Ensure Your Office Makes a Great First Impression
In business, as in life, first impressions count. Perhaps they shouldn’t, but I think we can all agree they do. You wouldn’t, for instance, arrive at an important meeting wearing old sweats and hope to secure a deal, would you? But, it’s not just how you personally come across that matters, potential clients will also judge your company based on how your office looks. That’s why you need to ensure that your office makes a great first impression. Here’s how to ensure that:
An Impressive Façade
When it comes to making a great first impression with your office, you need to start with the exterior, because that’s what visitors will see first. You need to, at a minimum, ensure that the exterior is clean, graffiti free and features an attractive sign. If you’re lucky enough to be in the position to construct your own office building from scratch, which is easier and more affordable than you might think – just look at these armstrong steel reviews if you don’t believe me – then you can really go to town and work on a building design that draws the eye and enhances your brand. Otherwise, stick to the basics, keep it clean and buy or rent space in the best neighborhood your budget can afford.
An Elegant Interior
Once you’ve sorted the outside, you’ll want to start sprucing up the interior. There is no right or wrong way to style your office, but you should try to keep it as elegant as possible, or at least in keeping with your brand image. White walls with flashes of color in the carpets, furniture, and accessories is a great way to create an interesting office space, that won’t turn anyone off.
Keep it Clean
No matter the interior of your office, you’ll want to keep it clean if you want to impress your clients. An office space that is brimming with loose papers, old coffee cups, and worst of all fast food containers, is a major turn off. If your office space is disorganized, why should clients trust you to take more care with their work? Bite the bullet and clean it up. If your budget stretches to it, hire a cleaner or two to ensure the place is spotless, and you’ll instantly make a better impression.
Invest in Better Lighting
Flickering, headache inducing lighting looks cheap and therefore will not impress anyone who visits your office, so be sure to invest in new, bright LED bulbs. If you have any problems with flickering lights, have the electrics tested by a professional. It will make a huge difference.
Invest in Modern Technology
If clients visit your office, and you’re using decade old computers still operating on Windows XP, they’re probably not going to look at you as the forward-thinking modern company you want them to think you are. So, although it’s fine to spend a little less on furnishings, as long as they’re clean and presentable, you should definitely invest more in the latest technologies.
Good luck with making your office as impressive as possible.
