Is your business making a good first impression?

In the dim and distant past, I had a job where I managed the admin teams for a number of NHS services. The largest service I was responsible for was the admin team of a unit with a number of (usually quite jolly) inpatients who were looked after by a fairly large number of staff and carers. It was busy, the patients had lots of visitors and when I arrived on my first day, it was clear that our reception area needed some care and attention and wasn’t making the right first impression.

Being the NHS, the budget I had was quite tight; but I was determined to do my best to find some reception furniture for the unit which ticked all the practical boxes and a few aesthetic ones too. Not to mention furniture which wouldn’t blow my budget. We eventually managed to find reception furniture which fit the bill and as far as I know it’s still going strong ten years later.

Creating the first impression when you walk into a building or business for the first time is so important. My husband has his own business and he often asks me for my opinion on sprucing things up. His budget is also woefully small, so again I’m shopping for office reception furniture on a shoestring. The problem is having a shoestring budget often shows when you’re trying to make a good first impression.

Furniture At Work who have created a video that looks at how quickly we make a first impression, whether that’s of people or places. It makes for pretty interesting viewing, especially if you’re thinking of making more of your office reception area.

If you’re looking at giving your reception area a refurb, having a tidy, decluttered space is an excellent start. A lick of paint and a clean (shampooed or new) carpet or polished flooring helps. Help your reception staff keep things tidy by giving them sufficient storage and space to work. You don’t need to blow your budget on expensive furniture; but if you buy cheaply it usually shows quite quickly, especially in a high-traffic area like a reception.

Creating a positive first impression for your business is vital. You don’t have to blow your budget, but blowing some of the budget can help you make the right impression.

This is a collaborative post.