 Image credit: Louise Hoffman 83 from Pixabay Breaking away from the daily grind of working for someone else and setting up on your own is a really exciting time in your life. Gaining the freedom that comes from launching your own company provides a fresh start in your working life, but before you can go ahead and open your business, some preparations need to be made.
There are so many different tasks involved in opening a new business, but one of the most crucial is getting your business premises ready for launch day. Having a physical space that embodies your business is a big deal, so it is essential to get it right. Even if your business is not going to be customer-facing, creating the perfect premises is still hugely beneficial. Creating an office space that represents your business in the right way will bring a sense of pride to both yourself and your team. Having a work environment that is designed to meet the needs of your business is also great for productivity. It will be so much easier for your team to work to its full potential when your environment is designed for success. But before you can enjoy the benefits of a perfect office space, you need first to get it ready. Take a look at the tasks that need to be completed before opening your business premises Fit it Out Getting your space fitted out to match the needs of your business is a little easier if your premises are brand-new. If you are not moving into a premise purpose-built for your business, you will need to allow time to strip back the current fixtures and fittings and get your new ones installed. Whether your building is brand-new or already in use, seeing the transformation that takes place once your countertops, desks, and cubicles are brought in is a milestone moment in your life as a business owner. Don’t forget to shop around for your fixtures as you need them to last, and you will also need to ensure they match your brand and represent your business in the best possible way. To ensure your business premises stand out and suit your brand, it is also a great idea to use your logo and corporate colors within your office decor. As well as making your office look great, using your corporate logo and branding within the decor will help give your team a sense of belonging and build team spirit. Make it Safe Safety is always a primary concern for businesses. It is essential that you do all you can to ensure that both employees and visitors are safe when in your office. Following all the relevant health and safety guidance is vital, so reading up on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration law and regulations is essential. Complying with these regulations is vital for every business, so you will need to get familiar with them to protect your employees from hazards. Choosing a specialist company to take care of installing fire extinguishers, alarms, and sprinkler systems before your business opens is essential. These items could save lives, so ensuring that they are installed by qualified, accredited engineers is vital. Get Insured After dedicating your time and money to creating your perfect new office space, it is essential that you protect it. Your business premises are likely to be the most significant investment that you have made in your company. So if an incident such as a fire or a burglary happened, this could prove financially disastrous and undo all the hard work and money you have poured into your business. Taking out insurance is an excellent way to get the peace of mind that you are protected and that you should receive an insurance payout if the worse were to happen to your business. To ensure you have the proper insurance coverage for your business, it is a good idea to research different policies and to compare the differences between each of them. Choosing the right insurance policy is just as important as having one in the first place, so getting help to make sure you choose the right insurance cover is a good idea if you are unsure. Arranging your insurance as soon as possible is essential to get your business protected right from the start. While there are undoubtedly many tasks to be completed before your business opens, arranging insurance cover and making sure your business premises are safe need to be right at the top of your to-do list.
0 Comments
 Image credit: Burst from Pexels Home offices, when they are designed properly, can give you an ample working space that will support creativity and productivity. If you feel as though your space is somewhat lacklustre then you have to know that you are not alone. So many people are in the same situation as you are, but there are things that you can do to try and make your space work for you. Take a look below to find out more.
Natural Light It’s so important that your office is located where there is a lot of natural light. This is the best way for you to make sure that you are way more active and energised. Natural lighting is great for your wellbeing, and it can also help you to maintain very high levels of Vitamin D. This is a critical nutrient as it will help you to improve your sleep. It will also help you to stay in a good mood as well. Having a home office that gets a lot of natural light will also reduce the amount of energy that you consume because you won’t have to worry about turning on the lights as often. Find a Nice Quiet Spot If you want to be able to truly focus when you are working at home, then you need to make sure that your home office is in a quiet spot. If you don’t live alone, then you may find that there are certain parts of your home where you are interrupted less. If you can make sure that your office is in the right place then this is half the battle won, so make sure that you keep this in mind if you possibly can. The Right Colour Scheme Colours can have a huge impact on your mental health. If you do not choose the right colours for your home office, then you may find that your productivity is impacted more than you realise. After all, you really don’t want to be falling asleep every time you sit down at your desk. Different colours will of course, elicit different emotional responses as well. If you want to choose the right colours then try and opt for earthy tones or natural hues. This can include greens, off-whites and even blues. Choose Furniture that is Ergonomic Choosing furniture that is ergonomic is so important. You will be spending a lot of time in your office, so make sure that it is well-designed and comfortable. In addition to supporting your health, you should know that ergonomic furniture will help you to be more comfortable and it will also help you to support your focus too. Keep in mind that ergonomic doesn’t mean “so comfortable that it will make you fall asleep”. It means supporting your neck and back while also giving you the right design to do your job. Personal Touches Adding a personal touch to your home will help it to stop feeling as though it is just a workspace. It will help you to boost your productivity and it will also make it easier for you to be comfortable. You have to make sure that you surround yourself with personal items and you also need to make sure that you stay motivated as much as possible. If you can do this well, then you may find that it puts you in the right mood for work and it also helps you to overcome some of the challenges that are associated with working out of an office at home. If you want to make something for your office, it is wise to check out Glue Guns Direct. Focus on your Needs The ideal workspace is not the same for everyone. Before you even think about designing your workspace, or before you contact a professional, you have to set some clear expectations. You need to know what you want from your space as this will help you to make the process way easier. Remember that the needs you have will depend on the job that you do, so make sure that you are giving this enough thought if possible. Eliminate Distractions One of the downfalls that comes with working out of your home is the amount of distractions that you have to deal with. Even though you do have distractions in a working environment, they are nothing compared to what you have to deal with at home. Try and avoid making things too cluttered, and also make sure that you take a break when you need to. Having a space where you can do this is crucial, so make sure that you keep this in mind if you can. It’ll make things a lot easier for you.  Image credit: Ivan Samkov from Pexels Is it time for startups to just forget about offices and go remote? The last year has shown us that office work really isn't all it's built up to be. The benefits of having an office seem almost non-existent in a lot of cases, while remote working presents a series of great advantages.
Speaking of which, here are four reasons start-ups should ditch the old office life: Far cheaper The cost of remote work is tiny compared to the cost of working in an office. This is because you don't have to pay any rental costs, not to mention footing the bill on the energy. All you have to worry about are your own personal costs of working at home, which will be virtually non-existent. Factor in the lack of office maintenance costs as well, and you can see why it is cheaper. Fewer health & safety issues As a business owner, there's nothing more worrying than health & safety concerns. Firstly, you spend a lot of money kitting your office out with things like fire curtains, fire extinguishers, slip n fall signs, other safety signs, and so on. These all link back to the first point about remote work being cheaper, but you also have the benefit of not dealing with these safety issues. So, there's no chance of an employee slipping and falling over in the office, where they can then sue you for compensation. Working from home eliminates these risks. Improved productivity Your employees all get to design their ultimate work environment when they're not in an office. For some, this means setting up a little area at home where they feel comfortable and can work in peace and quiet. For others, it could mean going to a local coffee shop and working there. The point is that different people find productivity in different ways. Office life restricts everyone to the same routine and strict way of working. It's not always productive for everyone, while remote working gives your employees a choice! Flexible working hours Building on the previous point, remote work gives you the ability to allow flexible working hours in your startup. Instead of strictly doing the classic 9-5 office shift, employees could work at times that suit them best. Of course, it all depends on when your business needs to be productive - if you run a company that has to be active during 9-5, then people need to follow that shift. However, a startup has a chance to tap into more foreign markets if it works remotely. Flexible hours mean you could work on US time or Asian time to do business with people or companies over there. Thus, you broaden your horizons, get clients from all over the world and can be a success. When you think about it, you really wonder why a company would want to work in the office anymore. Hasn't it basically been proven that offices aren't necessary?! There are some caveats here and there depending on the business, but a lot of startups can benefit from leaving the office behind and switching to remote work.  One thing that all business owners need to do is take check of what is happening in their offices. If you do not keep a check on everything, you will find that things can start to get a bit stale and get out of hand. This is the last thing that you want. You want to keep motivation levels high and the vibe positive. So, what are some of the different things that you can do to improve your office today?
Get rid of clutter - The first tip that we have for you when it comes to enhancing your office is to get rid of clutter. If you feel like your offices are never today, this is going to have a number of negative effects. Not only will it mean that it is difficult for workers to find the things that they need, but it can have a negative impact on their mental state as well. This is why we recommend looking for a company offering cheaper bin hire and get started with de-cluttering the space.
 Image credit: Unknown An office renovation can be an exciting time for you and your staff. It can signal a shift into a new era for the business and will often come during a period uof success for the business when you have a bit of extra cash to splash on the necessary expenses. That’s not to say it’s all sunshine and rainbows though and without proper planning it could cause more harm than good. Read these points below to help avoid the pitfalls that may come with an office renovation.
Plan With Your Employees’ Needs In Mind We’ve all seen the flashy job adverts that boast about the office’s beanbags, air hockey table, coffee machines and more… They look great in the advert but, in reality, how often are they used by the employees themselves? Were they something the workers wanted or was it instead just done with the company Instagram in mind? A perfect place to start to begin to discover and learn just what is available out there for your employees, is officemonster.co.uk/office-furniture. Employee-first design will do wonders for office morale and productivity. It can also help your employees feel their needs are really being heard. Perhaps the budget for a flashy TV could instead be spent on some comfortable chairs or standing desks. Demonstrably planning with your team in mind can help alleviate some of the stresses of the working environment keeping your team happier overall. You can also use this opportunity to plan around individual worker’s specific needs. Think About Minimising Disruption Goodwill towards the renovation can be used up quickly if the works mean your staff are unable to do their daily tasks to the best of their ability. Think about if they’re going to need to take client calls while the power tools are whirring away next to them. It’ll be a pain for your team AND your customers if works cause disruption. With the recent successes of work from home programs during lockdown perhaps you could consider having the whole office work from home for a week while the decorators blitz the office. One extra week of working from home could save the hassle of three weeks working around contractors if you’re planning a more thorough renovation. Making sure you have your bases covered with the likes of Cheaper Bin Hire will ensure you can speed through works quickly and that there won’t be an unsightly mess left around the office for days or even weeks. No one wants to work in an office that looks like a bombsite and getting a skip in from the start will help avoid this. Perhaps it’d be a good chance to ditch the horrifying crockery and cutlery from the office kitsch too? Design With The Future In Mind This doesn’t just apply to the design trends you opt for but rather it applies more fundamentally to the choices you make for the renovation. Do you anticipate your client base doubling, tripling, or even more in the coming years? Make sure the redesign allows your team and your facilities space to breathe. You might regret not opting for the second meeting room in a year’s time if you suddenly don’t have room to host multiple client meetings at the same time. Perhaps you’re instead moving away from in-person pitches to online-only meetings? In that case a series of smaller rooms allowing each member of staff some peace and quiet for their calls could be the perfect choice. A renovation is also the perfect time to embrace more sustainable changes for your office - you can read more about some ideas for those here. Whatever decisions you make they should be made with a growth mindset at the forefront. Growth for your business, for your staff, and for your customers. A short-sighted redevelopment will only cause problems both in the short term and in a year or two when you need to tear everything down to start again.  Image credit: Eric Anada from Pexels Many business owners are thinking about the ways they can make running the business more sustainable, less wasteful, and better for the environment. However, for many, the problem still lies in energy consumption above all else. What are the changes, little and large, that can make your office more energy efficient?
Say goodbye to paper There are some records that should be kept in paper forms, such as financial accounts and any documents relating to the legal formation of the business. Otherwise, however, it’s becoming easier and easier to go entirely paperless. Not only does it cut on paper waste, but you don’t have to pay as many printing costs (for the printers themselves as well as the ink and repairs), and you don’t need to use as much space in the office to store papers. Take care of your big appliances When it comes to any means of heating, air conditioning, and ventilation, then it is essential that you routinely hire professionals to take care of them. With maintenance of air source heat pumps, you are not only potentially saving money down the line by preventing breakages. You are ensuring that the appliances that heat the entire workspace are working more efficiently, thereby allowing them to heat up or cool down the office while consuming less energy. Going green with your energy You can make sure that your appliances are working as efficiently as possible is one thing. But one of the biggest changes you can make is to change where your energy comes from in the first place. Not every location is going to benefit as much from the installation of solar panels, so it’s important to do your research and find out how much energy you’re likely to get with such installations before you make that decision. Choosing eco-friendly partners How you manage the energy efficiency of your business isn’t just about how you operate. It’s also about who you partner with. Finding reliable suppliers and service providers is crucial. While it perhaps shouldn’t outshine their performance and cost-effectiveness, it might be worth considering what eco-friendly operational methods your suppliers and partners undertake. It might be worth paying a little extra for a supplier that uses recyclable packaging for instance. Beware of vampire energy It might sound like a relatively small tip in comparison, but turning off all lights and electronics when a room is not in use can make a big difference to your energy bills over time. Even leaving computers in standby can be more wasteful than you might imagine. Make it a policy to ensure that appliances are turned off at the wall unless you know for a fact that you’re coming back to use them very soon and never leave lights on in an empty room. Energy efficiency might seem like a conundrum, but if you’re making the changes effectively, then you can end up saving the costs of the investment in terms of energy saved. It always pays to look out for government schemes to help install energy-efficient measures with a discount or part of the costs covered, as well.  Image credit: Pixabay on Pexels For your business to thrive, your office space must be a hub of creativity and hard work. The problem is, it’s impossible to achieve greatness without the right environment! If you want productivity levels to soar, think about how you might improve the functionality and design of your office. In many cases, improving your office is rather a case of health and safety.
1. Consider lighting According to a study in PR Newswire, ‘workers in daylit office environments reported an 84 percent drop in symptoms of eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision.’ The study concluded that improving natural light in an office environment resulted in improved productivity and wellness levels. To improve your office environment, it’s advisable to optimize natural light as much as possible. Perhaps your office doesn’t get much sunlight during the day? In this case, daylight bulbs or full-spectrum daylight bulbs are a worthwhile investment. Daylight bulbs are designed to mimic natural night, while full-spectrum bulbs are often used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. 2. Create more space The coronavirus pandemic means that social distancing is now a necessity. To improve your office design in a post-COVID world, you need to create more space. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but here are a few viable options! Declutter to make room: Start by decluttering your office, get rid of any items you don’t need. Whether you sell things or donate them, you’d be surprised how much space you have after a clear out. When you are disposing of your items, ensure that you recycle as much as possible. With a little more floor space, you’ll be able to create more distance between your staff workstations. Invest in a storage solution: Another option is to invest in a storage solution. There are plenty of storage containers you can hire at affordable prices. By using a storage solution, you’ll free up space on site, and you won’t need to get rid of anything. 3. Ergonomic seating Modern office designs simply must involve ergonomic seating; it’s essential to keep your staff safe and healthy as they work. Ergonomic chairs support the spine and prevent injuries. While you’re at it, it’s also a good idea to purchase ergonomic keyboards. These keyboards help the user to place their hands in a natural position; this means less straining and less chance of typing related ailments. 4. Quality renovations Working conditions have a direct impact on the productivity of your staff. Staff are far more likely to produce creative work in an attractive and comfortable environment. With this in mind, consider whether your office space is in need of a renovation? When you are choosing your contractors, it’s essential to choose a quality service. Many businesses prefer companies who prioritize sustainable building methods and materials. For a quality ceiling renovation, rockfon.co.uk have plenty of great options. 5. Consider color schemes The colors that we are surrounded by influence our mood, emotions and energy levels. Due to this, it’s important to choose the right colors when designing an office space. For a few ideas to get you started, consider these options: Blue: Blue is generally seen as an ‘intellectual’ color. It is often associated with communication, logic and trust. All of these associations make blue the perfect color for an office environment. Yellow: Yellow represents positivity, creativity and energy. We need all of these things to create a productive office, (so get painting those walls yellow)! 6. Apps to support your design Need a little help to get your design ideas flowing? Several apps can help you there! Room Sketcher: RoomSketcher is a floor planning and design app, perfect for helping you plan out your office. Using this application, you can make 3D floor plans and virtually decorate your office. RoomSketcher is ideal if you want to try out a few design ideas before making any purchases. Planner 5D: Planner 5D is another top floor plan tool, here you can create any type of interior layout you wish. Whether you want to create a 2D or 3D plan, planner 5D has the tools you need. It’s simple to create realistic images and play around with texture and lighting. Hopefully, a few of these ideas will be easy to implement at your office. You might find that it takes a little time to redesign your office to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions. If your staff are still working from home, now is the perfect time to get those renovations sorted before they return!  Image Credit: Carlos Muza on Pixabay.com Running a business is hard work. Many entrepreneurs or small business owners find themselves wearing many hats. They spend so much time working in their business they never get the opportunity to work on their business.
Using automation intelligently can not only improve your business processes, but it also frees people up to work on core business priorities. A study in the UK showed that business owners spend up to a third of their time on business admin. Automation can be used in most areas of a business, but here are a few of the main ones that will make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time. HR & Payroll Systems Even businesses with only a few employees have a number of legal and financial obligations to their employees. There are a number of great cloud hr systems coming onto the market which can run your day to day recruitment, HR and payroll services. These are cloud-based so won’t need to invest in any IT or data storage systems. They’ll save you time, money and make sure that you stay legally compliant. Employees can update their personal details, access policies, request holiday or communicate feedback all directly through an online platform. Running payroll through one of these systems can save your money on accountants and still let your remain compliant with the government tax systems and online banking facilities. Task Management An efficient, well-organised team can do wonders. Rather than relying on emails and handwritten scribbles, why not run all of your tasks and projects through specialist software like Asana or Trello. These programmes both have free versions that you can use to set up recurring tasks to keep your team and your business on track. The amount of time saved on unnecessary meetings or emails will transform your business. Marketing A great deal of your marketing funnel can be automated through software such as Hubspot or Zoho. Once you’ve set up your campaign materials, you can rely on your software to push prospective clients through your marketing funnel without the need to manually trigger actions every step of the way. Content, email and even social media content curation can all be automated in line with your campaign goals. A well-designed chatbot on your website can drive enquiries through without you needing to speak to people. The good news for small businesses is that you don’t need huge huge budgets to begin automating your business. Most of the larger software companies offer a freemium model, allowing you to access a range of features for free in the hopes that once you expand, you’ll move directly to the paid version. Conclusion Automating processes in our business can save you time, money and allow you to spend your precious time on actually running your business. Increased productivity leads to better margins and an improved bottom line. Not adopting an agile approach to your business can lose you that competitive edge if your competitors do embrace automation.  Google spent years studying what makes an effective boss and now they teach new managers the six things they found! Inc.com has the lowdown on what Google think a new manager should know!
 When you apply for a job, you actually have two CV's out there. You may well submit one CV but its also your social media that acts as the second one so knowing exactly what's on it really helps especially as recruiters will find it too! The Muse has 8 easy ways to have a clean up!
 Photo credit: apost.com "When leaders forget about the human element, they're holding back their companies and limiting the success of others." Sheldon Yellen, CEO of property-restoration company Belfor Holdings, hand-writes 9,200 birthday cards a year! You can read more in Business Insider!
 Photo credit: Open Door America Leaders can inspire, they can motivate and some make it look really easy, but just how do they do this? You can read more at TonyRobbins.com!
 In the world of more and more companies trying to adopt a four-day workweek, Microsoft Japan tried it and saw a 40% increase in productivity! CNN Business has more on what could become more common!
 For weeks you've wanted out, had enough of the daily crap you've had to deal with, but the question is, "Is it nuts to quit your job with no backup plan?" The Muse has some insight in how to approach this question!
 Whether you like your job or not and if you don't, what are you doing to escape it?? The Muse have five things that you should get at work, yes even if you don't like the place!
 Photo credit: The BOSS Group Your job application is submitted and then you get that phone call, the phone interview! The Muse has 22 big tips on nailing that phone call!
 Photo credit: thejobnetwork.com We can't all have great bosses, sometimes with the worst you wonder how did they actually get that far ahead?! The Muse has some great tips on how to deal with a 'difficult' boss!
 Photo credit: monster.com You might leave work at the end of the day but remembering the events of that disruptive coworker or the rude email can still play on your mind even after getting home. myfitnesspal.com have some ideas of how to leave work at the door.
 Photo credit: JustJobs.com Going into an interview is nerve wrecking enough but having a few tricks up your sleeve could make or break it for you! Thrive Global have more on the tricks to your next gig!
 Its great to have some self-awareness about yourself and how you portray yourself but how do you turn that into self-improvement? Harvard Business Review has more on making yourself more powerful!
 Photo credit: USAToday.com No one has ever found you 'feeling well' and do you really have 'best wishes' when you sign off an email? Probably not! Joe.co.uk has got a round up of what your email sign off really means!
 Not many people in the world look forward to going for a job interview, for some, the anxiety levels go off the scales! Forbes has a short list of what could help prepare you for the next big job!
 How do you approach an interview? How do you set yourself up to stand out in that interview? Do you try and sell the best version of yourself or do you try and show them just how you are? Forbes have some pointers to help steer you in the right direction!
 For some, working from home is the dream! People working in the retail world or hospitality industry really could actually only dream about being able to work from home! If you're lucky enough for this dream to come true for you or have a chance, inc.com could help with a convincing stat to the boss!
 If you're the boss and trying to motivate your team but not getting very far, its possible that you could be going about it the wrong way! TonyRobbins.com has some pointers to help you moving in the right direction!
|
Author - ChrisAuthor, Editor, Creator of this website. Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed