Short Answer – No, office designs are not for big companies alone.
But let us elaborate; Creative office designs have intense and immediate beneficial effects on
business growth and the effects far outweigh the costs borne, which anyway are not as high as
widely believed. Yes, there are many myths about office concepts and designs, their uses and costs.
Such myths often obscure the part played by office designs in boosting revenue and countering
various challenges faced by start-ups. In the discussion ahead we will bust some myths about office
design and focus on the benefits that start-ups get from amazing office layouts and interiors.
Let’s start by acknowledging the elephant in the room – the challenges of starting-up
Raising funds and finding clients are the 2 biggest challenges. Trust us, we know!
Although, we have to say, equally important and challenging, is the process of recruitment and
retention of employees. And apart from retaining employees, start-ups have to retain clients as well.
Is an office design project even worth thinking about in this frenzy of clients, funds, and recruitment?
Most Start-up Leaders will say no.
We being in this business, of course, beg to differ – and believe – A good office décor has the ability to
save the worst days most of the times! Creative office designs provide the body to a start-up, the voice to a start-up. A sense of permanence and belief is created by a creatively designed office space. The office becomes the visual manifestation of the work culture and uniqueness of a company in a highly competitive market.
Visuals are the most powerful expression of identity that any company wants to create for itself.
Although, it is often earmarked in the category of being luxury in the world of cash-crunched, low
resources, high pace startup, let us dig more into the subject with benefits that office designs bring
to start-ups.
Publicity:
Publicity is great for any organization, we all know that. However, in the case of office designs,
publicity occurs in a more believable and authentic manner. The employees of the company drive
the publicity, all by themselves and in a completely organic manner. Through numerous selfie
pictures and hashtags and with posts on different social media forums, the publicity and discussion
continue unabated.
An office building and its office interiors are one of the few things about work, employees can share
with pride and openness on the social media — they cannot share their salary slips for sure. Sharing
pictures of their cool start-up with its great office layout is their way of saying, “life’s good for me.”
More importantly, this publicity is from real life, and therefore, the trust factor is way stronger than
a paid campaign.
Communicating with clients:
What impression does your company create on a client? Does it look well-organized and systematic
to a client? How unique is that place in the office where your clients meet you? Is the sincerity of
your company visible through the look of the office, and does the office design communicate to a
client that your office is more special than the others in the market? Many questions bounce inside a
client’s mind, and ultimately, visual dynamics help in bagging an order over a competing company
offering similar services but having a less well-thought-out office space.
An amazing office space inspires confidence and sense of feel-goodness, feelings that are vital to any
decision-making process.
Recruitment:
Remuneration is the king when it comes to recruitment. With good salary packages, attracting the
right talent is not difficult. Unfortunately, start-ups do not have the monetary muscle to wrest the
best talent from the market. A well-thought-out office design can also not make all potential
employees stand in mid-night queues in-front your office. The place where the interview will be
done, the way the office will look to a future employee during the face-to-face round, the pictures of
the office in the company’s website, the facilities available in the office — all these factors together
to become an impactful scale-tipper in the mind of any potential employee to start working in your
cool start-up office.
People from all over India come to work in expensive metropolitan cities. They stay in small houses with a number of friends, just to keep living expenses down. A bright, young-looking, ventilated
office space not only attracts new employees and keeps them happy, but also goes a long way in
retaining experienced employees. India’s working population is younger than most counties in the
world, and it should not take much thinking to understand that young minds would be glad to work
in offices that match their outlook, their sense of space and freedom. A creative office space with
lots of fun and frivolous elements is one sure way to boost efficiency.
Get re-introduced to office design:
It is not expensive: Any office space is re-done, redesigned once in a few years and it continues to attract positive publicity for a long period of time. The work done by Hidecor is a testimony to the fact that designing and redesigning can be done with loads of creativity and finesse and can yet be kept affordable to companies of every size and scale. The best materials are chosen and sourced locally, most talent is sourced locally and companies get an opportunity to choose packages that suit their requirements. Ultimately, a professionally done office design does not cost as much as the world would want you to believe. The design remains true to the vision of the client, with the office design firm only giving a definite and beautiful interpretation of the vision.
Office design is a revenue generator and not a revenue guzzler: Founders often can be heard saying that once their company starts making profits they will redo the office interiors to look the best in the market. It makes more business sense to let your great creative office design earn greater revenues for the company rather than wait for the company to do well before redoing the office interiors. A contemporary interior design can bring clients, investors, employees, and publicity; in fact, it can benefit all aspects of a successful business, as discussed earlier. In simple terms, commercial interior designs are revenue generators just like good clients.
Creative office concepts are not just decorative; they are completely functional too: A showpiece here, a fake painting there and some smart lights were all that was required in the name of office design during earlier days. Designs nowadays take care of ergonomics in furniture, energy-saving features, mood elevating meeting rooms, relaxing bays, fitness corners, and everything else that enhances productivity. Various office design project by Hidecor have completely transformed the physical space as well as the professional enthusiasm in such offices. The functional aspect of creative office concepts is not just an add-on, it is an inherent feature.
An office is not just a place where employees work; it is an important manifestation of the vision
that a start-up has for itself. Through creative and functional concepts created on office walls and
spaces, the vision seeps into the work culture and takes the corporate journey forward, with
enhanced productivity and energy.
Coming up next will be our bag of tricks and tips to make your office look great even without the
services of an office designer. Little things here and there and some creativity can work wonders for
your office.
We wish you the best of luck in your endeavours for your start-up.