Once upon a time, people would line the walls of their office space with certificates that proved their academic excellence. Today, they let their office do the talking for them. However, all too often there is a discord between what a company says they are, and what they really are. For example, take a company who claimed to be forward-thinking, and who talked in their literature as if they were the leaders in their industry; if you visited their offices and found, well, nothing remarkable, then their rhetoric would be blunted, and their reputation diminished. If you’re an aspirational company, then your offices need to be aspirational, too.
Go Big, Go Bold
It’ll take no effort to have a functional office; those grey walls, white desks, and standard office chairs will perform their duties just fine. However, you don’t want to be a functional company: you want to be an inspiring company. When it comes to redesigning your offices, work with the mantra of ‘Go Big, Go Bold’. Adding splashes of color, art, and creative wall hangings will all contribute to making your company look like industry leaders. You’re not trying to reinvent the wheel; just finding a wheel that showcases what your business is all about.
Invest in the Best
Of course, you can’t have all the trimmings of a forward-thinking company without having a backbone of professionalism. Because first and foremost, that is what people will be looking for when they visit your business premises. Focus on the entrance, the windows, and the reception area, as these three aspects will dominate your customer’s first impression of your business. Your entrance should be well signposted, and easily accessible. Your windows should be clean, large, and tinted, if possible; read more about the benefits of commercial tinting, and give your office an extra dose of professionalism. Finally, make sure your reception area is a mix of professionalism and fun; free coffee, bright walls, free wi-fi, and so on.
Make Your Office Work For You
You’re trying to impress your clients, but they won’t be bowled over just a by a display of creativity: they’ll want to see that there is creative work actually taking place. You can foster creativity by creating an office that inspires it; things like having dedicated rooms where you can send your employees to figure out problems, If you don’t have the space to do this, then focus on the sensory experience of your office. Diffusing scents, playing music (not the radio hits: think more experimental music), and allowing workers to work wherever they feel creative in the office will all work well.
Reflect Your Branding
All in all, you want your office to reflect your branding. If you’re selling yourself as a company that’s doing things differently from others, then do things differently from others. There are no rules to how your office functions other than the ones you set yourself. If you’ve got all the professional points in place, then aim big and show the world just how cool, fun, and progressive your company really is.
