Your workspace environment can have a major impact on your overall productivity and motivation. Let’s face it, a drab and cold feeling office isn’t going to fill you with joy is it? Just a few simple changes can give your office an overhaul and create a warm and welcoming environment.

If you’re a small business, then you want to make a solid first impression on potential clients and visitors, your space can tell a thousand words! You don’t need a huge budget to create a pleasing environment, just check out these top tips as a starting point:

1. A fresh lick of paint

Whether you’re moving into new offices or trying to jazz up your existing workspace then a fresh coat of paint is always number one on the list. Marked, dirty walls with peeling paint do not set a good impression, nor are they pleasant to look at on a daily basis! Give it a fresh coat and why not also consider a feature wall to give your office a modern look? This doesn’t have to cost you, why not see if any of your team are a dab hand at painting and decorating?

2. Go open plan

It doesn’t necessarily work for every office situation but consider an open plan style of office. It’s definitely a growing trend due to its capability to increase communication levels among co-workers. It also takes away any ‘corporate’ aesthetics swapping it for a relaxed, welcoming team environment.

3. Increase facilities

This should really be a mandatory addition for all offices! Your workers spend up to 5 days out of their week in the workplace so a few additions such as a coffee machine, water cooler and supply of biscuits and fruit will be much appreciated! Water is essential for concentration and productivity so it makes sense to encourage the consumption of it in the office, your guests will enjoy it too.

4. Fresh flowers

Flowers can instantly lift and brighten a room, research shows that flowers can have an immediate impact on our happiness. They also have a long-term positive effect on our mood by increasing our sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction. Not bad considering you can pick up a bunch of flowers for less than £5 at the supermarket!

5. Make it comfy

Depending on the size of your workplace you could consider having a small lounge area as a chill out zone. This can be done relatively cheaply too. A sofa with a few cushions and a comfy chair or two will create a chilled relaxed area for not only your employees but for guests and clients too.

6. Ensure cleanliness

This may seem like an obvious one but did you know dirty carpets can actually affect your health? Carpets are great for trapping unwanted toxins and air pollutants but once your carpet becomes ‘full’ it can no longer trap this waste which means your staff could be breathing in potentially harmful fumes. A semi-regular professional carpet clean will solve this issue!

7. Natural light

You should consider this when looking at new office spaces, is there enough natural light coming through? There’s nothing worse than having to sit under false, fluorescent lights all day so a space that has plenty of windows is ideal.

8. Comfortable temperatures

This is particularly important, especially for those hot summer months. No one wants to feel uncomfortable, hot and sweaty at work. It will do nothing for their mood or efficiency. It’s an investment but air conditioning will definitely pay off in the long run and your staff will definitely thank you for it. Just see this evidence here which reported that 30% of office staff said they were often forced to stop work due to poor temperatures!

Working on a few of these tips will definitely enhance your work environment, if you’re feeling really inspired then why not have a look on Pinterest for some amazing office-space ideas?

photo credit: Cassandra Lavalle / Flickr