Simple steps to update your office

Bringing your office into the 21st century

Your business might be employing 21st century marketing techniques, offering services for the 21st century customer and keeping up-to-date with your ever-changing industry, but does your office itself reflect these traits? When there are a number of other things to concern you, keeping your office from becoming dated and sourcing the latest equipment can become the least of your priorities. It is easy to forget just how important the office environment is for one’s business, but your workplace can affect how clients view your company and even how hard your employees work.

A client who walks into a tired, run-down office relying on outdated technology and housing staff who are struggling without the support provided by other companies is likely to be less than impressed. Likewise, staff members who are faced with challenging responsibilities and are not offered any respite in the form of a comfortable break room or an efficient computer are likely to feel uninspired and unmotivated. If you’re keen to make a change to your business this year, here’s how you can bring your office into the 21st century…

Welcome new technology
Companies who avoid investing in new technologies often do so because they feel changing their computers or their working methods would just be disruptive, costly and time-consuming. In fact, investing in the right technologies can offer your business the support it needs to speed up day-to-day processes and make jobs far easier. While some computers and other technological equipment can be expensive, you’ll find that the money and time they save you in the long run makes it an extremely cost-effective change to make. Don’t be afraid of new technology – reap the benefits instead.

Go open-plan
If your office is divided by partitions to create makeshift cubicles for your employees it’s time to tear them down. Communication is key when it comes to creating a smooth working enterprise so why would you go out of your way to make it harder for your employees to speak to one another? You can provide private meeting rooms for the times when privacy is needed, but an open-plan workspace will not only help employees to get along better, but will help them to motivate each other and make for a far happier workplace.

Bin the schedule
You might find comfort in sticking to a strict schedule, but others won’t. Not everyone works well when they must follow a routine and you’ll find that many of your employees will feel far happier if they can create their own timetables to follow. As long as the work gets done on time there should be no problem allowing them to get on with their day as they please. Set break times and lunch hours are put in place for schoolchildren – you can usually trust your employees to take their breaks as and when they need to and you’ll find that providing them with this freedom will actually encourage them to work harder so that they can make the most of their free time.

Encourage remote working
For a long time, working from home simply wasn’t an option for many employers, but today the practice can be actively encouraged. Permitting your employees to work from home will make them less likely to take ‘sick’ days or days off when they are having difficulty getting into the office and will enable you to save money on buying new desks every time you extend your workforce. As long as your staff are well equipped to work from home, you can benefit from healthier and happier employees who are likely to feel more inspired and be more productive, now that they are not expected to work within the same four walls every day. You could even hold meetings outside on a nice day or take your team to a nearby café for a change of scenery. 21st century technology enables business owners to make these innovative choices.