Tag: technology

People don’t like to think about major disasters affecting their businesses. Day-to-day operations can feel stressful enough without envisioning the worst-case scenarios. However, failing to get your company ready in case they happen is a recipe for disaster in itself. 

Disaster planning can seem scary at first. Once you get started, though, you’ll see it can provide you more peace of mind. For example, you may find that many of the steps you take apply to small issues, as well as large disasters.

1. Identify the Most Significant Risks to Your Small Business

Start by determining the biggest risks facing your enterprise. For example, if the business operates solely online and maintains massive amounts of information, a cybersecurity breach or data center outage may be near the top of the list. On the other hand, maybe you live in an area that typically experiences several disruptive natural disasters per year. 

After figuring out the types of disasters your business has the highest likelihood of facing, don’t overlook other things that could happen even though they are less likely. For example, many small business owners probably didn’t plan to deal with a global pandemic for most of 2020. If your company has operated for 75 years so far, a total collapse is probably not at the top of your list of worries. 

Even so, you should plan for what’s most likely to occur, as well as the unexpected. Covering all your bases is a practical way to become as prepared as possible. You’ll also find that many of the steps you take to protect your small business from the most severe consequences of a disaster are the same, no matter what goes wrong.

2. Gauge Your Current Readiness Level

It’s also essential to learn how prepared your company would be if a large disaster happened today. Suppose your e-commerce website went down for a day in the thick of the holiday shopping season, or you got a phone call from your most important client and heard they’re ending the business relationship with you. Could people at your operation spring into action immediately to mitigate some of the worst effects?

When was the last time your employees received disaster preparedness training? Do you carry out regular scenario-based exercises that let workers show how they’d respond in a real emergency? Letting them go through role-playing exercises could help them feel calmer under pressure. 

Your small business should also prepare key members of your team to speak to the media. If your CEO does not regularly interact with people in the public realm, think twice before throwing them into the spotlight after a massive disaster happens.

While examining how prepared your company is now, it’ll be easier to identify the vulnerabilities that need addressing. For example, it may become clear that it’s better to have someone other than the CEO speak on behalf of the company in most cases.

3. Keep Your Disaster Plans Accessible and Current

Many small businesses have disaster response plans, but they don’t keep them updated. That problem could prove almost as harmful as not having a framework for emergencies at all. 

A 2019 study revealed some surprising findings. The respondents were mostly senior and middle-level managers, and 43% of those polled cited involvement in a past crisis. However, 13.44% of people said they’d never seen their company’s disaster response plan. Another 10.75% were not sure if the business had one. An additional 21.97% of people said their plans were out of date, and 28.90% did not know if they were current for the business.

If your company has a disaster plan now, update it whenever it goes through a major change. For example, relocating your main offices to California likely necessitates ensuring that your plan covers earthquake preparedness. Otherwise, review it at least every year and update it as necessary to maintain relevance. 

Moreover, when you hire new people who would play important roles in resolving a disaster, ensure they know the plan exists and how to access it. Make sure people who have been at the company for years understand their responsibilities if a disaster happens.

4. Consider All the Possible Ramifications of a Disaster

Your disaster-planning efforts must account for the reality that disasters have varying effects. Some are short term, albeit severe. Others could pose complications for much longer. Some could even affect your budget long after a catastrophe occurs. For example, a natural disaster could raise insurance premiums for your small business or necessitate making extensive renovations. Many company leaders expect decreased profits for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, even though they pivoted to stay as resilient as possible.

Suppose a destructive event like a fire or explosion happens at your small business. In that case, you may face injuries or fatalities, investigations from regulatory bodies, monetary penalties and temporary disruptions to operations. A more widespread issue such as a hurricane or snowstorm could cause flooding, fallen trees or downed power lines that disrupt your supply chain and stop customers from coming to the business for several days or weeks.

Think about the consequences if a cybercriminal targets the small business. You could lose access to crucial files, face questions from customers who are concerned about identity theft, and may need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to recover from the incident and stop a similar one from happening again. Some consumers who hear about data breaches or cyberattacks lose confidence and stop buying from the affected companies forever. 

Map out all the what-if scenarios that could occur due to a large disaster. Then, assess what’s in your control to influence. For example, staying up to date with all equipment inspections and enforcing safety procedures could help regulators more efficiently determine why an accident happened. Keeping crucial data backed up in several places could help you recover faster after a cyberattack compromises the information stored in one location.

5. Develop a Crisis Communication Plan

Excellent communications help small businesses operate smoothly, and they are vital during disasters. If people only hear rumors of something going wrong at your company, they may start assuming wholly incorrect things and sharing them with others. Additionally, when business leaders stay tight-lipped during crises, people often accuse them of being misleading and keeping them in the dark. 

First, consider that many groups want and deserve to get information after a disaster. They include the family members of those directly affected, your employees, customers, community members, reporters and elected officials.

Next, realize that the information given to each audience varies. You may tell your investors, customers and employees that your business is at risk of folding due to financial troubles. However, when speaking to community members, you may also discuss the various things your company has done over the years to improve the area — whether through litter cleanups or fundraisers for local charities. People may recognize that you bring something valuable and rally to help you stay open. 

When you don’t have all the answers that people want and need, admit that immediately. Also, give them an idea of when they should expect to hear more news from you about the incident. Mention all the ways they can get the latest, whether by calling a phone number you set up or going to a dedicated website.

6. Assess Your Suppliers and Partners

Getting ready for a disaster requires evaluating all your external support sources that keep the small business afloat. Some of the assessments could also happen before you choose to hire someone. For example, maybe you run a company centered on female empowerment. In that case, it’s not ideal to hire a lawyer charged with sexual assault several years ago. People could accuse you of making a hypocritical decision by bringing him on board. 

Fantastic suppliers and partners can steer you out of disasters. They might become sources of trustworthy advice that you would not have otherwise. However, if they are ill-prepared for disasters, they could worsen your situation. 

For example, maybe you’re thinking about hiring a new supplier in an area prone to tornadoes. You could explicitly ask them if their operations were disrupted before and what plans they have in place to remain functional. 

Ask your suppliers about their readiness to stop cyberattacks, too. Perhaps you work with a service provider to streamline some parts of your business. If that entity suffers a data breach, you could experience ramifications to your reputation even though the online criminal didn’t target you.

Preparedness Brings Resilience

You cannot know for sure whether your small business will go through a major disaster. The best approach is to assume it will. Then, take measures to boost your company’s chances of coming back strong, even after severe disruptions, losses or failures.

Small businesses are most successful when their employees are at their happiest. Why? When your employees are content, they’re more likely to be productive, creative and motivated at what they accomplish.

Essentially, happy employees always go the extra mile — and it’s not because they have to — they want to do their best. In fact, one study at the University of Warwick found that happy workers were 12% more productive than unsatisfied employees.

Plus, your company reduces high costs associated with employee turnover, sick days, days off and work mistakes. 

However, a happy workplace doesn’t just happen accidentally. Physical and intangible places can make your office functional and harmonious. Here are 11 office improvements you can make to establish a better environment this year.

1. Incorporate Natural Lighting

Natural lighting might look better in the office. However, it also has a strong connection between your workers’ sleep and energy quality. Offices with windows will bring in the light from the sun, regulating energy and creating additional rest each night. 

Therefore, your workers will feel well-rested each day and have a better frame of mind. So open up those shades or move workers’ desks closer to the windows. That way, your employees will receive as much sunlight as possible. 

If your office has poor lighting conditions, consider improving it with office lighting solutions. For instance, you can bring in ample lighting by adding lamps for controlled lighting. Lamps or task lights reduce energy consumption and promote the well-being of your team. 

If you have fluorescent lighting, consider investing in fluorescent light filters to help them appear more natural. Filters allow for full-spectrum natural light and they’re an affordable way to enhance your team’s morale.

2. Reduce Noise

Sometimes open office layouts are a necessity depending on your business. However, 30% of office workers feel unsatisfied with open floor plans because of the noise it creates inside the workplace. Overall, it makes distractions and daily interruptions for people, wasting valuable time and productivity.

Consider providing a quiet room for workers to get a break from the noise. Doing so allows them to retreat to a place of solitude and improve concentration for difficult tasks. In turn, employees decrease stress and enhance their mood and productivity. 

Yet, if personal workrooms are not an option for your business, you could provide employees with noise-canceling headphones. These headphones allow employees to escape the noise, helping them focus on their work.

3. Brighten the Office With Color

Brightening the office with paint colors is an excellent way to reduce stress in the workplace and elevate workers’ moods. You could also consider using colorful wallpaper designs to enhance their productivity.

Light paint colors, such as baby blue, light lime green, white, or cream, can create a calm working environment. Plus, it creates the illusion of natural lighting, effectively reflecting every light source around the office. 

If you want to inspire creativity and positive energy, you could also incorporate bright yellows to mimic natural sunlight.

Colors provoke certain emotions, so they can help you make more informed decisions when choosing office paint colors. 

While wallpapers take a little more effort, they can be just as effective. You can bring character into the office by using colorful designs to enliven the space.

4. Add Freshness With Nature

Plants have a way of impacting workers’ spirits and health in a positive light. Regardless of how small or large your office is, you can incorporate lively greenery into your décor. Even if you’re concerned about lighting, some plant varieties can thrive in low-light environments. 

Bring the outdoors inside by placing snake plants, peace lilies, philodendrons, palms, and ferns on desks, walls, and windows.

While plants are perfect for adding beauty to the space, they’re beneficial in other ways. For example, plants can support your staff by providing a fresh oxygen supply to the workplace. In addition, they can purify the air—making your office a healthier place to work.

5. Provide a Small Kitchenette or Lunch Room

Providing a space for employees to eat their lunch doesn’t have to be large. However, the point is to give them a place to make coffee or have a snack break during the workday. 

When you have a proper place designated for lunch, you keep employees healthier and well-balanced. Otherwise, those who eat lunches at their desks find themselves stealing time away for relaxation.

Furthermore, you can encourage your team to get up and move around every while. That way, they can feel recharged once they’re ready to get back to work. 

While creating a space for people to dine, ensure you provide healthy snacks for your team. Promoting healthy eating in the workplace benefits workers’ health and helps them stay productive. In fact, eating habits can directly influence your team’s performance.

So ensure you’re offering superfoods to enhance their brain function, memory, energy, and focus skills. Blueberries, nuts, bananas, and dark chocolate are all foods that can serve your crew’s productivity.

6. Support Posture With Furniture

Neck strain, leg pain, and back pain are all common injuries that office workers experience. And, it’s all contributed to poor posture from sitting all day. As a result of these issues, you have to deal with employee absenteeism daily.

To ensure your team doesn’t suffer, start arranging workspaces with ergonomic furniture. Ergonomic chairs and desks can support your colleague’s posture and create a more comfortable, productive work environment. 

In addition, you could consider investing in standing desks. One study found that standing-desk users were 45% more productive daily than those who remained seated. 

You could also incorporate character with vibrant furniture. Many employees lose interest in their work with bland office designs. Consider driving employees’ enthusiasm by carefully choosing furniture that meets their needs.

7. Create a Positive Company Culture

In an office environment, company culture plays a large role in bringing people together and ensuring a positive place to work. If you want to improve the office to make a productive environment, you need a strong company culture. 

To ensure you retain talent and productivity, guide your organization with your values and beliefs. Therefore, you can create a positive work culture by establishing and promoting your business’s goals. Allow for humor in the workplace and prioritize respect. 

Once you introduce a new company culture, your organization will thrive and inspire more teamwork.

8. Incorporate a Training Space

Training is an essential part of the workforce these days. When you have well-trained employees, they become much happier and more productive because they’re confident in their work. 

You could be introducing a new workflow or familiarizing your team with new software. Either way, you must have a workspace dedicated to training.

For instance, the conference room or collaboration area can be useful for training. However, you should avoid making this space feel too cozy. When your team is relaxed, they might pay less attention to your training sessions.

Ensure you provide a less comfortable space by creating a huddle room—no sofas and chairs. A stand-up meeting can be more efficient for productivity and waste less time during sessions.

9. Keep the Office Clean

If your team’s desks fill up with clutter by the end of the workday, you may consider creating a better environment. 

Neatly stacked papers and organized office tools make an attractive and pleasant workspace. 

Try creating a comfortable environment by clearing away clutter, throwing out broken equipment, and mending flickering lights. When you invest in a cleaner office, you invest in the well-being of your team. 

Keeping office furniture and equipment sanitized is also necessary. Desks, chairs, tables, computers, copiers, and fax machines often have more bacteria than other surfaces in the office. In turn, these can spread germs and illnesses around, making it difficult for your business to operate efficiently.

Instead, you can schedule regular cleaning each week and use sanitizing wipes on the most-used surfaces. Daily essentials like keyboards, work desks, and drawer handles are employees’ most commonly used areas.

10. Craft an Open-Door Policy for Team Members

Office workers are likely to have higher job satisfaction when employers listen and make them feel appreciated. Conflicts can arise during the workday, so it’s important to maintain transparency. That’s why an open-door policy is crucial. 

Many employees can feel left out of the loop or like indentured laborers. Consider creating this policy and making it known. Announce to your team that you’re always available for comments, questions, and concerns. 

You can also consider taking the open-door policy literally by keeping your office door open. Most of your employees won’t feel so intimidated that way—and it encourages the opportunity for open, honest, and friendly communication.

11. Invest in Whiteboards

Whiteboards make it easier for team members to recall information and have everyone on the same page. That’s because people remember little details about what you say. However, they can retain more information visually when it’s written down. 

Whiteboards are excellent for productive team meetings. It enables employees to take notes, brainstorm ideas, and more. Whether you’re conducting a casual meetup or an entire workflow review of the company, whiteboards are an essential feature for communication enhancement. 

Make Your Small Business Successful With These Office Improvements

Change the office up a lot or little with these suggested improvements. Once you decide to incorporate these ideas, you could see better results within your company.

If you’re unsure of where to start, consider collecting feedback from your team. Then, make a checklist of all the improvements you’d like to create within your office. Remember, happier employees start with a healthier work environment.