Finding a suitable office for rent is only the beginning of your worries as a small business owner…those stark walls will also need to be decorated.
Although you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to outfit your new corner of commercial real estate, careful decoration and organization can create a more productive atmosphere and further your brand message well beyond words.
Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your new leased office space:
- Consider the overall aesthetic. Many businesses have already established some level of brand imagery by the time they break out into a leased office space, you should be pulling those images into your work space as well.Whether your marketing relies heavily on fonts that invoke mid-century curves or bold colors that demand harsh corners, aligning your brand’s aesthetic with your office design can create an unique environment that inspires your employees and delights your clients.
- Bring nature inside. Even if you can’t give your employees a view of the world outside because of a lack of windows, you can help to improve their overall job satisfaction by bringing plants into the office. According to a study published in HortScience, workers in offices with plants, but no windows, rated their job satisfaction higher than those with offices that had windows, but no plants. Adding plants to an office can really improve job satisfaction, increasing worker performance overall.
- Consider a flexible office design. If you’ve leased a big empty space and have the freedom to internally zone it as you please, a flexible design can help foster creativity. Employees who work with mobile tools like laptops and tablets may be much happier collaborating in organic spaces. The coffee shop aesthetic has worked well for many large companies, it might also be a huge hit for yours.
- Ask your employees what they want. Although your employees shouldn’t dictate your policies or even necessarily have the last word in where you spend decorating and design dollars, it’s a good idea to ask them what sort of office space works best for them. You might be surprised to find that they’ve been dreaming of a cubicle-free workspace or more shared spaces.
Now that you’ve found the perfect office for rent and you’ve made it your own, it’s time to get to decorating. Hopefully these tips will make the process a little easier for you to create a simple office design on your own or work closely with a designer to plan the office your team has been dreaming of since you found the new space.