Every business needs some kind of premises from which to operate. Many small businesses will start in someone’s home office, bedroom or garage.
However, as they grow, they often end up moving first into rented spaces and perhaps eventually into an owned property. If your business has reached the stage where you have purchased your own commercial buildings, you are now responsible for taking care of them.
What your premises look like matters to your staff and might be important to clients or customers too. Whether you have an office building, a store, a workshop, or even a hotel, making improvements to your premises can keep your business going. There are various ways you might improve your business by updating both practical and aesthetic elements of your premises.
Create a secure parking area
Your employees are likely to drive to work, and you might have customers who also drive to see you. Having to drive around looking for somewhere to park is an inconvenience and could also mean paying a lot of money for the privilege of parking. If you have some spare land and you don’t already have a parking area, creating one provides a great benefit for both staff and visitors.
If you have customers or regular visitors to your premises, make sure they have separate parking facilities to your staff. Make sure that your parking area is secure and consider the practicalities of running it. Do you need someone to guard the area or take payments?
Offer recreational spaces for staff
Everyone needs a break sometimes, including your hardworking staff.
If you want to offer them something on your premises that they will appreciate, somewhere they can enjoy their breaks is a good choice. Often, when staff have a few minutes to themselves, all they can do is sit at their desk or in a boring break room, unless they leave and go elsewhere.
But you can help them out by offering something a bit more interesting. They might appreciate a games room, with features such as video games or a pool table. Perhaps you can provide them with a variety of snacks and drinks to enjoy. You could also offer different places for people to sit. Some like to spend their break alone, taking a breather from other people. Others want to be social during their break so would like to sit together in a more social area.
Make your premises more accessible
Any business should have premises that are accessible to people of all abilities. Apart from your responsibility to follow any relevant laws, it makes your business a more welcoming place for customers, employees, and any other people you work with.
You will feel more prepared to take on employees who have accessibility needs and provide a welcoming environment for anyone who visits you. If you want to go beyond what the law expects of you, you can do some research into the sort of facilities people want from the businesses they use.
You can try to make sure that accessible features are built into your premises, instead of add-ons. For example, your entrance might have both steps and a ramp, instead of just steps and a portable ramp that needs to be taken out and put away all the time.
Improve energy efficiency
If you’re making improvements to your business premises, one of the best things you can do is think about how to make it more energy efficient. Not only does it save your business money but it will also improve your image too.
There are both big and small ways to make your business more eco-friendly. Many businesses start by using energy-efficient lights, like LED bulbs, and buying more energy-efficient appliances. You can also consider changing your energy supplier to one that offers renewable energy.
Another option is to consider whether your business can directly benefit from renewable energy sources, such as solar energy. You might be able to install solar panels or have solar thermal heating and hot water.
Have an interior makeover
Sometimes, it’s just time to update your business premises. If everything inside is looking a bit tired, perhaps you need to give it a refresh.
It could give you the opportunity to put a bit more personality into your business premises. You can make sure that your interiors are on-brand, as well as being up to date. Perhaps it’s time to put some new technology in or simply to redecorate and get some new furniture. Even if you don’t do anything super modern, it’s a good idea to keep your premises looking good.
Improving your business premises can offer a multitude of benefits for your business. Find ways to make improvements for your company if you want to secure the advantages.
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