Read Start Your Own Business Online
Authors: Inc The Staff of Entrepreneur Media
Start Your Own Business (42 page)
chapter 18
LOOKING GOOD
Creating a Professional Image
T
hese days, it is just not enough to create a terrific product, offer super service and have a solid business plan to back you up. Your company image is equally important to the overall success of your business.
hese days, it is just not enough to create a terrific product, offer super service and have a solid business plan to back you up. Your company image is equally important to the overall success of your business.
Think about it. Every time you hand out your business card, send a letter or welcome a client into your office or store, you are selling someone on your company. Your business card, letterhead and signage—just like traditional print, radio and TV ads—are valuable selling tools. The look of your office also helps “sell” your business by conveying an image, whether it is that of a funky, creative ad agency or a staid, respectable accounting firm.
Fortunately, just because you are a startup company does not mean you have to look like one. Your logo, business card, signage and style are all part of a cohesive image program known as corporate identity. And with the right corporate identity, your company can appear highly professional and give the impression of having been in business for years.
e-FYINot sure where it’s all going to go?
SeeMyDesign.com
has a free, interactive tool to assist you with your office design layout so you can figure out where to put the desk and filing cabinet without dragging them all over the room. For more information, go to
seemydesign.com
.
In this chapter, we will discuss how to create a corporate image that works.
Office SpaceWhen you are a startup with limited capital, it may be tempting to put all your money into advertising and equipment and skimp on office furniture. How you furnish your office might not seem to matter, especially if your customers will not see it. And if your office is located at home, the dining room table might look like the most logical choice.
But a nicely furnished office is not just a matter of aesthetics. Grabbing whatever furniture is at hand and plunking it down without a thought to organization can put you at a major disadvantage in terms of productivity.
Everything In Its PlaceImproving your own and your employees’ performance involves a lot more than finding comfortable chairs. It involves placement of offices or cubicles within the building, proximity to equipment, lighting, desk space, meeting areas, privacy and more. People spend most of their waking hours at the office, so its design has a tremendous effect on morale.
How can you create a high-performance office? The first step is addressing organizational issues ... of who sits where. The days of big “power desks” and hierarchical corner offices are over. More businesses are turning to flexible environments ideal for small companies where the business owner probably doubles as salesperson.
With today’s emphasis on team-building, office design is moving away from compartmentalized offices and moving toward large spaces where teams of employees can work. When setting up your space, think about who needs to work with whom and which employees share what resources. If you group those people together, you enhance their productivity.
In addition to maximizing your own and your employees’ productivity, your office may also function as a marketing tool if clients or customers visit. Think about what visitors will see when they come by. Will they be bombarded with noise from one department near the entrance? Or will they see a series of closed doors with seemingly no activity taking place? Visitors should not be overwhelmed by chaos as they walk through your building, but they should see signs of life and get glimpses of the daily activities going on at your company.
“When I see a barrier,
I cry and I curse, and
then I get a ladder and
climb over it.”—JOHN JOHNSON, FOUNDER
OF JOHNSON PUBLISHING CO.
Once considered some trendy European way to make business owners spend a lot of money, ergonomics has gained respect. Simply put, this term refers to designing and arranging furnishings and space to fit the natural movements of the human body. Ergonomics can help you and your employees avoid repetitive stress injuries from typing or bending and can prevent common problems, like back pain, which often sideline entrepreneurs and their employees.
Noise pollution is one of the biggest problems in many offices. One good way to decrease noise is to cover computer printers with sound shields. Covering a printer can cut noise by more than 90 percent ... and increase concentration accordingly.
Buy adjustable chairs. A good chair allows the user to adjust the seat height and the tension of the backrest. The seat should angle forward slightly to keep from cutting off your circulation. Boost the benefits of a good chair by providing footrests. Elevating the feet slightly while typing or sitting at a desk reduces lower back strain and improves circulation, keeping you more alert.
ON THE OUTSIDET
he inside of your office may look great, but don’t stop there. What about the outside? If the first impression a potential customer has of your business is a shabby door or an unkempt parking lot, you’re not sending the right message ... and all your hard work in designing an attractive, efficient office could be going to waste.Step outside your place of business and take a long, hard look at the parking lot, sidewalks, windows, outside lighting, landscaping and the outside of the building itself. A well-maintained building projects an industrious, professional image. Weeds, trash, broken sidewalks, tattered awnings, dirty windows, dead plants and overflowing trash containers send the message “We don’t care.”Whether you’re in a retail location or an office building, take the time to check the property from the outside, and make sure it’s inviting and appealing every day.
Make sure the desk and chair arrangement you choose allows you to keep the tops of your knuckles, the tops of your wrists and your forearms all in a straight line as you work on your computer. Your computer monitor should be at or below your eye level. Use an under-desk keyboard tray and monitor stand, if necessary, to get everything in line.
“Obstacles are those
frightful things you see
when you take your
eyes off your goal.”—HANNAH MOORE,
AUTHOR
Another often-ignored problem in offices is lighting. Too much or too little lighting causes eye strain and tiredness, decreasing productivity. To cut down on the glare, put filters on computer screens. Use individual lamps to illuminate desk work and help eyes adjust from overlit computer screens to underlit paper. Install miniblinds to let each employee control the amount of light to match the task at hand and the time of day.
You can find office furniture touted as ergonomic at a variety of sources, from office supply superstores to traditional office furniture retailers. Just because something claims to be ergonomic, however, does not mean it is right for you. Always test furnishings before you buy them. Sit in the chair and make sure it is comfortable; sit at the desk and make sure it is the right height. Make sure your desk and chair work together and that there is plenty of legroom under the desk.
When you buy furniture, look for solid construction, particularly in desks. The “ready to assemble” desks available at home or office superstores are often poor quality. Most are made of particleboard, which won’t stand up to heavy use. A better option for those on a budget is to buy used office furniture.
More and more furniture dealers nowadays sell used (also called “reconditioned”) office furniture. You can find everything from a single desk and chair to a full fleet of cubicles for your whole staff. Typically, furniture has been repaired and repainted where necessary. In some cases, you will be able to save 70 percent. You can find used furniture sources in the Yellow Pages, or look in your local newspaper’s classified ad section for individuals selling used pieces. Flea markets, auctions and estate sales can be other sources of used items.
TIPIf you do a lot of computer work, consider investing in an “L”-shaped desk, with your computer and keyboard tray on the small side of the “L.” This gets your computer out of the way and ensures you have plenty of work space when you need it.
Before you start designing a business card or picking colors for your letterhead, you need a logo. Featuring your company name, embellished with a little color and perhaps a few graphic touches here and there, your logo is the most important design element because it is the basis for all your other materials: stationery, packaging, promotional materials and signage.
WHAT’S IN STORE?G
ot a retail location? Ask yourself these questions to make sure your store has the “eye appeal” it needs to keep customers coming back:• Are your shelves clean and neat? Is merchandise displayed so people can see it easily?• Is the area around your cash registers or terminals clean and orderly?• Can you find forms, packaging and related materials quickly and easily?• Are light fixtures clean, bright and working properly?• Is there plenty of room between counters and shelves so that aisles are wide and free of barriers?• Are glass surfaces clean and floors vacuumed or swept and scrubbed regularly?
Through the use of color and graphics, your logo should reflect the overall image you want your company to convey, advises Interbrand, a brand identity and marketing company. It should give people a feel for what your company is all about.
For example, say your product is an organic facial cream you will be marketing to health-conscious consumers. Your logo should represent your product’s best benefits—being all-natural and environmentally sound. Creating a simple, no-nonsense logo using earth tones and a plain typeface will give the impression of a product that is “back to basics,” which is exactly what you want to achieve. Take that same product and give it a slick, high-tech look with neon colors, however, and people won’t associate your logo with the down-to-earth product you’re selling.
Logos come in two basic forms: abstract symbols (like the apple in Apple Computer) or logotypes, a stylized rendition of your company’s name. You can also use a combination of both. Alan Siegel, chairman of Siegel+Gale, a design firm specializing in corporate identity, warns that promoting an abstract symbol can prove very costly for a small business on a budget. In addition, he says, such logos are harder to remember. “A logotype or word mark is much easier to recall,” says Siegel. “If you use an abstract symbol, always use it in connection with your business name.”
Other books
empress of storms by cameron, nicole m
The Laws of Average by Trevor Dodge
Love Turns With Twisted Fates 2 by Caleigh Hernandez
Indigo Christmas by Jeanne Dams
Between by Ting, Mary
Hannah's Joy by Marta Perry
The Jamestown Experiment by Tony Williams
Dark Magick by Cate Tiernan
Bone River by Chance, Megan
Lumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears Book 1) by T. S. Joyce
