The office looks amazing – it’s sleek, sassy, decked in hardwood floors and lets in the kind of sunlight that people bathe in on beaches. Is there any better measure for entrepreneurial success?
Indeed, in this age of bedroom businesspeople and globalisation, the need for an office isn’t huge unless you’ve got a large workforce that can’t work ad-hoc.
So when you can finally shell out for a beautiful workplace, it’s a sign of prestige more than anything else.
But if you’re aiming to court a higher grade of client, you’ll need to do more than own a nifty office – you’ll need to deck it out finer than a ballroom in Downton Abbey.
Well, it won’t have to be quite so decadent, but a high-end office requires high-end furnishings.
Consider the Google office – these tech hubs have become famous for their laissez faire attitude towards working, offering relaxation spaces and bright, cool colour schemes.
You might not want to travel down that road, but theirs is a blueprint to try. A workplace with its own character will attract happy and productive employees, as well as reeling in a higher grade of business.
With that in mind, we’ve come up with a few tips to help you kit out the office of your dreams effectively.
Invest in a new floor
Mezzanine floors have become the coolest addition to media agency offices, their rustic design providing an inherent grunge cool that impresses visitors instantly.
So, what is a mezzanine floor? Essentially it’s a second floor for your office supported by metal girders. You’ll double your workspace – and look pretty cool in the process.
Mezzanine floor construction is simple and efficient when left to the professionals. If you feel the need for more workspace but don’t want to move, this is the perfect option for you.
Stay open to stay friendly
Everyone knows that office cubicles are one of the worst ideas in human history (and that’s only a minor exaggeration). They make you feel boxed in, like tuna in a can. But you’re not tuna – you’re a human being.
To stop employees feeling like an edible fish, keep your workplace open-plan. This will foster communication, creativity and overall high morale as workers engage with each other more easily on projects.
Moreover, an open-plan office lets the sunlight shine in your office in greater quantity. So you’ll be sunnier in disposition and able to tell your staff all about it. It has its detractors, but a lot of people agree that open-plan is the only way to go.
Plant life
People don’t consider plants enough in their office. But with more foliage, workplace productivity will increase.
This is thanks to a process known as photosynthesis, in which a plant “breathes in” carbon dioxide and “breathes out” oxygen.
You don’t have to invest in a greenhouse’s worth of plants, but one or two office shrubs will make you feel happier and lighter throughout your day – a cheer in your workplace which will hopefully infect your clients.