Whether you have recently moved into premises to launch your new company or you have been established for a few years or more, it is well worth reviewing how your company’s premises fit in with your image and importantly, how they are perceived by your customers.
When you are developing your business, developing the right image is of paramount importance. Projecting the right image is crucial as it helps you to establish your company’s position in the market place and helps to establish your brand and identity. Having a good logo, excellent web presence, convenient location and attractive business premises all help deliver the right message to your customers – both established ones and new ones – and the only way to find out is to chat with your customers.
Conveying the right message
It is true, that you may well have had to compromise on your business premises to get a good location. Having an address in the right part of town with easy access and parking for customers, staff and suppliers are all very important points and sometimes – especially if property prices or rents are high – you have to accept somewhere that proves less than ideal.
Unfortunately, many company owners do not give much consideration to their branding and image is often only an afterthought! It is vital that you think carefully about your product/ service and its target audience. Is your product high end and luxury or a more comfortable and mid-range? Your answer, will help you to determine the image that your company needs to portray to the public. An amusing comparison is a colorful transport café compared to a chic top notch restaurant.
It is important that the physical appearance of your company, whether it is in the high street, an office block or business park, reflects your company’s standards and its ethos. If you have business premises that are presentable both inside and out, they will meet your customers’ expectations and give them real satisfaction for doing business with you, unfortunately, the wrong business premises can have the opposite effect.
First impressions count
It is important to realise that when one of your customers steps inside your premises, they will be able to learn a great deal about the company in just seconds – before a word is spoken! A well designed, smart working space that is clean and tidy, portrays a company that is professional with efficient staff working to high standards. In contrast, a dark, dingy and untidy office with shabby paintwork and furniture will not score well with customers – especially new customers who have not yet experienced the high quality of your products or services. Sadly, their first impressions might deter them so much that they go elsewhere.
It is essential that first impressions really count and this begins outside, where the premises should look clean and smart with fresh paint, clear, bright signage and well maintained footpaths, fencing and flowerbeds. Inside, the premises should look bright, professional and uncluttered. There should be an attractive reception area where customers can wait and everywhere should look clean, bright and airy. If you have a customer toilet, don’t be let down by poor decoration and hygiene standards.
Get help from top refurbishment specialists…
By this stage, you could be shaking your head sadly and saying ‘if only’, but this is probably because you think that the only way to achieve all of this is to move premises which would prove far too costly and time- consuming. Luckily, the perfect solution to your dilemma is offered by Think Contracts Ltd who are refurbishment specialists.
Our dynamic company can offer you a smart refresh for your work space including walls, floors and ceilings, or can do something much more dramatic and completely redesign the space using partitions to create a completely new look that feels more spacious and is really functional too. Think Contracts Ltd can deal with jobs of all sizes and all aspects including electrical work and plumbing. One telephone call is all that is needed.
And a work space perfect to meet your Your needs…
Before work begins, and dependent upon the scale of the job you will need to engage with a designer and gain a clear understanding of the design and features you envisage for the work space, ensuring your requirements are met within their design and detail. There should be discussions about style and color too. Usually, business premises are painted in neutral shades with highlights in grey, burgundy or shades of blue, unless it is a creative company when more vibrant colors can be used with great success.
(Think contracts undertake refurbishment and fitout work on behalf of clients’ and their appointed agents, however we do not provide design & build services.)
Think Contracts Ltd can tackle projects of all sizes from offices to factories and offers a total package that it will deliver on time … and on budget.
You would be surprised how effective such changes are in a work place and that they are not only beneficial for your customers and your company’s image. The changes will also be a hit with your staff who will enjoy working in well arranged and contemporarily styled surroundings. It is a well known fact that an attractive workplace boosts staff morale and productivity and creates a good community atmosphere. Importantly, if you are the owner of the building, it will be a sound investment too as such renovation and redecoration improvements will increase the property’s value.
Using the latest technology to minimize energy requirements and costs
Whilst you are considering a ‘makeover’ for your premises, it is a good idea to have double glazing installed and the insulation checked and improved if necessary, to make the building more energy efficient. Good energy efficient lighting and ventilation are points to consider too. Your designer, surveyor or architect should be able to advise you on all these aspects and importantly, how you can reduce your company’s carbon footprint.
Going green is essential but does have extra benefits too, as you may be eligible for funding and tax relief on some of the energy efficient improvements you plan to implement. It is a good idea to keep up with modern technology – not just with the materials used in the building work – but also programmable lighting and heating systems and the latest security systems to protect your valuable assets.
When work has been completed on your work premises, you will be so delighted and receive so many positive comments that you may well wonder why you did not have it done before…