When running a business, there will come a point where you realise that working from your living room corner just isn’t going to cut it anymore. And that’s both a good thing, and also a little intimidating. It means that your business is ready to grow, and is ready for change that will alter the whole game entirely. Not only will you be able to have your own corporate place, but your own team hand selected by yourself too.
While you may be arguing over the fact that you don’t yet need employees – you do. Things are about to change and the only way you can be truly prepared, is if you have a professional group behind you, backing your corner. Of course, it’s hard to imagine bringing in a stranger and handing over parts of your business that you’ve worked so hard to build – it’s like having a baby. But you’re just going to have to accept that sooner or later. As things get busier, they will also increase in difficulty, and regardless of how good you are at your job, you simply won’t be able to do everything yourself. Think about it, it isn’t just being the owner of an expanding business that you have to worry about. You also have to worry about the accounting: all the finances that go in and out of the account, from earnings to spendings. The marketing: how you intend on reaching out to your target audience. The customer service: speaking to all customers to answer any enquiries and ensuring that all their needs are met. – The list goes on. So don’t be stubborn – get some employees.
When doing so, you will want to make sure that they are the perfect fit for the job at hand, so never brush over the important stages like interviewing. You should never settle, your business is worth a lot more than that.
Now you have a new office space and a team, your next priority is to ensure that the environment you are all working in is a good one – an exceptional one in fact! A lot of people don’t seem to realise the seriousness of this and so tend to overlook it. But the environment that you work in has so much control and responsibility over a days work, so if the place isn’t up to scratch, you can’t expect the work to be either.
Here are all the things that you need to make sure of.
Have it regularly cleaned
This seems pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people who don’t have their office cleaned. We’re not talking about putting mugs back where they belong – although this should done too – but organising for an actual cleaner to come in and make the whole place smell nice again, to the point of being able to see your own reflection in the desks. Dust is one of those annoying things that just seem to build up after time, and you can’t do anything to prevent it from coming back. If you don’t do anything about it, it’ll just keep building until you’re left with clumps in the corners, on the window sill, and over the computers and other electronics. And don’t forget about the floor either. If you have carpets fitted, then you can expect them to end up with the odd stain or two, but rather than trying to ignore them everytime you walk past, bring in a commercial carpet cleaning service to make it look brand new all over again instead.
Bring in the outdoors
Now that it’s the summer, it’s even more of a reason to bring in the outdoors so that nobody feels as if they’re missing out by being cooped up in the office. This means plenty of sunlight, fresh air, and of course, plants. Plants are a brilliant addition to any space because they not only look and smell wonderful, but they also help to purify the air and replenish all that good oxygen. They generally uplift our moods too, especially when they’re pretty to look at. In terms of light, you don’t get any better than the sun itself, so make sure that you have enough windows to let the sunlight in. Remember that it’s your vitamin D too, so it’s not only good for you mentally, but physically too. And fresh air is vital otherwise the office will feel humid and cramped, and that’s what makes people uncomfortable, and then essentially unproductive. If you have a rather hot day and the air is still, you will want to create an airflow so that you have a breeze going through the office. This can be done by simply having an entrance for the air to come in, and an exit for it to go out.
Create a safe space
Creating a safe space in the office can essentially be anything that has a calming effect. If you have a large area, then you may opt for a cosy corner where you provide beanbags and cushions to lounge on when necessary. Or you may have a separate room entirely that can be used as a timeout when people are feeling overwhelmed. Or it may even be your own office. You can do this by leaving the door open when you’re not busy, that way your staff knows that they can come in for a chat if they need to, be it about a personal issue, trouble reaching their objective, or problems with another employee. It is your job to make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe, and sometimes simply lending an ear can help. When your employees know that they have something to resort to when they aren’t feeling so good, it will allow them to process emotions and feelings, like stress, as this is one of the most common underlying issues within any business. So allowing them to release any of those pent up things will refocus their mind.
Now you know what you need to do, be sure to think about these things when moving forward.
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We’re here to help you to take action just like we’ve helped thousands of other entrepreneurs, business owers and creative professionals all around the globe.
Now is the time to let your passion SHINE.
Now is the time to Make Tomorrow Today!
To your success,
Vinh Van Lam & Stuart Horrex
Your Creative Coaches @ CoSydney & ArtSHINE industries
