I’ve been updating again, I can’t help myself. My husband always gets a little weary when I stand in the corner of a room staring, he knows what’s coming. A reshuffle of the furniture … “Why can’t you leave things as they are” he always asks, and my reply is always “because it’s boring”.
Your office should be no different, whether you work from home, a corporate or small business office. By mixing things up a little, you can give your office a facelift without the hefty price tag. It’s important for customers and clients to see that you change and evolve.
I am sure we have all been into offices that have remained the same year after year, and what do you think when you go in and see nothing has changed? Some of you may get a sense of comfort, but for many others, myself included, it tells me they are not changing with the times. There is the same old outdated furniture, the worn out rug on the office floor and the same old scenery oil painting hanging on the wall. You have been there haven’t you?
Top 5 Takeouts on how you can improve your current office environment.
1. Assess your current surrounds
Take a peak at what you currently have, if you lease your premises you are not going to be able to make changes without your landlord’s permission. So look for more in expensive ways of mixing things up. What do you have available to you, what needs a coat of paint? What needs to be relocated to another part of the room? Needing a little inspiration, check out my Pinterest Board for some great home office ideas.
2. Don’t sweep it under the rug
If you have a physical office / shop where clients and customers come to visit you, you need to keep this space absolutely pristine. Don’t put in band aide fixes, if you need to get a new rug, do it, don’t just cover the frayed part with tape.
3. Out of sight is out of mind
This can be dangerous, if it’s out of sight it is out of mind and absence does not always make the heart grow fonder. If you need to stash things in boxes in a back room because you don’t have enough shelves or cupboards to put them in. Then you know what you need to do, you need to buy / build shelving … it’s that simple.
4. If you don’t use it, get rid of it
Keep your work area / office clear of clutter, if it isn’t work related find another home for it or throw it out. I go by the rule of thumb that if I haven’t used it for 12 months, I’m not going to. My local OpShop is generally the benefactor of all things that are still in great condition but no longer used.
You don’t want your clients or customers coming in to your office or shop and seeing the same pile of boxes / books in the corner that they have for the past 12 months. You are passing on a bad message to your clients or customers.
5. So simple
I am not telling you anything new, it’s not rocket science. If your clients and customers visit you in your office on a regular basis and if over time, things have not changed, this can make them wonder, how progressive you are in your business.
You want your clients or customers to have a consistent image of you, your business and how you can help them. Your office space is also part of your branding, so make sure it is always fresh and current. If it looks dated, do something about it.
You may very well be the best at what you do, but if you don’t show a visual presence to match your talent, then you are providing cross messages.
I’d love to hear what other ways you can make a difference in your office, please leave a comment below.
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