1. Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your
Business’s Work Environment

2. People spend a great deal of time at their places of
business, so it’s important that they are spending
that time in a pleasant work environment. It
shouldn’t be news to you to hear that when
employees enjoy the atmosphere of the workplace
that they are more likely to care about their jobs
and put forth 100 percent effort. If you think that
your business could use some improvements, but
you can’t afford to spend too much money, there
are still plenty of things you can do around the
office to create a more positive work environment.

3. Beautify Your Office Space
Something as simple as improving your office’s appearance
can have a drastic impact on your employees’ spirit and
motivation. If your office walls resemble those of a drab
prison cell, then that’s exactly how your employees will
envision them. Having the walls painted with bright colors
would be the best solution, but if you can’t afford to do that,
there are other options, like hanging photos. Similarly, if the
majority of your team is confined to small cubicle spaces,
those walls could dampen the mood as well. You could
encourage your employees to brighten up the office by
decorating their cubicles. This will also give employees an
outlet for self expression as well as help your team members
get to know each other better.

4. A Place to Escape
If your business is currently lacking a break room, then
that is something your employees are surely missing. If
employees are unable to leave the premises during their
break time or lunch hour, then they need a place they can
go to escape work from time to time. A break room can
provide a place to eat lunch, so employees aren’t forced
to eat at their desks. It can also provide a place for
socializing or just a place to go to when frustration
strikes. If your office doesn’t have a room designed for
this purpose, you could easily transform an unused office
into a break room or even rearrange some cubicle
structures to create a lounge area.

5. Bits and Baubles
There is a multitude of little things you can do around the workplace that can make a
world of difference to your employees. An easy way to discover what these things
might be is to walk around the office and take note of little details that are missing
that you would enjoy. Some examples could be:
• A couple magazine subscriptions in the break room
• A coffee pot for everyone to use
• Mints at the reception desk
• Plants
• Wall decorations
You could also consider some one-time purchases that could really make everyone’s
lives easier, such as:
• A paper shredder
• A fax machine
• An extra phone for the break room
• A headset for your administrative assistant
• An updated copy machine
• A water cooler for the hallway

6. Improving Morale
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, focusing directly on morale is a great
plan of attack for creating a positive atmosphere. If you need some help
coming up with ideas for improving morale, don’t hesitate to ask your
administrative assistant or employees for their input. Usually, it’s the little
things that count. For example, do you acknowledge your employees’
birthdays? Do you publicly recognize your employees’ anniversaries with the
company? Doing this doesn’t have to cost much money—simply having
everyone sign a card or gather for five minutes in a conference room to
applaud and cheer can mean a lot to someone.
Try to come up with some other activities that encourage your team to
socialize with each other and allow them to take a brief break from the
stresses of work. Some activities you could try include:
• Potluck lunches
• Seasonal parties
• Contests with prizes
• An employee of the month program
• Social outings on weekends
• And more