Whether your office is in your home or you’ve done well enough to have purchased or rented a commercial space with your own employees, your surroundings matter. There are some major benefits of having a nicely decorated, furnished and supplied office. You and your employees will be at your most productive, and clients will be impressed at the professional look when they come to visit. Just like you invest in your home’s décor, it’s worth investing in your office space décor. After all, you spend about the same amount of time there! Here are five keys to getting that chic and productive office space you desire. Your employees will thank you — and you’ll reap the rewards.
Ergonomic office furniture. No matter how much time you spend seated at a desk, particularly if that’s where you and your employees are for the majority of the day, consider investing in furniture and desktop supplies that are both comfortable and ergonomic. This type of furniture and tools are created to support the human body, including office chairs with back support and mouse pads with wrist support. No, it’s not cheap. But it will alleviate stress injuries (and employee time off) that can happen from frequent repetitive movements, like using a computer and mouse, and can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome from wrist strain, a sore neck and back and headaches.
Chic design. A professional, polished office interior design scheme is attractive to potential clients, and makes it more enjoyable to come to work every day. Employees might even dress smarter and sit up straighter in a more stylish environment. While you can ditch the institution-gray color, consider choosing neutral tones like white, cream, tan and dark brown for a professional look over something flashier like a hot pink and green color palette. If you like bright colors, sprinkle that in with accent pieces. Of course, the look and feel will depend on the nature of your small business, but you can never go wrong with a sophisticated, neutral palette.
Smart storage. Make office storage solutions a priority. A lack of storage can lead to overflowing paperwork on desks and a pile up of junk around workspaces. Look into proper shelving, filing cabinets and desk organizers to keep your office looking neat and staying organized. You can find cost-effective yet sleek solutions at retailers like IKEA and Home Depot, and there’s always The Container Store, too. Smart storage and organization is also a good way to find what you need when you need it instead of spending unproductive hours searching for a certain file or computer device.
Have a backup. You never know when something might break unexpectedly or a business growth spurt my require you to hire a new employee. If your office has the space for it and you can afford it, why not be prepared by having an extra filing cabinet, ergonomic chair and mouse pad, and so on. It’ll save you (or your office assistant’s) time in researching and buying new items at that future date, and it may save you money by purchasing multiples originally.
Put up some artwork. So maybe you followed our advice and created a neutral-chic office space. Now display some eye-catching artwork! It’ll add interest to your spaces and may even provide mental stimulation and inspiration for your employees. After all, no one really wants to look up at a blank wall all day, right? Perhaps you have a local artist whose work you might feature? They may even let you borrow or rent their art.
Is your business rocking a chic, ergonomic office look? Please share some photos with us! Leave us a comment on our 123Print Facebook page, tweet us @123Print or write a note below.