When it comes to running a business, one of the most important elements, aside from your clients of course, is your staff. These are the people behind your business, they are the face that many of your clients put towards your business, and they are representing you on a daily basis. The importance of your staff can never be highlighted enough, so keeping them happy is something that you should consider as an important element of contributing towards your business.

It’s not always easy to keep staff happy and the results may not show straight away, but over time you will start to realise the benefits that you can reap from happy and satisfied customers who really want to help develop and grow your business. Happy staff are more likely to want your business to succeed and in turn they are more likely to make a bigger and better contribution towards keeping your clients happy.

The benefits of happy staff

The benefits of happy staff in the workplace is unwritten, but it can be seen throughout the business. Some classic benefits of keeping your staff happy include:

• Happy clients - happy staff means generally happy clients, your clients will be dealing with enthusiastic staff who are likely to give them high quality service
• Teamwork - if your staff are happy then they are likely to work well together, this promotes teamwork and a great foundation for your business
• Effectiveness - if your staff are happy they will likely work effectively as they will take pride in the work that they do, this can mean their work is a great deal more effective for your business.

Why you should consider listening to your staff

When it comes to keeping your staff happy the best feedback that you can receive is feedback from them directly about things that they are happy with and things that they might potentially like to change in your working environment. Offering your staff a scheme such as a staff suggestion scheme proves to them that you value their opinion and it gives them the chance to anonymously discuss any issues which may have arisen within their workplace.

There are a number of ways that you could use a staff suggestion scheme, but to work effectively you may consider setting it up as anonymous feedback, this encourages your staff to really speak out about any issues that they have in the workplace without a fear of reprimand.

Why your staff could be the solution to your business problems

If you are wondering why your clients are unhappy at the abrasive or perhaps disinterested staff that they deal with then the solution could be in your treatment of staff. Compromise is the key here, keeping your staff happy while reminding them that they also need to balance the interests of the business, to secure their long term future, will reap rewards for them and their career path on a personal level while also benefitting your business on a professional level. 

It’s that time of the year and the festive spirit usually spreads throughout the office environment. Christmas is a time of year where people like to relax, celebrate and give gifts, it’s a time where there is a great deal of Christmas cheer and many companies start to wind down before the end of the year, so if you are looking to get your office into the Christmas spirit there are usually a few things that you will be starting to consider.

The office Christmas party

Potentially the highlight of the office social calendar, the office Christmas party can be a great deal of fun, but can also have the ability to make, or break a person’s career. Selecting the destination for your office party can be a challenging task, especially when you are trying to incorporate something that everyone enjoys, but when it comes down to it, many people will suffice with a good night out.

The Christmas party can be a great chance for everyone to relax and let their hair down in a fun and friendly environment and providing that everyone is responsible, the night can be a complete success.

Christmas decorations

Decorating your office can really help to promote the Christmas spirit and ensuring that your staff are feeling in the festive mood. Many offices opt for a traditional Christmas tree or a number of other simple decorations which can help to make the office feel a little more festive. Retail businesses tend to get more into the festive spirit decorating shops and businesses in a bright and colourful manner to draw in extra customers who may be looking for that special gift during the festive season.

How to decide on an appropriate gift

Christmas is the time for giving and if you have been working in your office for a long time, or you have some close friends there, then you may want to purchase some gifts. Choosing the right gift, which is appropriate to maintaining a professional attitude is key, especially if you are going to be giving it to someone who may be directly responsible for you, such as your boss.

It’s also important to acknowledge the other people in the office, people can be easily offended if they are left out of receiving gifts or cards, so be tactful in the way that you give your gifts and the type of gifts that you give – this can ensure that everyone in the office remains happy. 

When it comes to thinking about your next move, many people are familiar with the idea of a serviced office, but not always sure what they do. A serviced office can be a great alternative for businesses who are looking to move offices with relatively few overheads. If you are a small business who may be looking to grow, then they can provide you with many services that you would come to expect from a larger business, but at a reduced price.

In addition, serviced offices can open up a whole world of new facilities that you may not have access to in your current office. They may be services that are not currently available or that you may not have been able to afford independently. Serviced offices allow companies to come together and share facilities, driving both costs and overheads down.

What facilities might I find in a serviced office?

When it comes to a serviced office there are a range of facilities that you may have access to and these can all present benefits to your business, these include:

• VoIP Technology – the latest telephone technology, VoIP allows you to make telephone calls over an internet line, this can help you to drive down costs, especially if you are making frequent international calls
• Conference rooms – many serviced offices offer a range of conference and meeting rooms which are available to all tenants, this can give you a great place to meet and greet your clients and give you a great area to really impress your clients
• Secretarial support – many offices also offer a secretary who can perform a number of general tasks for you including telephone answering, mail sorting and filing, this can save you money on employing your own secretary
• Combined expenses – many serviced offices allow you to role all of your utility and other monthly expenses into one, which in turn allows you to monitor your spending on one simple bill
• High speed broadband – serviced offices can offer you a ready to go connection to high speed broadband networks, which saves you the hassle of having to set up your own network independently.

How can these facilities make a difference?

When it comes to serviced offices, the small things do matter and having all of these facilities at your fingertips can save you time, money and productivity further down the line. If you are a small business looking to grow, then a serviced office could be the perfect basis to start the expansion of your business.