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2023 has arrived and many businesses are making plans for the coming 12 months and now is a great time to include making sure your office is in tip-top shape into those plans. After all, if your workspace is organised and well-maintained, you can be more productive and successful in 2023. Ready to give your office a refresh? Here are 5 top tips on how to get you started.

1. Organise Your Space
   The first step to giving your office a refresh is organising it. Take a look around and determine what needs to be purged or moved. Start by going through all of your files with an eye towards eliminating any documents that are out of date or no longer relevant. You should also consider rearranging furniture and other items in order to create an efficient workflow. Organising your space can help create an environment that is conducive to productivity.
2. Invest in Quality Furniture
   The next step is investing in quality furniture for your office space. If you have been using outdated furniture for years, now might be the time to buy something new that is both comfortable and stylish. Well-designed furniture can make a huge difference when it comes to creating an inviting working environment; after all, nobody wants to work in an uncomfortable chair or on an unstable desk! Consider investing in ergonomic chairs, standing desks, and other pieces of furniture that will promote good posture and keep you feeling energised throughout the day. 
3. Incorporate Natural Lighting
   Working in a poorly lit office space can make it difficult to feel good on the job. You may need to consult with a lighting expert to find the best solution for your needs. However, remember that employees will feel more engaged when they have access to natural light. It may also help reduce eye strain and improve employees’ wellbeing. When you are refreshing your office, make sure you focus on daylighting and bringing outdoor aspects inside as much as possible.
4. Bring the Green Indoors
   Studies show that nature can instantly make us feel more inspired and see things with a different perspective. If you can’t take breaks to work outside for a few hours of the workday, bring the outside in. Natural gems like seashells, crystals, rocks, and flowers are all inexpensive ways to branch out with your desk décor to include things that give it a real seasonal approach.
5. Add Some Personality
   The last thing you should do when refreshing your office is add some personality! This could mean adding some artwork on the walls or plants on the windowsill—whatever makes you feel most at home while working Doing this will help make your workspace more inviting and inspire creativity throughout the year ahead.

Final note, be sure to consult with your employees and ask for their input. Your employees will spend most of the day sitting in the office, so it is important that they like the space they are working in. They also may be able to give you some better advice as they may be more aware of things that need to be changed around the office. 

Refreshing your office doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive; all it takes is taking the time to organise, invest in quality furniture, and add some personality along with greenery and natural lighting. That way, as we move through 2023, you’ll have a workspace that sets you up for success and keeps you motivated throughout the year ahead. With these tips as your guide, there’s no reason why 2023 won’t be a great year for business owners everywhere!

If you’re a business owner and looking to move from a home office to a real business premises, our offices here at The Base are always in demand, and although we have some availability right now, we also have a number of enquiries. If you’re planning an office move in 2023, we’d recommend you talk to us as soon as you can. We’d love to show you around and discover exactly what you need from The Base.

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base is a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies. Whilst calling The Base your home, you will have access to free business support, including marketing, tax, legal advice, as well as help with innovation, research, and development.

Contact us for more information.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with all our latest news.

Working near home vs. working from home

Having a place of work near to where you live has several advantages, as does working from home. But what about the disadvantages? Is one ‘better’ than the other, or does it not matter when it comes to productivity, convenience, and mental health? Let’s look at each option below.

Working from home

The advantages here are quite clear. No commute, not having to dress for work, and more time for yourself family, friends, and home commitments. Working from home usually means commandeering your spare bedroom, or the kitchen/dining room table to use as your office. Or, if you’re lucky some of you might have a purpose-built garden office. Whatever your situation is, your commute is likely to only be a few seconds.

You’re unlikely to need to pop on your suit, smart jeans, or stick to your office’s dress code either. You’re at home, so comfy sweatpants and a hoodie are acceptable attire, especially if you don’t need to speak to any customers on Zoom or Teams calls.

One of the biggest gains of working from home is time, and we all know how precious that is. Instead of sitting in your car or on public transport at the start and end of your working day, you can skip the commute and get straight to it. And once your day’s over, you can close your laptop and start relaxing. The rest of the day is yours. You can spend time with the children, go for a walk or to the gym, watch TV, or anything else that takes your fancy.

Another big saving is money. You don’t need to nip out for a fancy coffee and sandwich. Just pop to your kitchen and make them at home instead. Of course, you can always treat yourself to something once or twice a week if you’d like to. You also don’t need to buy new work outfits or other items specifically for the office, so you can make good savings there too. And of course, there are savings to be had on fuel and train or bus tickets, which can help you do your bit for the environment too.

Now. Onto the disadvantages. Working from home can be lonely and isolating for many people. Team building with your colleagues is much more difficult, and you can feel less motivated than in the office. These can take a toll on your mental health if you’re not careful.

Separating work and living areas can also be an issue if you’re tight on space, and distractions from pets and children can affect your productivity.

Working close to home

Again, there are obvious advantages here too. Being in a workplace close to home means you can walk or cycle rather than taking the car, which is also much better than the environment than driving.  It’s a great space to meet colleagues and create a clear distinction between your home and work life. Your health – both physical and mental – will benefit as a result.

Brainstorming and collaboration are easier face-to-face too. Not just with your team, but also interacting with other businesses in your building. The best partnerships are sometimes formed over a morning brew in the kitchen, or from chatting in corridors.

There’s also no more battling with technology and dodgy wi-fi connections or having to share your screen just to look at a document in the office. As well as good wi-fi, most offices have specialist equipment you might not have access to at home, like printers, projectors, and video conferencing capabilities.  The main advantage is that you don’t have to use any of your own stuff like you might at home – it’s all provided ready to use at the office.

Having onsite meeting rooms, breakout spaces, and catering facilities are an advantage too. They can help with productivity, getting your team together, or for grabbing a quick coffee to perk you up in the afternoon.

So, let’s talk about the disadvantages. Obviously, you won’t have as much time as you would working from home. You still need to travel, even if it’s a short distance. And sometimes you might need peace and quiet to get on with your work, which you can’t always get with people around you. There’s also the cost of coffees and canteen meals. They can soon add up if you’re not careful.

Now you know the pros and cons of working near home versus working from home, you can choose which one’s right for you, or whether a hybrid approach might suit you best.

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base is a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies. Whilst calling The Base your home, you will have access to free business support, including marketing, tax, legal advice, as well as help with innovation, research and development.

Contact us for more information
Or follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news

Natural light is the new number 1 office perk. When you think about the perks of office life, things like free tea and coffee (and even biscuits), chill-out areas, and bringing your dog to work are likely to be high up the list. Aside from a nice desk, a working computer, coffee break area, and other features, what else are employees be looking for?

One you might not think about – or even be aware of – is the presence of natural light.

Natural light is something many people take for granted. You open the curtains or blinds and it’s there, streaming through your window. But not many people know about the real benefits it provides, especially in the workplace as many offices rely on lights powered by electricity. They choose to keep the blinds, or the curtains always closed. If the office features floor to ceiling glass windows, these are usually heavily tinted to keep too much sunlight away. However, natural light is the top perk any employee can get in an office and you can find out more below.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is when you feel a change in mood as the days get shorter. This is to do with the effect of the reduced amount of natural light in the hypothalamus in the brain as the darker evenings kick in. You might know this as your internal body clock – darker evenings make you feel more tired. Being exposed to natural light can keep this feeling at bay and make you feel more energised and improve your mood.

Natural light also provides vitamin D, which is essential for health benefits. If you don’t get enough, it can lead to serious problems with your bones, muscles, and teeth. It’s particularly important to keep your levels topped up during the shorter Autumn and Winter days, so having a reliable source of natural light is very important.

Another added benefit of natural light is that it can help you sleep better (and don’t we all need some extra sleep). It makes you feel alert in the day and sleepy when it’s dark, so your body is ready for bed in the evening, this is thanks to something called the circadian rhythm, which naturally follows sunrise and sunset. Only being exposed to artificial light can interfere with this and upset your sleep pattern.

Too much artificial light can also cause eyestrain and headaches, known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which – according to a study by Cornell University in 2017 – affects around 70 million workers globally. It can also increase incidents of SAD in people. Long workdays spent indoors with no or little access to natural light can leave you feeling fatigued, down, and less positive about coming to work. That will lead to decreased productivity and possible absences among employees.

So, there you have it. Natural light really should be your number 1 office perk. It can improve productivity, creativity, collaboration, and boost employee wellbeing and health. And the good news is that it’s free for everyone too. Simply having offices with lots of windows is one straightforward way to make sure your employees can get access to it, for example, as can encouraging them to spend outdoors at lunchtime.

Want to know more about The Base?

The Base is a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies. Whilst calling The Base your home, you will have access to free business support, including marketing, tax, legal advice, as well as help with innovation, research and development.

Contact us for more information.

Or follow us on LinkedIn