.png){kind=small}
In offices across the country interior design is often the last priority on business leaders never ending list of to-dos. Resulting in employees turning up day in, day out to drab and soulless spaces leaving them uninspired and more worryingly less productive than they could be.
An office fit out is expensive, for each employee to have a desk, chair and drawers, a business is looking at spending £500 even for the most basic office furniture, on top of this companies need to provide a computer and telephone system. The spend per employee starts to gradually creep up. So, when it comes to priorities, you can see why businesses look to economise.
GSM can finance all forms of an office fit out, from furniture to software to garden greenery all through asset finance. Have a read of the innovative ways you can make your employees more productive and satisfied, and if you think your office needs sprucing up why not give us a call today to discuss your requirements.
Floor Plan
The floor plan of an office can have a huge impact on the productivity of your employees. In all forms of architecture open plan remains popular however there isn’t a one size fits all as a lot depends on the nature of the business. If your employees collaborate and constantly bounce ideas off of each other, then open plan is perfect. Open plan offices generally are light and airy and encourage teamwork. They also work well for smaller companies as it allows everyone to remain clued into everything that is happening. However, if your business model requires employees to work alone, perhaps making sales calls, having an open plan office can be distracting whereas individual offices or cubicles can help block out noise. Should your office require a rejig to optimise your employees productivity, we have various lenders who are happy to finance your new layout wether it be Crittall windows and doors like above or just partition walls.
Colour
The colour you are surrounded by affects your behaviour and your mood, and so will affect the productivity of your team. The easy option is to go neutral and white, but that can be boring and underwhelming. Depending on your line of work different colours have different benefits. Blue for example is considered the most productive colour, so for desk-based jobs, of spreadsheet and email-based work a hue of blue is best. However, if you’re a team of creatives, yellow can be more empowering, it encourages optimism and to be creative and constantly try new things, you need to be. Red is the colour for productivity in physical activity, which explains why in every Virgin Active the walls are painted in a vibrant and intense red to encourage your work out.
Furniture
Office furniture surrounds employees for at least eight hours a day, that’s a third of a day moreover its half of their awaken hours. In the offices we’ve seen, it’s safe to say that the furniture installed is furniture no one would put into their own homes given the choice. It does cost a faction more to have a beautifully designed desk and ergonomic chair but it will pay dividends in employee satisfaction. GSM are able to secure funding for all the furniture and computer equipment you may need, as it remains a popular asset for some of our lenders.
Office Lighting
Lighting has to be one of the most important aspects of an office’s interior as it directly impacts employee’s mood. Of course, the ultimate goal is to have huge panes of glass that let in abundant amounts of natural light, however that is not always possible. If your office only allows for a small amount of natural light, you should invest in lighting systems that can best replicate natural day light and should fill the office. Basement offices can look at a company called CoeLux, which has created an artificial skylight, that perfectly replicates natural day light and the sun in the sky, you have to see it to believe it! Of course this technology doesn't come cheap, using leasing or hire purchase you can spread the cost of this investment across two to five years.
Outdoor Space
Having some outdoor space is of course a luxury, but if you are fortunate to have some make the most of it, don’t make it a concrete jungle with a smoking shelter in the corner. Greenery is inspiring, it encourages the recharging of our brains and allows us to refocus back onto the job on hand. Having a garden space allows employees to remove themselves from the stresses of the desk, relax and unwind, imagination and creativity can be ignited by open space and it’s good for the mind to get up and move around.
Office Plants
If you’re not fortunate to have outdoor space, bring the outdoors indoors. Office plants have a huge number of benefits all backed by scientific research, they reduce stress, increase productivity, reduce sick rates, they purify the air, reduce noise levels and boost creativity. Office Plants, whether you have outdoor space or not, are essential.
Whether it's your first office or you already have ten offices and are contemplating an office fit out, call or email our team today to discuss your requirements and see if you are eligible to spread the cost using asset finance either through leasing or hire purchase.