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Treating Your Work Environment Like A Real Asset

For many business owners, buying a building or even a little office space for the business has a purely practical purpose: to make sure that you have a place for your employees and equipment to keep the wheels of the business running. However, with the fact that so many of them have gone underused lately, people are getting the understanding of how crucial it is to treat them as assets that can bring value to your business. Here are some of the few ways that you can ensure you do just that and get their real money’s worth from them.

Lay it out appropriately

Of course, the primary purpose of the workplace is to make sure that your team has a space where they can work and complete their tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible. As such, you should try to make sure that the areas are laid out in a way that is actually conducive to work. The cubicle crush or old has long gone out the window for most companies, but too many wide-open spaces might not work, either, making the workplace rife for distraction. Modular workplace design, with different spaces suited to individual work, group work, and moments where privacy and intense focus is necessary is becoming more popular instead.

Invest in creating the right kind of space

The work environment will have a huge impact on the work of the team that inhabits it. Aside from making sure that the space conforms to their practical needs, you also have to think about how it affects their attitude, their motivation, and their desire to actually be in that workplace. To that end, you might want to look at what an office fit-out could do for you. This is typically a refurbishment with an eye on a unified design style that can help you create an office that actually feels like a good place to work in. It’s something of an investment for smaller businesses, but the difference it can make in the workplace culture and general productivity is not to be underestimated.

Ensure you have spaces for things other than work

The right place for your employees to be able to do their work is, without a doubt, an essential purpose of the workplace. But you should also make sure that it has spaces that are suitable for other needs. Having a distinct break room or space away from the workstation is known to help employees get the “mental reset” they need halfway through the day so they can be more productive and focused in the afternoon. A welcome space at the reception area can be crucial for making a good impression on clients, partners, and others who come to visit the space, as well. Even your own office has its practical application that’s worth investing in.

Giving the building the care that it needs

We’ve been talking about the workspace for some time, but what about the building that it inhabits? If you’ve purchased the building itself, then it is vital that you invest in maintenance. Aside from being crucial to make sure that it’s in good condition and that your investment isn’t getting drained by a hidden issue that’s weakening or damaging a part of it, you might have a regulatory need to comply with, as well. To that end, making use of preventative maintenance software that can help you keep a schedule of what to do and when can help you make sure that you’re both being compliant as well as smart with your investment. Otherwise, you could deal with not just the high costs of repairs down the line, but fines as well.

Cleanliness is crucial, too

Aside from being an important part of the aforementioned maintenance that keeps the building healthy, the cleanliness of the space, inside and out, has a lot of benefits. For one, if you don’t give their environment the care that it needs, then your employees may not be too convinced that you’re going to treat them with the care that they need, either. There are also safety concerns that can only be addressed by making sure that the office is clean and hygienic. Furthermore, you are not going to make a good impression on anyone who visits the office if you’re not able to keep it in good condition with the help of a commercial cleaning team.

Give it the protection that it needs

Of course, if you’re truly considering your workplace to be an asset, then you have to realise that it’s worth protecting, as well. Some level of building insurance is likely to be purchased as part of applying for a loan or perhaps as part of your industry requirements. However, there are a lot of different building insurance policies, and you should consider which of those truly offer you the coverage that you need. Being a little overinsured and paying some more each year is a lot less disastrous than being underinsured and not getting the money you might need should your building experience damage that you’re not covered for.

Securing your assets

If you have something that’s worth insuring, then you had better believe that it’s worth taking the time to protect it from other threats, as well. Commercial buildings can be prime targets for crime, as they are often full of assets that can of great worth to those willing to steal them. Of course, the damage and fixtures can take damage as a result of criminal efforts, as well. As such, you should be willing to invest in security features, such as CCTV setups, alarm systems, reinforced locks for any entryways, as well as features such as exterior lighting that can help to serve as a deterrent to any would-be criminals. Not only are you safeguarding your property, after all, but you also have to think about the safety of your team, as well.

Help it enhance safety rather than undermine it

With that point in mind, your building should be able to ensure the safety of your team, rather than to undermine it. The latter often happens due to a lack of consideration for the elements that are designed for your team’s health. This includes the HVAC systems, which require annual maintenance to make sure that the risk of poor air quality, mould, and other environmental hazards are kept to a minimum. But you should also consider those areas of the workplace that could present a hazard if not adequately adapted, whether it’s with guard rails, additional lighting, markers on the floor to delineate walkways, or otherwise.

Help it sell your business

Branding should always be a part of the conversation when you’re thinking about how an asset can enhance your business. Your business building can do it in a variety of ways. A good fit out and keeping in a good clean condition as mentioned above are a couple of those ways. But you can also incorporate the brand directly in the design, such as by investing in high-quality signage to help your building sign out. You can incorporate branding into the interior decor, as well, whether its by having your logo on a frosted glass panel, having it printed into a carpet or rug, or even just having branded stationery for anyone to make use of.

Your work building can serve a lot of purposes in your business, helping you bring value in a wide range of ways. Keep the tips above in mind to ensure you do that.

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