We had a fantastic time at our christmas party, filling our bellies with scrumptious South African food at Lucky Tsotsi, Surry Hills. We made it a night to remember as we celebrated over good food, company and lots of laughs. The perfect way to end another memorable year, we hope you enjoy your end of year parties as much as we did!
First Impressions Count
First impressions are formed within the first 20 seconds of entering a new environment and what’s more, they last. Impressions can make or break relationships, so here are a few simple ways you can influence positive impressions by changing your office:
Create an appealing reception - Your reception is your client’s first point of contact so it’s important that your reception décor and furnishings accurately represent your brand. Make use of comfortable lounges and chairs that provide an inviting space for clients to sit and wait. Stylised coffee tables can be used to add character to the room and provide a place for reading materials to keep clients occupied and make waits seem shorter.
Create a vibe – Use colours, furnishings, artworks, music and aromas to set a pleasant atmosphere. The 5 senses play a large role in how comfortable a person feels, so it’s your job to ensure that your office looks, sounds, smells, feels and tastes good - offering your clients a coffee and having water on hand is always appreciated.
Add plant life – Apart from looking good, plants are a great way to make your office feel more inviting. Plants connect people with nature and also improve the air quality in the office.
Clear the clutter – A messy office implies that your company and employees are unorganised or unproductive. Make use of paper trays, pedestals, filing cabinets and other storage devices to help you keep your office clutter free and welcoming.
Get Your Staff Involved in Your Next Office Redesign
Australians spend 8+ hours a day in the office every work day, so even even the smallest bit of personal input can translate to huge improvements for staff. The level of staff involvement in decision making can affect the productivity and commitment levels of staff affected, so it’s important you consult your staff when considering change.
Whilst leaving every decision up to consensus wouldn’t be wise, here are a few recommendations you could use in your upcoming office redesign.
1. Selection of Furniture: While these choices are often based on budget, there should be some flexibility with regard to personal preference and comfort. This will only benefit the organisations.
2. Get ideas flowing: Create an environment that encourages employees to share their thoughts and opinions about the change. Two minds are better than one, it’s possible they may have an idea or point that you haven’t considered.
3. Reinforce the need for change: It’s been proven that humans are often reluctant to change. If you reinforce why a change is necessary and how it can positively affect the individual and business, they will be more at ease and open to the change.
4. Keep Employees Posted: Employees who are given regular updates about what’s happening in the office are more confident in their work, interested in workplace development and tend to get higher levels of enjoyment.
5. Get Feedback: Once the office redesign is complete, measure the response of your staff. Are they happy with the change? Can you do anything to improve?
Don’t forget your office layout
There’s no question that a well designed aesthetically pleasing office will impress clients and add credibility to your business. However, it is the deeper effects of a positive workspace that reign supreme. It will improve morale, increase productivity, encourage talented individuals to work for your company and ultimately make coming to work everyday a highly enjoyable experience.
Considering that Australians are spending more of the week in the office than ever before, it’s important to create a space with a mix between comfort, practicality and innovation.
Here are some general tips for the design and layout of your workplace:
- When choosing a space, look for one that offers flexibility with the layout and design
- Group people together based on the functions they perform
- Ensure that work surfaces are big enough to accommodate files and other documents.
- Use chairs fit for purpose, for example when working at a computer you should almost always either be standing or sitting on a chair with castors
- Good lighting may reduce muscle problems and eyestrain
- Place workstations near frequently used office equipment, such as fax machines and printers
- Include communal spaces in your office layout as these breakout areas provide employees a place to meet, collaborate and recharge their batteries.
A fresh office space can foster new beginnings for your organisation and ultimately expand your client base .The end of the year is fast approaching…come check out our office furniture showroom.
Getting into the Swing of Things for Summer
With summer just around the corner, it’s about time we start thinking about those sunny days on the beach. Here are a few tips to get you into the swing of things:
1. Pack healthy meals – the secret to a healthy mind and body is a healthy diet, taking the time to prepare healthy work lunches will save your hunger from driving you to the local take away shop! We know it’s not always easy to find the time, but you will reap the rewards.
2. Get out of your seat – simple activities such as walking around the office, standing instead of sitting whilst taking calls and taking the stairs will all help. If you have a longer lunch break, try taking your workout clothes and going for a jog.
3. H2O is the go – drink lots of water, studies have shown that drinking water before meals will suppress your appetite. Water also assists with digestion. It’s recommended that one should drink at least 8 glasses of water per day for optimal health.
4. After work activities – stay active after work too, whether it be joining a gym, walking the dog or even doing the household chores. The more active you are the better, whenever you’re moving you are burning calories and getting fitter.
5. Do desk stretches – keep your metabolism high by doing one or two stretches every hour. Desk stretches are easy and quick, see our Don’t Forget to Stretch blog post to find out more.
The Beginning of The Swivel Chair
The original swivel chair was first invented in the 1800’s by former US president Thomas Jefferson to make seating more comfortable for office workers. His invention consisted of an English style dining chair with the seat and leg sections connected by an iron spindle.
Swivel chairs allowed workers to move more freely and quickly. In an era where productivity was the essence of livelihood, firms realised how much more efficient their employees could be with comfortable and effective chairs. The old four leg dining style office chairs soon became a thing of the past.
More advanced models then began to surface, including the introduction of swivel chairs with castors and cushions. However, it wasn’t until about 100 years after its invention that the first upholstered, steel versions hit the market. The advantages of adjustability, weight, cost and aesthetics were immediately greeted.
Between the early 1900’s and today, further advancements to the swivel chair’s design have seen the rollout of some of the ground breaking features we see today. Slimline designs and ergonomic inclusions such as synchronised mechanisms, lumbar and height adjustments, memory foam and mesh upholstery make swivel chairs the best they’ve ever been.
Top 5 Office Trends of 2013
The trend of the last decade has been open planned offices that for the most part encourage communication and increase employee satisfaction. But what are the top trends of 2013?
1. Technologies on the rise - With tablets and multiple monitors becoming the norm, monitor armsthat cater for all different types of devices and multiple screens are in high demand. Tablets have become a critical and capable device for many (or all) business processes. A good monitor arm ensures your devices will be positioned in an optimal position for comfort and productivity.
2. Is it Ergonomic? – Seems to be the question on everyone’s lips as employers seek furniture that is beneficial to their employees health, wellbeing and productivity. There’s been an increase in sales ofheight adjustable desks, mesh chairs and fully adjustable chairs. The shift comes with the increase in awareness of ergonomics and how harmful poorly designed furniture can be to our bodies and efficiency in the workplace.
3. Awesome breakout areas – Boring breakout areas are a thing of the past, 2013 has been the biggest year for bold and well thought out breakout areas. Between ottomans, lounges, stools and trendy chairs in a variety of colours, breakout areas are really becoming a place where staff can relax and unwind.
4. Be Green and keep them keen – Many people want furniture that is environmentally friendly from production right through to disposal. Lots of people are raising the question of whether their products can be recycled or reused at the end of their life-time. Being ISO 14001 certified for environmental management systems has been a great advantage for us.
5. Bench desking – Limited space has led to bench versions of workstations becoming the norm. Our Trak, Benchwork and Mint workstations are becoming increasingly popular. Benches can accommodate for more people and are also great for open planned offices, hot desking and activity based work.
Combat the Seating Epidemic
It’s a bit disheartening that more and more recent studies are showing if you spend lots of time seated you are generally more subject to health problems, will live a shorter life and are less productive than those who spend their days on their feet or moving about.
For most of us there’s no real alternative to being at our desks all day long, so there’s no surprise that more and more us are becoming victims of the ‘butts in seats epidemic’. Luckily, It’s not that hard to combat this epidemic. Doing desk stretches, choosing ergonomic chairs, changing positions throughout the day by using height adjustable desks, making use of more informal type meeting areas and working at counter height tables are great ways to combat the negative affects of sitting.
Height adjustable desks are fantastic as they give users the freedom to easily alternate their position from sitting to standing throughout the day. Alternating to a standing position during the day ensures the electrical activity in your muscles remains active, protecting against metabolic affects that can result in a whole host of dire consequences.
Check out our Lift height adjustable desk it’s available with electronic, wider or technician height adjustment controls meaning you’ll be up and out of your seat in no time.
The Benefits of Armrests
Armrests are a great way to help prevent muscular tension and pain. They provide support to your upper body, keeping you feeling comfortable for longer.
Armrests guide your arms into a relaxed position, placing less stress on your shoulders and neck. This position also promotes correct postural alignment and is particularly suited to occupations that involve lots of reading and typing.
There’s been advice in recent years that armrests aren’t beneficial and may in fact be detrimental to your health. Each person’s body is different and everyone has different job requirements, so this may be the case in some occupations, however, this advice should not be taken to mean that you should’t choose a chair with armrests. As an overall rule, armrests will make your chair more comfortable.
When choosing chairs you should look for armrests that don’t interfere with free movement between you and your desk. Armrests should also be positioned at a height and width that allows you to comfortably rest your elbows without any effort. Adjustable arms are great too as they can be tailored to suit your individual preferences.
Have you checked out DESK yet?
‘DESK‘ is a stunning iPad application and website which showcases a collection of desks owned by designers, developers and illustrators from around the world. It is a project that aims to show where people find inspiration, no matter their occupation.
“You can learn everything about a person by his desk”
It’s remarkable how much a person’s desk reveals about them. Their personal items, level of organisation and choice of styling reflect their character and creativity. The desk is a place where ‘creativity is born’
– where you bring ideas to life.
We love this app. It gives a great insight into individuality and what inspires different people. We highly recommend browsing through it for a dose of inspiration and also uploading your own desk to share where your inspiration comes from.
Follow us for a Chance to Win!
Are you following our company page on Linkedin? If not, if you follow us now you’ll go into the draw to win a fabulous meal for two at the Spice Temple restaurant.
Followers of our Linkedin page are kept up to date with our latest products, most recent blog posts and any other information related to our company.
All you need to do to enter is follow us before the 3rd of June 2013. The lucky winner will be announced on the 4th of June. Good luck!
Get The Music Flowing in Your Office
Choosing the right tunes for your workplace can create a more relaxed atmosphere and boost employee productivity. Music can relax the mind, block out distractions and get you powering through your to do list.
Recent studies have shown that offices that play light background music are 10% more productive than offices that don’t. Playing music in your reception areas is great too, it often makes wait times seem shorter and the office feel more welcoming.
The best type of music to get your productivity pumping is dependent upon your workplace. Keep in mind the music should not be distracting or have any overbearing lyrics or beats, which may have an adverse affect on productivity. Some employees peak with music without lyrics such as classical or jazz music whilst others work best with easy listening commercial type, indie or rock.
Once you’ve decided on the type of music that suits your workplace, you can make a personalised playlist on online radio sites such as Spotify or Pandora. These sites allow you to enter an artist and they will automatically build a playlist of similar music around that style and will play them at random throughout the week. Best thing is you can update your list all the time, so no more listening to the same CD on repeat!
Some of the artists we’ve been basing our playlists on lately are:
- Ed Sheeran
- Bombay Bicycle Club
- Gotye
- Fleetwood Mac
- The Wombats