You’ve finally done it. You’ve registered your business, you’ve hired stellar employees, and you’re ready to roll out your first product or service.
Of course, these are the most important aspects you have to tick off your list when you’re ready to open up your business, but what about your office space? Some companies have the luxury of doing away with this expense, but there’s still something to be said about how proud you’ll be as a small business owner to say that you have your own office space.
Receiving Area
Generally, you’d want this to be a welcoming space, one that gives off an excellent first impression to clients and vendors. But it should also be reflective of the business that you are in. For example, if you’re running a law firm, keep the reception area professional, with minimal pops of colour and keeping the décor to fresh plants and sculptures. If you just started a creative agency, then you can add some quirky items to your reception area, such as funky-coloured couches or a mural on the wall.
Do take care that you don’t overdo the quirkiness as that could also adversely affect your credibility in your chosen field. The reception area needs to exude the right vibe. Otherwise, you could lose the interest of a potential client or business partner.
Administrative Spaces
Open office plans used to be touted for being a collaborative space where co-workers can efficiently work on projects together. Still, recent studies have shown that it can also cause too much of a distraction, thereby lowering employees’ productivity.
However, if you’re just starting and you have a small team, having a shared open space makes more sense. Go for a worktable big enough to fit your whole team, with some extra space in between. However, designate a room or area where you or anyone on your team can use for privacy or entertain clients.
Make use of shelving units to use as lockers for your team’s belongings so that your worktable isn’t cluttered. You can also these to keep your reference materials in, from books to project files. Look for shelving units that can be put under lock and key so you can secure these items.
Rest Areas
You can’t expect your employees to be working the entire time they’re in the office. Naturally, you would enforce short breaks and a long lunch break to give them some breathing room. And with studies showing that mindfulness is an effective tool in keeping your employees even-keeled and less stressed, it is essential to create spaces where they can feel relaxed enough to recharge.
Do you have a small space, but you’re unsure how to separate areas? A simple solution could be to change the flooring. If you have carpeted floors in your office, change it up to timber flooring. This simple change already gives our brains the visual cue that you’re stepping out of the work zone.
Take it a step further and change the paint colour in your designated area. Pastel yellow works best in a creative agency as it can allow your employees to have more mindful breaks while stimulating creative juices. In a more professional setting, stick to colours like light blue or grey as these colours are said to boost productivity.
The way you design your office space should be about your company’s personality. While this is the last thing on your list when it comes to starting up your business, it can still make a significant impact on your venture’s success.
