As we move towards the end of 2023, many business owners are looking at last-minute changes they can introduce to end the year on a high note. For example, you may rush to develop a specific product before the holiday season or look for ways to improve your customer relationship.
However, did you know that an office makeover can also go a long way towards growing your business? For example, various studies have found that re-vamped workspaces can boost productivity in the office and improve staff satisfaction rates. As such, these changes can help your business grow from strength to strength over the next few months while also ensuring that you start off 2024 on the right foot! With that in mind, here are eight simple ways to improve your office!
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Focus on communal spaces
According to a recent report, “55% of workers spend more time away from their desk than they do at it.” This clearly indicates that employees prefer collaborative environments over isolated ones, such as cubicles. As such, when redesigning your office, you may want to emphasize creating shared workspaces. This could include designing additional meeting rooms and pods – or other areas where employees can work in close quarters. This tends to allow for greater collaboration and communication across the board and can also help strengthen your employees’ relationship with each other.
Get rid of the clutter
While clutter can seem unavoidable in a busy workplace, and you may be used to seeing endless piles of paper or folders on your employee’s desks, ditching the clutter can make a real difference for your team as a whole. For example, various studies have found that being surrounded by clutter can lead to greater stress and anxiety, which, in turn, can harm our performance at work.
Furthermore, there’s no denying that clutter can make your day-to-day tasks a little harder. For example, it may be harder for you to find the specific paper or documents you are looking for if your desk is overflowing with papers. This means that even simple tasks begin to take up more of your time, which could disrupt your workflow and lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can banish clutter from the workplace without having to police how your team keeps their desks organized. For example, going paperless reduces the amount of loose paperwork and helps you reach your environmental goals.
However, you can also reduce the amount of clutter present within the workplace by investing in a storage unit. After all, this means you can free up some space in our office without having to dispose of anything important. As such, it’s crucial that you keep an eye out for the top-rated storage units in your area, paying particular attention to those that focus on commercial and business storage.
Invest in new technology
When conducting your end-of-year office makeover, you may also want to use this as an opportunity to upgrade your current tech. After all, the world of technology evolves so quickly that equipment just a few years old can feel outdated and slow you down quite considerably. For example, you may be wasting time carrying out tasks manually that can easily be automated to benefit your entire team. Additionally, tasks like printing documents only to scan them manually can be time-consuming. In such situations, upgrading to a multifunction copier for your office would be a wise decision.
Multifunction copiers for SME offer a comprehensive solution to streamline tasks and enhance productivity in the office. These versatile devices not only eliminate the need for manual document handling but also integrate printing, scanning, and copying functions into one efficient system. By investing in multifunction copiers, your office can benefit from streamlined workflows, reduced operational bottlenecks, and optimized time management.
As such, when looking over your end-of-year budgets, you may want to start investing in office tech that will enhance efficiency and productivity, such as video conferencing tools, online document editors, and project management software. As these tools will help you to save a lot of time and energy, you’ll soon notice a positive ROI! Furthermore, it can also help to prevent burnout within your team!
Get rid of artificial lighting
Harsh artificial lighting tends to be a standard fixture within office settings. However, various studies have shown that this rarely creates a productive working environment. For example, some studies have found that “harsh overhead lighting can lead to employees repeatedly suffering from headaches or migraines,” which not only interferes with their ability to work effectively but could lead to them taking time off.
As such, it’s time to ditch that harsh, artificial lighting in favor of something a little gentler. Where possible, you should try to use natural light to your advantage. After all, exposure to natural light makes us feel more focused and alert and can lift our spirits quite considerably. As such, it could be a great way to make your staff feel happy as they sit behind their desks!
Enhance the employee’s experience
When redesigning your office, you may focus on practicality above all else. However, it’s also essential to pay attention to the features or fixtures that could enhance the employee experience, as doing so can drive productivity rates. For example, you should ensure your employees are as comfortable as possible when sitting behind their desks.
So, in addition to buying new ergonomic chairs, you may want to invest in wrist support pads and keyboards. If employees are interested in this feature, you may also want to purchase a series of standing desks. Beyond this, you should also upgrade your office’s break rooms and kitchen. For example, one study found that coffee machines increase office productivity!
Repaint the walls
Repainting your office’s walls can also help you to transform the space for the better, and if you use color psychology to your advantage, you could help create a more productive work environment. This is because our brain automatically associates certain feelings with specific colors, which means some colors leave us feeling calm, relaxed, and focused – while others could lead us to feel stressed and anxious.
For example, one study found that painting the office blue is “especially beneficial for those who work in fast-paced, demanding jobs. This is because blue is a harmonious color that relieves stress and doesn’t disrupt the brain’s focus. In turn, you can complete your tasks more efficiently.” Other colors known to bolster productivity and efficiency include yellow, green, and orange.
Create a sense of belonging through consistent branding
Featuring your business’s branding throughout the office space (instead of focusing this solely on customer-facing areas) can help your staff feel like they are part of a team. As such, this can go a long way toward improving productivity by fostering more effective collaboration.
Furthermore, when employees feel they are part of a team, this sense of belonging often encourages them to work harder! You can begin to feature your company’s branding in the workplace in many ways. For example, you could feature your logo on the walls or windows.
Ask your team for their input!
While you may consider yourself an interior design pro, asking your employees for input or feedback during the office redesign process can help create a space that works for everyone. For example, you should show them any plans you’ve drafted and ask them what they think could be improved upon in these spaces.
Even if you do not use every piece of feedback given to you (which would likely be an impossible feat), taking the time to involve your team in the decision-making process will considerably boost morale. Again, this comes down to showing your employees that they are a valued part of your team, not a cog in a machine.
Final Thoughts on Office Makeovers
If you’re looking for a surefire way to improve business productivity before the year ends, it’s time to organize an office makeover! Even if your team works remotely part of the time, having access to a functional, modern, and well-designed space can work wonders for employee morale, alongside productivity and efficiency rates. Conversely, outdated spaces tend to create an environment of low productivity and dissatisfaction among employees at all levels.
Furthermore, it is essential to note that this does not need to be an expensive venture. There are plenty of low-cost ways to renovate your office or workspace without breaking the bank, such as by carrying out some of the above tasks yourself instead of hiring someone. However, it would be best if you also remembered that these changes tend to bring forth an excellent return on investment, meaning you’ll likely make back any money you spend quickly.
Redecorating your office could also push your team to work harder than ever in quarter four, putting you on the path to success in 2024 and beyond. Furthermore, starting to implement these changes now means you’ll have a fully functional office when the new year begins instead of scrambling to make changes at the last minute.
