Why Your Business First Impressions Counts So Much

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If you want to be successful at your job, you won't leave the house with unkempt hair, unpolished shoes, and a dirty suit, would you? Well, the very same principle applies to the impression that your business premises give off as well. That means shabby, dirty, or untidy offices are not conducive to getting you, new clients. So follow the advice below to clean things up a bit. 

Say No To A Shabby Premises 

Location

I don't know about you, but I have always thought that you can glean a lot of information about how well a business is doing, and how likely they are a safe investment for your company's money, by where their offices or plants are located. The old saying goes: "location, location, location" because it has a big effect on business, including the first impression

For example, offices in high rent locations in towns and cities immediately give off a more successful and serious vibe than ones located right next to tire piles or refuse disposal facilities. As these choices suggest that the companies making them have picked their locations to save on overheads. Something that can encourage the thought that they aren't that successful in the first place and may be willing to cut corners and so things cheaply.

Of course, this is all assumption and not necessarily the whole truth of the matter, but you can see how much a first impression can count. Even if all of this is all going on at the subconscious level in the person that is visiting you. That is why it's vital that you steer clear of shabby looking locations, even if they are super cheap. 

State Of Repair 

Next, consider the state of repair of your premises, as this also conveys a lot about the state of your company to potential clients that are visiting. Dirty ceiling tiles, stained carpets, walls in a state of disrepair can all contribute to the idea that you are either not bothered enough to do something about the state of your premises, or that you don't have the funds to do so. Again, this being something that isn't really the vibe you want to give clients when they come to visit you. 

Instead, invest some money into keeping your premises in a good state of repair. As this will not only impress your visitors, but it can also have another positive effect too. That is increasing employee morale, and so their productivity. Making it something well worth doing. 

Quality Of Fixtures & Fittings 

Lastly, regarding the state of repair for your business premises, consider the fixtures and fitting that you install. OK, I know that things need to be functional rather than high-end in most work environments. However, once again the standard of each fixture like desks, computers, and even bathrooms can all help to contribute to the overall feel of the place. Allowing you to set up your business as a going concern before you've even uttered the first line of your presentation or negotiation to your visiting guests.

Say No To A Dirty Premises 

General Cleanliness 

Cleanliness is not next to Godliness, but profitability in the case of your business premises. Meaning it really is important to pay proper attention to getting things thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. That means everything from your building walls, parking lots, and garages need to be cleaned and organized along with the actual office portion. For more information on the best pressure washers for concrete, check this out.

Part of this is because it again feeds into that positive impression of being conscientious, and detail orientated, and that is what you want to demonstrate to potential customers when they visit. Also, having a clean work environment is ideal for your employees too. As not only do they feel more comfortable, but it can also help to prevent so much infection and sickness. Something that can cause a great deal of lost time and hassle for you; the business owner. 

Floors 

In particular pay attention to the floors, whether they are carpet, wood, or tile. Although, don't be surprised if you get a little push back if you try to include this responsibility in one of your regular employee's roles unless they are already designed to a cleaning position. To get around this, why not use one of the office janitorial services out there? As they will be well equipped for any type of flooring that you need to get cleaned, and can get the work done outside of business hours. Ensuring that the disruption to the work day is minimal. 

Reception Areas 

Another area that it is vital that you pay specific attention to is your reception space. This is because it's the first thing that important guests will see. As well as it being a high use area that can quickly get dirty and messy during the workday.

So to ensure your reception area is presenting the best impression of your company as possible, get the sofa or chair upholstery cleaned regularly. Also, polish tables and screens daily to remove smudges and finger marks. Remember a spotless reception can be just the start that you want to create a tour of your site. As it can give visitors the impression, you are professional and have to act together. 

Say No To An Untidy Premises 

Desks 

Last, of all let's deal with untidiness in the workplace, and why it is a problem? Well, it gave a terrible first impression to outsiders. Making you look like your company is overwhelmed with work that you cannot cope with, or that your employees don't care enough about your clients to keep things organized. 

Think of it this way, would you award your business to a company that looks like they would take at least a week to find your documents in a huge messy pile in the corner? No? That is exactly what your potential clients think when they come to look around and see a lot of mess.

To deal with this, you may need to promote a change in ethos within your company, encouraging staff to take better responsibility for their own work areas, and keeping them tidy. To help them you can provide more filing cabinets, or even work over your filing system, so it's more effective and means documents don't have to be pulled from several different places at one time for the system to work. 

You can even consider going completely digital with your document control and have things recorded as PDF’s instead of using paper copies. Although, if you do this is, it is a good idea to look into secure IT server backups. As you definitely don't want to run the risk of losing any of this data! 

Bins 

Another area to be aware of regarding tidiness in your business premises are the waste and recycling bins. Yes, recycling is good, and you should definitely be encouraging your employees to do this wherever possible. However, that is not an excuse to have huge overflowing bins of paper and bottles everywhere you turn. If you are going to do it, do it properly and get designated bins with lids. Also, assign someone to empty them on a regular basis, so the mess doesn't start to invade workspace. 

The same goes for personal bins at desk and work stations. Remind people that they need to empty these before they leave, especially over the weekend. Otherwise, things with start to rot and become smelly. You can even stop work five minutes early to allow these task to be done. Your employees will feel like they are getting an extra break, and you can ensure that the workspace stays tidy, ready for any visitors the next day. It's a simple practice, but it really does work! 

Store Rooms 

Don't forget about store rooms either. Yes, just like at home, it is tempting to shove everything in a room and shut the door on it. Something that isn't actually too bad as long as the door stays locked while you visitors are in attendance. It's only when your stores start to spill over into other spaces such as meeting rooms where the real problems occur. After all, who want to have a meeting, or settle an important negotiation surrounded by stacked chairs and boxes of printer ink? 

To cope with this put some effort into ensuring that your store rooms are kept organized and free of items that no longer have a use. If you don't want to get rid of something because it has value, but it isn't being used try selling it instead, and regaining some of the original cost. 

In this way to us will free up space in your store rooms. Something that can help your staff find what they need quickly and easily, thus saving time. As well as ensuring that there is always a place for things to be put away, so they don't start to encroach on areas of the building that are more client facing. 

And let's not forget to build and maintain a quality business website!

Conclusion 

So, as you can see it’s pretty evident that the impression your business premises make is an important one. That means having a clean, tidy environment in a good state of repair is something that all firms that entertain clients should make a priority. As it helps to set a positive tone and show that care and quality are values that permeate all the way through the company at every level. Making it one they can invest in with confidence.



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I hope you enjoyed this article about the importance of a first impression and how to help your business look its best.

Interested in more articles about better business organization and cleanliness?

Read My Blog Posts:

- Office Necessities For Healthy & Hygeine

- 4 Budget Friendly Modern Office Makeovers

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