While it might seem slightly paradoxical, business expansion can be a dangerous thing. You’re enjoying the success you dreamed of, and you’re looking to reinvest the extra money in order to make even more of it.
But expanding in the wrong way can be disastrous. It can tie you into structures and strategies that might turn out, in the long-run, to be damaging. This applies especially to the actual physical premises in which your business is based – since if you’re building walls, windows, and doors in the wrong place, or with the wrong materials, it can be very hard to undo the damage.
Why Upgrade Your Business Premises?
With all of that said, why should we be upgrading our business premises at all? Several motives stick out.
First, you might have problems with the existing building that need to be remedied. There might be health and safety issues being brought about by a crowded office space. You might need more capacity to deal with more clients. This applies especially to retail operations.
Upgrading your business could simply mean and general reorganisation of the current premises – ensuring it complies with all health and safety regulations and that it becomes more appealing to customers and workers alike.
Since the recent worldwide health concerns, it is unlikely all your workforce will be present at once, giving the business an opportunity to focus on providing workers with the optimal environment to boost performance.
This will also allow you to include natural social distancing and other measures to reduce the spread of viruses – which although no longer a legal requirement in most places, is likely to remain a concern for most people.
Sustainability has become an even bigger concern in recent years. Consumers are now more likely to make their purchasing choices based on the impact products and/or services have on the environment. This also applies to potential candidates looking for their next place of work. Thus, your corporate social responsibility policy will also be a key consideration for them.
Aiming to change the way you operate by choosing greener options, down to your décor decisions will speak volumes of your company’s commitment to protect the environment and become more sustainable. Resulting in a better public and employee perception.
You might also have need of special facilities that can only be accommodated by changing the premises. If you’re a woodworking business, for example, then you might look to open up a new storage facility where your timber can be dried out over a period of years, with all of the climate-control that goes with it.
Face-to-face interactions with customers and clients are back. With that in mind upgrading your business premises could potentially boost not just their perception of the company but also the chances of new business!
In many cases, it might be worth taking out finance to bring the upgrade forward. After all, the sooner you make the change, the sooner you’ll be able to benefit from the change, and the more profitable you’ll be overall.
Ideas to Revamp Your Workspace
So, what changes might you make to your work environment?
Integrate your brand colours
If your premises are customer facing, then they’re an opportunity to reinforce your branding, and remind everyone that they’re in the right place. Do this through colours, shapes, and sounds over the PA system.
Add Green
Greenery has a proven positive impact on mood and productivity. Install a few plants; your workers will thank you for it in the long-run.
Statement Furniture
When your staff have somewhere to relax and unwind, they’ll end up more productive in the long run. Decent lounge facilities with furniture that speaks your brand, are therefore a critical part of your investment.
Use Artwork
Hanging large art work within the workspace can make areas look more spacious and interesting! Whether you choose to keep classy and simple with black and white or liven up the place with bold, vibrant wall hangings, these are sure to be office “show-stoppers” that can aid in expressing a businesses’ vision and/or values through art form.
Lighting
If your premises isn’t lit properly, it’ll end up feeling dingy and cramped. Make sure that you have even lighting that spreads to every corner. Also, you’ll want to invest in energy-efficient LED bulbs rather than sticking to older halogen ones. The investment will pay for itself fairly quickly, depending on the base you’re working from.
