring an employee and what they will bring to the company. If you can’t clearly state what a new employee will add to your business, you probably don’t need to hire them. 

As well as thinking about why you’re hiring somebody, you need to consider the specifics of their position. What exactly will their duties be, which department will they work in, and who will they report to? Not considering these things beforehand can cause problems when they start working for you and there is not a clearly defined role for them. It’s also going to cause you problems when you’re advertising the job and writing the job description in the first place. If you don’t clearly outline exactly what the job entails and what experience is necessary, you’re going to get all sorts of candidates that aren’t really suited to the job and that means the hiring process will take you a lot longer. 

Not Having A Clear Hiring Process In Place 

Having a clear process for hiring employees is so important but a lot of smaller businesses don’t think that they really need one. You need to decide whether you want every candidate to submit a resume and cover letter, whether you’re going to conduct phone interviews first, and how many people you are going to invite to interview. If you are unsure about what your hiring process should look like, https://resources.workable.com/ has a good guide. Having this clear process in place benefits you in a few different ways. Firstly, it makes the whole process a lot smoother and it’s easier for you to keep track of all of the candidates and which stage of the process they’re at. Having the exact same process for all candidates also makes it a lot easier for you to compare them when it comes time to make a decision. If you’re measuring each candidate by different metrics, it makes it hard to work out which one is best suited to the job. 

Not Conducting Background Checks 

Background checks are an important part of the hiring process that a lot of new business owners decide to skip. In most cases, you’ll be absolutely fine but there is always the chance that a candidate may have a criminal past or may not be allowed to work legally in this country. It’s important that you find these things out early, otherwise, you may end up hiring somebody that could damage the country in some way. You can easily conduct background checks online through companies like Checkr (at https://checkr.com/) so there is no reason to skip this step in the hiring process. It’s best to do this early on so you don’t waste time interviewing candidates that you later decide that you don’t want to hire for whatever reason. If you do hire a candidate, only to find out that they are not a very effective employee and they’ve had a lot of trouble at previous companies, it may be difficult for you to get rid of them and you’ll be stuck paying an employee that you don’t really want to work for you. 

Not Considering Office Space

When you start expanding your team, you need to make sure that you’ve got enough room for everybody so your office needs to grow at the same time. Before you start bringing any new employees on board, ask yourself whether your office is fit for purpose and whether you have enough space for everybody to work effectively. If you don’t, you should focus on finding a bigger office before you think about expanding your team any further. 

If you’re making any of these common hiring mistakes, your team won’t be as effective as they should be and your business will suffer as a result.

Is Your Office Really Fit For Purpose?

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There are few things more exciting than the moment that your business reaches the point where it can get out of your garage or spare room and into a dedicated office space. For a lot of startups, it can feel like the moment that they have finally become legitimate and can compete on the same stage as far more established companies. Of course, that’s not to say that the move to a dedicated office space isn’t going to be something that involves a decent degree of challenge. The biggest challenge can often be ensuring that your office is fit for purpose when it comes to the needs of your employees. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do in order to make sure that your office is always fit for purpose.

Space

Space is going to be one of the most important things that you need to think about when it comes to your office. After all, the last thing you want is to end up in a position where you and your employees simply don’t have the room to move around each other. Not only is that inconvenient but it also presents some genuine safety hazards. However, you also don’t want to go too far in the other direction. If you’ve only got a few employees then you’re not going to need a huge, expensive office that’s a complete waste of space and money.

Facilities

Your office is going to require the right facilities for the needs of your employees and without them, you’re just going to end up running into problems. You’ve probably already considered the obvious stuff like bathrooms but you also need to think about things like baby changing facilities for any employees who are parents and a bike shelter for employees who don’t drive into work. These kinds of things are often easily neglected but they are often just as essential as facilities than just about anything else in your office.    

Remote working options

In the modern age, the idea of what an office really is has been undergoing quite a significant change. More and more businesses are finding that their office can function as a theoretical framework for their business as much as a physical one. By being willing to embrace remote working options you’re going to give your employees the kind of flexibility that they need to avoid burning out or losing out on their personal lives because of work. That can, in turn, increase their satisfaction and motivation to do the best work possible for your business.

Of course, these are just a few options for you to think about. It’s important to remember that there are always going to be specific things that you need to think about in terms of what your business needs from your office space as well as the needs of specific employees. It’s essential that you take the time to really think about the specifics of your business when looking for the right office space.

Making A Large Office Feel Nice And Private

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There are few things worse than feeling like you are being watched when you are trying to work. Often making it harder to focus on what they are doing, most people much prefer to feel as if they are in their own space when they are doing their job, reserving time spent with other people until their breaks. Of course, though, modern offices have to fit more people into them than ever before, and this makes even having cubicles into a challenge. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best ways to make a large office feel nice and private.

Headphones & Privacy Films

Being able to put yourself into your own bubble while you work is a great way to make yourself feel alone. When someone can hear everything around them, though, they will struggle to achieve this goal. By providing your employees with good sound cancelling headphones, you will help to eliminate this issue, enabling them to block out the world around them as they get on with their jobs. Along with this, you could also consider the idea of privacy screens for your monitors, as this will make them impossible for other people to see.

Barriers

Having walls between your employees may sound like a bad way to make an office feel friendly, but this sort of approach can often be the best when it comes to keeping people focused. Decorative window frosting film can make a great tool when you’re doing this, enabling you to use glass dividers which won’t take up much space, while still blocking vision and sound from passing through. Having something like this set up in a modular way enables your team members to choose whether they’d like a barrier or not.

Smart Layouts

Even when you have a very busy office, ensuring that people aren’t looking over one another’s shoulders can often be solved by creating smart layouts for your offices. When people are behind each other, they should always have their backs facing, as this will ensure that they can’t watch their colleagues at work. Some people will be fine with having their work on display, but others will find it very stressful.

Signs & Warnings

It can be hard to stay focused on your job when you have other team members talking to you. People don’t often stay busy all the time in an office, with everyone going through their own busy patches throughout the day. This can create a mess of communication when some people are working and others aren’t, and this is something to be mindful of. To help to solve this issue, giving your employees warning signs which they can use to let others know when they are handling serious work can be a great approach to take.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling prepared to take on the challenge of making a shared workspace feel like a private one. Of course, your teams can’t expect dedicated rooms for their work, but they should be able to focus on their work.