With the number of female-run businesses on the rise across the US, couple with the fact that women make up 50% of the workforce, it’s safe to say women are busier than ever. From anxiety-inducing deadlines to social plans, family responsibilities and the little things life likes to throw our way, getting everything on our plate done well and completed on time is no easy task. If you’re an entrepreneur finding yourself overwhelmed with work and can’t seem to make a dent in the work piling up, you might find your organization and office design is doing you a disservice.
Being a business owner and entrepreneur means knowing the market, focusing on ROI, and engaging with clients and customers. But if you don’t have a consistent and productive workflow, this can disrupt your ability to meet your goals. One of the most obvious ways to ensure you remain goal-oriented is to create a workspace that fosters productivity and inspires you to stay on task. You can always hire professionals such as Neuman Smith who specialise in commercial architecture; you can see some retail designs here if you’re interested, or below we have identified some ways you can make your office more conducive to your professional aims yourself with these helpful design tips.
Give Yourself Light
If you work in a dark and dingy area of the office, you likely don’t realize how much the lack of light is affecting both your mood and your productivity. If you have access to a window in your office, make sure you get rid of dark window treatments and keep the blinds open as much as possible. If you don’t have a window, you can still imitate natural sunlight with some well-selected lighting options. Make sure you elect for warm, energy-saving light bulbs instead of harsh fluorescent options. Also be sure to layer your lighting sources, with some on your desk, some floor lamps, and the right overhead lighting—which can be altered simply through a light bulb change.
Carefully Selected Décor
It’s a sad truth, but image can be everything in the professional sector, so make sure your office looks spick and span in the case of visiting clients or superiors. One of the easiest ways to create a clean and organized vibe in your office is to focus on modern décor. With clean, simplistic lines, decorative objects from a company like Touch of Modern make decorating any office area easy. Focus on keeping open space and choose items that draw the eye—it’s all about making a statement.
Use Color to Your Advantage
Don’t underestimate the effect color can have on a space. If your office is a bland grey or beige, or even worse, a stark white, your productivity could be taking a hit. If your employer or office manager is okay with you making a change in wall paint, head out to your local home improvement store and pick up a can of paint—this small investment could have the biggest impact on your office space. Before you pick up the paintbrush, take time to consider what color you’re going to choose. Hues of yellow tend to inspire moods of energy and happiness, while shades of blue have been called the most productive color, as they are reported to improve feelings of self-confidence.
Ergonomics are Everything
Being a professional in today’s world means working long hours- it’s the unfortunate but true reality of today’s working sector. With that said, consider how many hours you actually spend in your office at your desk. For most of us, the answer is probably 40-hours plus. If this is true for you, now consider how comfortable you are on a daily basis. Do you find your back and legs ache when you get up from your desk chair at the end of the day? Do you have some serious neck issues from craning your head down and to the side to look at your computer monitor?
It’s time to put effort into making your office ergonomically sound. Find a chair that supports your back and forces you to hold proper posture throughout the day, invest in a movable computer monitor arm from Poppin that will allow you to get your monitor in the right position (and give you more desk space when you need it), and keep your office at an optimal temperature—most studies have generally agreed the best office temperature is a cool range of 70 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit.
A Place for Everything…
And everything in its place. It’s essential to take the time to set up organizational areas for all of your work materials. If you have a small office you can always make the most of your square footage by utilizing vertical shelving or storage units. Make sure you also have desk organizers from Branders, whether they go in drawers or on top of your desk. At the end of each day, set aside time to organize all of your things, as keeping a clear desk is more conducive to a clear mind and better work output.
It is often the small changes we make to our work environment that subconsciously affect our mood and productivity. It’s not just what we do for a living that can give us job satisfaction, but our surroundings that are an important ingredient to ensuring success.
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