Making changes to your office layout or design can have significant effects on your employees, improving morale and in turn, increasing productivity. Therefore, any improvements you can make in this department can actually end up saving you serious sums of money. If this sounds good to you, check out the following ideas for some simple changes you can make to get the ball rolling…
1. Redecorate.
No matter what field you’re in, a simple bit of redecorating can do wonders for the overall mood of your workplace. One first easy step is to get rid of grey, beige or even whitewashed walls. Bright colours, especially blues and greens, make for happier and more efficient employees. Yellow is particularly good for a creative environment. This is such a simple step but trust us, it can have a huge effect on your business.
2. Reconfigure your layout.
A simple way of improving workplace efficiency is to reconfigure your layout. Make sure that teams that liaise regularly are close to one another physically. It’s a super-simple idea but it can save so much time, and as you know, time is money. Also, for the same reason, think about where your staff are in relation to the equipment they need to use.
3. Respect the planet.
Embracing green policies not only makes everyone feel better for doing the right thing, it can also save you a heap of cash. For example…
- Lots of windows mean lots of natural light, which does wonders for moods and cuts down on electricity bills.
- Similarly, if you haven’t already, switch to longer-lasting energy-efficient LED bulbs.
- Go paperless. Discourage unnecessary printing, encourage laptops for note-taking and utilise cloud storage rather than filing cabinets.
- Don’t mess with the thermostat. Find a temperature people are happy with and stick to it because every time you change the temperature, you waste money.
- Switching off plugs is another incredibly simple but surprisingly effective money-saving tip. Make sure your staff are doing it at the end of every day.
4. Revamp the air.
Concentrating in stuffy or humid conditions is tough. Added to which, air-con can cost a small fortune to install. So, you may want to consider an investment in air filters, and you should definitely make sure your workspace has plenty of plants, which filter the air naturally, and are constantly transforming stagnant air into clean pure oxygen.
5. Refresh your staff.
We don’t mean get rid of them! We simply mean giving them the opportunity to refresh themselves. Make sure you have a few dedicated spaces where your staff can take short breaks when they need to. A break-out room, an indoor garden, anywhere with a change of scenery so your employees can recharge themselves. Nothing improves productivity more than getting away from your desk once in a while.
So, as you can see, you don’t have to break the bank to start saving money. Sometimes just a few plants, some new bulbs and a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for morale and productivity. Of course, it’s okay to have more ambitious plans for your office space as well and we can certainly help with that!
If you’d like to talk to an expert about other ways you can maximise your interiors, give us a call at Flow Office Co today on 01922 453 488.