5 Ways to Streamline Your Place of Business


Running a business can be thrilling and rewarding, but it can also be chaotic and stressful. There are countless factors that need to be monitored and addressed at a moment’s notice, and small businesses lack the safety net of more established companies that can bail them out in the event of a mistake. However, there are plenty of ways to make managing your company much more smooth and simple. 

So, what are the five ways to streamline your place of business? 

1. Internet of ThingsOpens in a new tab. (IoT)

2. Boost Employee Morale

3. Quality Office Space

4. Branding

5. Keep office organized

These tips will help you optimize your workspace, and that is the single most important step when it comes to creating a business that is prepared to excel.

1. IoT

The Internet of Things is a design philosophy that is growing in popularity among consumers and businesses alike. That is because the underlying principle of IoT technology is interconnectivity and, ultimately, an increase in convenience and efficiency. IoT can take numerous forms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, you can install  connected vending machinesOpens in a new tab. in your break room to better meet the needs of your staff all while improving upon the reliability of the machines themselves. IoT tech is known for consolidation functionality to a great extent, and those same vending machines can report sales figures and income directly to your central database for the most accurate, most up to date records of your finances, and the same can be said of payroll apps that make sure that your workers are getting paid what they’re owed.

IoT is also a great way to improve the efficiency of your workplace, because it can reduce the legwork involved in certain tasks via that same principle of consolidation. Last, but not least, IoT has been instrumental in the emerging trend of the smart office. IoT devices can be connected to a central hub device, such as a virtual assistant, and that can give users the ability to control each individual device from one central location, or even a remote location.

2. Employee Morale

Taking care of your company means first taking care of the people who handle the grunt work. Employee morale is a fairly recent concern, but decades of the tough love approach have left businesses unprepared to prioritize employee well being. Despite this, it’s important to do better for your workers, because how they feel will determine how well they can perform their role within the company. Reducing the redundancies around the office via smart office tech is a great place to start, but there’s still more to do. Offering your workers paid time offOpens in a new tab. as a reward for their hard work is catching on as a way to boost morale, because employees need that time off from time to time in order to bring their A game to the office. Likewise, when employees get sick, the situation goes from bad to worse when they have to worry about getting time off to recover or, worse, simply grin an bear and bring their illness into the office for the sake of securing their vital income. Another great way to make your employees happier is to make them feel like valuable members of a team. Giving some extra attention to the employees that really pulled their weight during a given period is a great way to make employees feel good about the work they’re doing, and it can motivate them to work even harder.

3. Quality Facilities

One great way to improve your workplace in multiple ways is to provide customers and staff alike with state of the art restrooms. This can help to bring customers in and keep them coming back, but it can simultaneously serve to boost employee morale. Having quality restroom amenities and keeping everything clean and well maintained is an essential part of making your place of business a welcoming place to both your loyal employees and to potential customers. Cleaning is of even more importance, because customers don’t always clean up after themselves, so each customer is potentially a deterrent to subsequent visitors. Keep your staff checking in and cleaning up several times each day for best results.

4. Branding

Branding serves as the foundation of marketing, but it can also be a helpful tool within your place of business, as well. Your company’s brand is the sum total of a collection of aesthetic qualities that serve to make your business stand out from the crowd. This can include things like a color palette, a log, and a mascot. While these are great for creating compelling advertisements and packaging your products in a recognizable way, they can also be implemented into the interior design of your place of business. For example, Walmart’s blue color scheme can be seen throughout their stores, and this serves a few key functions. For starters, it allows them to signpost various products via color coded signage all while reinforcing their brand. Perhaps even more important is the fact that blue has been showing to have a calming effectOpens in a new tab. on people at a subconscious level, and that means that for reasons they may not even recognize, customers will feel more relaxed and comfortable while they do their shopping.

5. Keep Office Organized

Speaking of signposting, another great way to improve your place of business for customers and workers alike is to keep it organized. Any space that is meant to accommodate human beings benefits from being easily navigable and easily traversed. That means that you’ll need to make sure that signage is present to keep people informed of where they can find the products they’re looking for. Likewise, restrooms need to be clearly marked. Both of these can benefit from elevation so that they can be seen from the greatest possible distance, regardless of potential line of sight interruption.

It’s also critical that walkways are kept clear of debris. For example, retailers will often occupy a portion of store aisles as they restock products, but this can often result in them inadvertently getting in the way of customers if they’re not careful. In addition to this, aisles may become compromised by falling products, something that can happen by accident as customers move through the aisles, and many customers won’t clean up their own messes. That means that your staff will need to stay vigilant in order to keep aisles clear for other patrons.

The flow of your place of business is also critical to the long term success of your company. A given space needs to feel good to move through, so you need to prioritize walking paths that feel logical and efficient. This can make the difference between exhausted customers packing it in earlier and customers that will continue to browse, potentially making a few more purchases as a result. Likewise, your staff will be able to see to their daily tasks more quickly when the space in which they work is logically constructed and organized. The efficiency of your company depends in part on the efficiency of the interior design of its headquarters, so prioritizing that efficiency of design is an essential part of making your business more profitable.

In order to survive and thrive in business, you’ll need to be a jack of all trades. There’s always something that needs your attention, so you’ll have to be efficient. This requires hard work, but the right information can make a world of difference. 

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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