Whether you like it or not, clients, potential investors, and future employees would judge your business based on what they see on your workplace. Everyone knows that more than being a space for work, the office is a reflection of all that the brand is — its identity, philosophy, and values. If you want to make the right first impression on your stakeholders, focus on these strategies:
Clean it up
No matter how aesthetically pleasing your color schemes and accent walls are, if the space is filled with nasty mess, your office would just be an eyesore. As cliché as it is, keep your area clean. Two things you should pay close attention to here are clutter and irritants.
Clutter not only refers to pieces of paper strewn all around or scattered boxes of equipment, but also to visual clutter, like the tangled, twisted electrical cables on the floors or the wall of post-its in room dividers partitions. All these are eyesores, so find a way to conceal them. The bottom line: Keep them away from sight.
As for the irritants, these include dirt, debris, leaks, and mold. Carpets are notorious for these. As experts in carpet cleaning and Salt Lake City-based professionals say, these flooring materials are often the trigger for sick building syndrome among occupants. If you don’t want your clients coughing up and sneezing after your meeting, keep your carpets clean.
Light it properly
There’s no use to having great design if they’re not visible. At the same time, it’s amazing how just the right amount of light makes a simple office pop with sophistication.
Prioritize good lighting at your workplace. Your best option for this is natural light. If you have big windows, make the most of them. Use the appropriate window treatments to allow just a decent amount of light. You can also add mirrors opposite the windows, so they would reflect these and further illuminate the space.
If you’re short on windows, and would have to resort to artificial lighting, do layer lighting. Fluorescent overhead lights may cause discomfort, so do consider adding ambient lighting. For individual work spaces, use task lighting. Choose energy-efficient fixtures. You won’t just save money, but also make the good impression of being kind to the environment.
Brand it
Fortunately, many businesses today are becoming more conscious of branding their space. They’re breaking the long tradition of plain and boring cubicles, most likely due to the rise of cool tech offices. It’s important to put your company’s personality into your business space. You want people coming into your office, “experiencing” your brand as soon as they walk in.
Create an installation art at your lobby about your mission-vision. Then, on your walls, mount a mini gallery of some sorts of the core values that you subscribe to. Use your brand’s color schemes in walls, furniture, and fixtures. Make your space yours — and it will make the right impression on people.
In the same manner that you don’t show up in baggy clothes at client meetings, you don’t want your office looking like a disaster either when people step in it. Remember that first impressions last, so make yours count.
