Bring Identity, Personality & Professionalism To Your Home Business By Creating An Impressive Office
These days, more & more people are working from home.
Some by choice, others by necessity.
But if you have your own business, you may be in the fortunate position to be able to run it from home.
There's a lot of advantages to a home based business, being time flexible is one, but also no expensive rent or overheads.
But if your business includes having clients visit your office, then the importance of branding your business, along with a professional look, is essential for creating the right impression.
Branding your home office is essential for creating a professional look & creating the best impression for your clients.
There are certain principles & advice for creating a brand.
The protocols of producing a unique & memorable brand identity spill over into office design & decor too.
There's many types of enterprises that can be run from home & each can have it's own unique requirements, you can learn more about setting up an office for a home based business here.
But here are 9 ideas & tips that are easy to implement to get you on your way to a professionally branded home office.
1. What's In A Name?
William Shakespeare famously said: "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any
other name would smell just as sweet.”
But when it comes to business, the name can often be your branding.
Your business name can often be the the actual logo too, such as with Samsung, FedEx & Coca-Cola to name a few.
Even if you're only a small business, having your logo clearly visible is invaluable in showing that you're integral about what you do.
It doesn't need to be a giant sign on the wall either!
Strategically placed on a wall, or even on the front of your desk, may be all that's needed.
This leads nicely on to the next tip ..
2. Consistency Is Key
When it comes to branding, any marketing expert will offer the same advice .. be consistent.
So if you have a website or social media, keep the overall style of your office in keeping with the feel of your online presence.
For instance, you may run a health & well-being business & your website has images of natural elements incorporated into it.
Your social posts may show products photographed alongside plants, food or other organic items.
So a client to walking into a super modern styled office with lots of steel, chrome & sharp angles may be somewhat puzzled as to what your business represents.
Speaking of consistency, the next tip ..
3. Show Your True Colours
Like any room in the home, it's fantastic to get super inspired with décor ideas.
But when it comes to your home business office, certain boundaries need to be adhered to.
Again, it's about consistency.
This doesn't mean your office has to be boring white or have an uninviting corporate feel though.
Using colours that are in keeping with your logo, website or social media, will ensure that you'll maintain a professional look.
You needn't strictly use only those colours, as most businesses usually have 2 colours in their design, sometimes more.
A more neutral backdrop like white, light brown or even pale grey, is a perfect canvas for adding colour.
Using your business colours as accents, as in picture frames, cushions, or a strategically painted filing cabinet, may be all that's required.
The exception to refraining from too many colours would be if you're in a line of work that represents fun, such as working with children or party hire for example.
4. Reflect Your Values
What's your personal business philosophy?
What does your business stand for?
Perhaps as an architect or builder, you're creating more sustainable homes.
You could be a financial adviser empowering people to become financially independent.
Whatever your business goals, it's good to reflect these values in the office décor & choice of artwork & furnishings.
This could mean creating a more relaxed or natural feel through the use of textiles, earthy tones & colours & even potted plants.
Modern or minimal décor may be more in keeping with industries that need to show they're on the cutting edge of innovation.
Artwork & photographs can not only represent the industry you're in, but imagery is a powerful way to convey a message.
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5. Don't Be Shy In Showing Off
If you're business has won awards or accolades, don't be humble!
This builds great confidence with the client when they walk in the office to see that you're obviously exceptional at what you do.
Of course, any qualifications or courses that you've completed can also be displayed as well as any certifications.
My local mechanic does a course every year to keep up to date with all the changes that are needed with modern vehicles & displays these certifications on the wall in the office.
I have an older van, but I can imagine that someone with a new vehicle would feel confident leaving their car with him.
6. Display Your Work
You may not have won any awards, but this doesn't mean you're not good at what you do.
Displaying your work is another way to show your skills to a client.
A wedding photographer, or any type of artist for instance, could display their best work on the walls.
If you're in the type of industry that doesn't have physical products, as mentioned, a financial adviser for example, then customer testimonials can be displayed in a creative way.
If you're an interior designer, then your actual office speaks for itself!
7. Display Your Products
Probably an obvious tip, but having your products actually on display for clients to physically see & touch also instils confidence.
It's one thing to see images & information on a screen & another to actually hold something in your hands.
Even if you don't produce or sell physical items, pamphlets & information products are a fabulous way for a client to take something away with them.
Remember to make sure your branding is attached though, either as a business card, logo or other means.
8. Keep It Tidy
Although not directly linked to branding as such, a tidy & organised office space is a must.
( says me .. talk about the kettle calling the pot black! )
A client walking into a messy office is simply going to have the impression of a disorganised business & one that is overwhelmed.
No point having lovely office décor that shows off your brand when there's piles of paper on all the chairs & available surfaces.
Plus it's way more professional when you need to pull out some paperwork in front of a customer & you can go directly to where it's kept rather than needing to hunt around for it.
9. Spend Appropriately
Last, but definitely not least, what's your available budget & how much do you need to spend?
Owning your own business & being your own boss is fabulous.
I haven't worked for anyone in years, & once you become independent in creating your own income, most people can never go back to working for a boss.
But when you're starting out, you need to be wise in where you invest your money & ask if it will it reap appropriate rewards.
Certain industries may benefit from a larger outlay to create a really impressive office.
As already mentioned, offering financial advice comes to mind.
No use trying to sell people how amazing you are at creating financial independence when your office looks like everything was bought from garage sales.
But branding your home office doesn't need to blow your budget.
There's many affordable, but quality print services for producing your logo onto wall decals, business cards & any other print material.
Office furniture can get expensive, but unless it's absolutely necessary, you needn't buy new.
Because home office décor is generally more minimal than other rooms in the house, you also don't need to outlay, or purchase, as much furniture, soft furnishings & other items that usually go hand in hand with home decorating.
Final Thoughts
If you've read this article, then you're probably thinking about starting a home business or looking at upgrading your existing office.
So congrats on creating, or having created, your own business!
I feel people flourish when they're able to apply their energy into their own pursuits.
You're directly rewarded by your talent & hard work, rather than it going through a middleman so to speak.
I hope you found value in this article & it always makes my day when they're shared.
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