How to Select the Right Office Space

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | How to Select the Right Office Space

The office you choose can determine the success of your business. It is important to find a space that provides the right balance of affordability, credibility, space and facilities. To avoid making a big mistake, find out how to select the right office space for your company.

The Right City

Do you want to compete with your industry rivals? It might be a smart move to find an office space in a flourishing city. For example, a London or New York office space could set you apart from your competitors located in unknown cities or towns, as it will prove you are a force to be reckoned with in business. Picking the right city is just as essential as choosing the right office since it can help boost your business. San Francisco’s CRE market is an excellent example of a diverse area that has a lot to offer. And when looking for an office in this city, you can take some pressure off of your shoulders because you will surely find your dreamed one.

A Safe Neighborhood

Not only must you choose the best city to compete in your industry, but you must also select a safe neighborhood. For instance, if you run a technology company, you will undoubtedly store expensive gadgets and devices onsite, which you will want to protect. A safe neighborhood will not only protect your office equipment, but it will also ensure the health and safety of your employees so that they can travel safely to and from work each day. You must, therefore, discover a safe neighborhood, as well as one that has a professional ambiance like London. Turn to The Workplace Company for help moving your tech company to London.

Transport Links

Transport links are another factor that should influence your decision, as you will need to ensure you can provide an easy commute for your employees. For example, is there a subway or train station nearby? Could employees commute to the office by bus or car? Identify the different routes for different employees and visitors to ensure your workplace is accessible.

Local Amenities

Employees will want to stretch their legs and grab something to eat on their lunch, and you may also want to take clients for a coffee, drinks or a meal to discuss business. That’s why it’s important to make sure there are local amenities close by, so you and your staff are not stuck inside the office, which could impact employee morale.

Building Maintenance

Are you leasing a space inside a serviced office? You will want to ensure the building is well-maintained. Unsightly exterior or peeling wallpaper in the reception area will not impress your clients or visitors, which could create a wrong first impression of your company. Ask current tenants about the building maintenance services and security before you sign on the dotted line.

Room for Growth

Every business owner will want their company to grow from strength to strength, which is why it is important to plan for growth when selecting an office space. For example, if you currently have 20 members of staff onboard, you might want to invest in an office space that accommodates 50+ people, so there is room for growth; otherwise, you might be forced to move offices once again in a year or two.
Do you have any top tips for choosing an office space? Feel free to post a comment below.

How to Motivate Your Employees

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article
Employees who lack motivation will only slow down the productivity and growth of your business. Yet, the responsibility to work harder is not solely their responsibility. It is an employer’s job to ensure they inspire their staff each day to maximize their performance. Find out how to motivate your employees.

Focus on Individuals

Employees can often become frustrated in their role when they feel they are simply another number in the business. If a member of staff feels undervalued or isolated in their role, you can almost guarantee they’ll have less passion for the company, and will not be willing to work as hard as they once had for the business.

Take a few moments out of your day to speak to individuals, so you can make your team feel appreciated. Remember to offer direct praise for an employee’s job well done, which could be as simple as a “thank you” or a monetary bonus. Also, if you notice an employee is unhappy or underperforming, take the team member aside to discuss how they are feeling and to find a solution, which will prove you are willing to go above and beyond to make them feel happy and comfortable at work.

Create a Relaxed Workplace

The work environment can significantly affect employee morale and productivity. If you want your office to have a positive impact on your staff’s mentality, you should review the workplace layout. For example, it might be helpful to pull down the cubicle walls to create a more open, collaborative space – or you could introduce a relaxing break room. If you are unsure where to start, contact professional office designers in London to transform a space, such as STOiCA Office.

Provide Advancement Opportunities

Many employees can become bored of the same routine month after month, or even year after year. Providing advancement opportunities will, therefore, give a member of staff a reason to work harder, while helping to grow your business. So, rather than hiring external candidates, utilize the talent and knowledge of your internal employees, who will revel in their new responsibilities and tasks. It’s an effective way to harness their passion for the industry while retaining your best employees.

Lead by Example

An employer sets the tone for values, work ethic and passion for the business. If you’re always late, you can guarantee your staff will follow in your footsteps. If you browse the internet, they’ll do the same, and so on. It is important to lead by example when running a business, as your commitment to the industry and passion for hard work can become infectious across the company. Always try to have a positive attitude to every situation, even when facing difficult challenges, which will encourage your team to mirror your actions.

Develop a Transparent Environment

Employees will fail to trust their employer if they believe the business is keeping secrets from them. You can guarantee they will respect you as a leader if you are open and transparent about the company and any upcoming changes. The more transparent you are, the more comfortable they will feel when approaching you with an idea or problem, too. Introduce an open-door policy to ensure every team member feels their voice is being heard and that their opinions are valued.

Top Benefits to Offer Your Employees for Improved Productivity

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article
Regardless of how much you may want your employees to work at their best all the time, this simply isn’t possible. Your employees are people, and they have good days, and bad days, and their productivity workflow will reflect this. Sometimes, however, an employee’s decreasing productivity and effectiveness is more substantial, and that is when you need to step in and help. Stress, and constant stress, can severely impact someone’s health. It can put them in pain, it can lower their immune system, and it could even put them on the edge of a breakdown. Offering your employees benefits can help them manage this stress, meaning that not only will they be happier working for you, they will also be better able to work for you. Here are the top benefits you should offer your employees:

1. A Break Room

Having a proper break room will allow your employees somewhere to get away from their desk and to refuel. Offer complimentary tea, coffee, and even snacks like protein bars, and consider adding massage chairs to help keep them refreshed and revitalized whenever they need it. Similarly, you should also aim to have a few kitchen appliances as well, like a fridge, microwave, and even a toaster oven. Encourage your employees to be healthier, and to bring their own food. To do this, you could have a reward program for the employee who brings their own lunch in the most often at the end of the month.

2. A Spa Visit

Stress and sitting at a desk all day causes physical pain. It can cause seriously painful and distracting back problems that lower productivity immensely, which is why a great benefit to offer is an annual or bi-annual massage. Contact heavenandearthmassage.co.uk and set up a program for your employees. They will not only be thrilled with this benefit, but it will help them manage pain and de-stress.

3. Rewards for Milestones

Pitting your employees against each other doesn’t do a lot of good. Instead, it means that those who would achieve the results in the first-place work harder to beat each other, and those that aren’t likely to win will try less. Instead, offer rewards for milestones. That way everyone is motivated to do better. These rewards don’t have to be big. They can be a few extra days of vacation, or they can be tickets to some event in town. Reward your employees so that they work for positive reinforcement, not because they are stressing about not making the deadline in time.

4. In-Office Gym

Depending on the size of your company, you can either offer discounted memberships to gyms, or even install a gym inside your office space itself. Encourage your employees to exercise, so that they have improved immune systems, lower blood pressure, increased mood, and overall a bigger boost in energy.

These benefits won’t cost the world, but they can give a lot back. You don’t want your employees to burn out working for you, you want them to be on top of their game, and these benefits can help them do that.

Importance of Branding for Your Business

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales ArticleBranding are the logos and design choices that you make for your business. In many ways, they act as the “face” of your company, and this is the “face” that your customers and associates alike will interact with. Poor branding insinuates that your company is poor, while good branding, and, even better, a great brand marketing scheme, can make a company famous. Branding is key, and it starts with a good logo design, and continues from there. Investing in branding isn’t just a waste of money, it can create long-term, positive associations that bring in more business and increased reputation.

1. Creates Brand Association

When you have reached the point where a simple icon can make someone think of your product and the great associations they have with it, then you’ve done your job. When you create a brand, you create an image that people learn to associate with your product or your service. This, in turn, leads to credibility and even increased sales, since consumers trust in your product and your service.

This is incredibly important if you’re about to launch a new product and want the launch to excel. If you have inconsistent or poor branding, you will have to start marketing your new product from ground zero. If, on the other hand, your brand show authority and is considered reliable, then you can easily sell this new product as an extension. If people trust you and trust your brand, they’ll be more likely to buy a new product you put out.

2. It Can Increase Value

Some branding is designer, which means that not only can you benefit from good associations, but you also benefit from having your name and your logo increase the price of your product. Think of it as a signature on a piece of artwork; it’s there to assure your loyal customers that they are buying your brand, and not some cheap knockoff.

3. It Shows Professionalism

When you have logos and branding, it shows professionalism. This means having custom business forms created so that your branding and your image is repeated for every transaction. It means having customized creations that look professional and thought out. It also instills a sense of pride within your company, showing that you care about the small details, and that your company is a unified business regardless of sector.

4. It Shows Your Values

Great branding is, effectively, a 24/7 marketing tool. Regardless of time of day, it should show your values and highlight your ideals. Is your company fun and exciting? Is it working hard on being environmentally sustainable? Use your branding to showcase these principles through the use of color and through the logo design you choose. Typography alone can tell a story, and proper branding requires you to take that story and share its narrative in everything that you do.

Branding is critical when it comes to creating and fostering relationships. It is how people learn to recognize your company, and it is how they become more likely to buy from you again. Work on coupling your great branding with excellent customer service and a good product, and you’ll create a great association that keeps them coming back.

Photo by Julian O’hayon on Unsplash

How To Get More Out Of Your Employees

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StrategyDriven Talent Management ArticleYou hired your employees because you saw special qualities in them. While you still appreciate their hard work, there are times you wish you could get more out of them. You understand their full potential, otherwise you wouldn’t bother with trying to make improvements on your team.

As the leader, you have an important job, and that’s to ignite the fire underneath your staff that’s going to allow them to show you better results. The key is to not give up on them and to put processes in place that help your team and company succeed. See how to get more out of your employees.

Offer Professional Development Opportunities

One way to change the behavior of your staff is to challenge them to go above and beyond. Do this by offering professional development opportunities that they can take advantage of. Observe which employees grab the bull by the horns and which sit back and choose not to participate. This will tell you a lot about who has ambition and drive and who is disengaged. In addition to attending courses outside of work, sit down individually and go over goals and performance reviews with your staff.

Reward Them

You can’t go wrong with incentivizing your employees with enticing rewards. Drum up excitement around your offerings and make them earn it. Go to www.ticketsales.com and purchase tickets to a popular concert in the area and make it known to your staff that you’ll be watching how they do on the next project. Make a competition out of it and tell them that the winner will receive tickets to a show. You’ll likely see a surge in effort and a lot of good work being produced. You’ll be able to easily observe where each person stands and gauge if there are changes that need to be made.

Encourage Them

You can’t simply wish to have your employees try harder and do a better job. It’s important to speak up and make your expectations be known. Encourage them to step up and make an impression on you and the other bosses. Acknowledge to the group when particular individuals standout and do an excellent job. Start showing your passion for the company and your team, and they’ll likely reciprocate by working harder.

Delegate Appropriately

Another way to get more out of your employees is to have a strategy in place for succeeding. Don’t wing it or randomly assign tasks to different employees. Play to individual strengths and know who’s better at what, so you can delegate the work accordingly. When your staff feels empowered and like they’re using their talents, they’ll begin to shine and have a desire to meet their goals. It’s your job to know who’s good at what and make sure each work assignment reaches the right person.

Conclusion

You shouldn’t have to beg your staff to work hard, but there are times when they’ll need a little boost. Use these techniques to keep everyone on track. This is how to get more out of your employees.

Photo by Climate KIC on Unsplash