If you’ve been working at home for the past few years, but your business is starting to ramp up and you can foresee the need for extra staff in the near future, the chances are that you’ll need premises. Having your own space in your home to beaver away in and work freelance is one thing, but taking on board a small team of like-minded individuals to work with you on growing your startup is a more difficult concept to get right. It’s vital that whatever premises you choose is inspiring, conducive to teamwork and facilitates productivity. This is why you should never underestimate the importance of your office environment.
Decor
While decor might not seem hugely important to you, it will be to your staff team. If they are spending eight hours a day looking at beige walls and resting their weary feet on hard brown carpet tiles with very little stimulation around them, they will not be productive. Your staff team needs to feel empowered by the decor around them. Whip out the white paint, put up some artwork and add a splash of greenery in your office. This is vital for your staff team to enjoy their surroundings. Ask their opinions about seating, meeting rooms and wall art.
If you work in a creative industry, make sure that your decor emulates your brand. If you are an architect, consider purchasing some achingly cool metal table tops for your team to work on. If you work in advertising, ensure that there are plenty of collaborative pods for your team to bounce ideas around. Ensure that you invest in furniture that makes your staff comfortable. Ergonomically well-designed chairs may be more expensive, but they will show your staff just how appreciative you are of their efforts. You want to generate a buzz of positivity in your office, and your decor can help achieve this.
Atmosphere
It is not just the physical environment of your office that is important. It’s vital that you create an atmosphere conducive to productive working. Your team needs to have high levels of morale to work their hardest for the good of your startup. As a boss, you need to set an example for your employees. Communicate effectively by getting out on the office floor and talking to the people who are working for you. Ask their opinions on key aspects of your business policy and listen to them. This shows your staff just how much you value their contributions.
Use a more formal staff briefing on a Monday morning, explaining to your staff the targets for the week, things that are working well, and things that need to improve. Send out a weekly Friday email name checking those individuals who have gone the extra mile that week. This tiny bit of positive praise boosts your team to work harder. They begin to enjoy their roles, buy into your business vision and care about the work that they do. If your standards are high, you want your staff to share these.
Your office environment is key to the success of your startup. Get it right, and your growing business will go from strength to strength as you continue to expand.