Productivity is, without doubt, one of the most important aspects of running a business – without a smoothly functioning office, every aspect of it is going to suffer. Its style and how well it’s equipped to influence the amount of productivity your office allows for. Whether you’re a home-based solopreneur or in charge of a medium-to-large-scale company, it is you who should pay attention to how your office is equipped and styled. There are a lot of factors involved here, and we’ve decided to outline a couple of the most important ones to get you started.
Decluttering
Whatever you do, you need to keep in mind that there is no place for clutter. Even the most eccentric, chaotic artists should keep away from stockpiling stuff that they don’t actually need. Sure, some people find messy environments extremely convenient for performing work, perhaps even preferable, but clutter is always redundant.
In order to get rid of it, it is essential that you realize how clutter works in the first place. Quite simply put, it is all due to hoarding: accumulating stuff that you think you are (for some reason) emotionally attached to. Well, the good news is that you probably really aren’t (at least not to most of the things); the bad news is that you’re going to have to get rid of clutter in order to start functioning properly. Here’s one simple tip: set aside everything that you use more rarely than once per month, and take it from there. You’ll quickly realize how much useless stuff you have.
Lighting
The amount of light that your office gets both during the day and during nighttime (nightshifts) plays an enormous role when it comes to the general productivity of your office. As humans, we need natural light in order to perform to the maximum of our ability, and this is why large windows and light play such an important role in our productivity.
Of course, some offices can’t do much in terms of natural light. In that case, opting for quality CFL/LED lighting fixtures can go a long way, seeing as how these are as close to sunlight as lighting fixtures get. Moreover, both CFLs and LEDs (the latter more so than the former) consume much less energy than regular fixtures and are, therefore, both eco- and budget-friendlier!
Comfortable furniture
No matter whether you’re working from a home office or from one downtown, neither you nor your employees will be able to function without comfortable, appropriate furniture. Yes, this means that no matter how awesome the concept of working from your bed might seem, you can rest assured that it is extremely unproductive. First of all, it’s been proven that the sitting position keeps the worker more focused; secondly, most other “cozier” positions might cause you to grab some accidental shut-eye, and it is fairly obvious how bad this is for business.
On the other hand, a basic wooden chair is far from comfortable furniture. In order to make sure that your team (or yourself) is as productive and focused as possible, you need to pay close attention to the furniture choice. A solid, ergonomic chair can go a long way in keeping those productivity levels high.
Quality equipment
Just as how uncomfortable, non-ergonomic office furniture can kill in-office productivity, using cheap, low-quality equipment can actually cost you a lot more than just a heftier portion of your budget. A fast, durable computer is no longer a matter of luxury, but of objective necessity. Fortunately, there are a lot of offers out there that feature units with excellent price/quality ratios such as a Lenovo desktop PC – invest into computers that come with a great deal once, and you won’t have to worry about them for years to come. Try saving on essential office equipment such as a PC, and neither you nor your team will be able to perform to the maximum of your ability.
Plantlife
Quite logically, the more oxygen your brain gets, the more efficient and productive you’ll be. By making sure that there are enough plants in your office, you are ensuring an oxygen-rich environment. In fact, plant life even brings serenity and motivation to the table, so coloring your office natural green can go a long way in helping it become a healthy, focused environment.
Raising the in-office productivity is a simple task that only requires some dedication, will and a little investment. A decluttered office, equipped with comfortable furniture, good lighting, quality equipment, a lot of natural light and plant life can go a long way in paying you back for all the investments you’ve made and manifold at that.
About the Author: David Webb is a Sydney-based business consultant, online marketing analyst, and a writer. With six years of experience and a degree in business management, he continuously informs the public about the latest trends in the industry. He is a regular author at BizzmarkBlog. You can reach him on Twitter or Facebook.
