This Article was written by Ethel Lair website: https://legacybasedliving.com
With the advent of remote working, it’s more important than ever to have a functional home office and, if you’re an entrepreneur, you may find the space doubles up as a meeting room. This conversion can be a great cost-saving strategy but, given the recent pandemic, you’ll need to take extra steps to ensure your guests are both comfortable and safe - here’s what to consider.
Safety
The number one priority when hosting guests during or in the aftermath of the pandemic should always be safety. There’s no faster way to hurt your business than by spreading a potentially deadly virus to your customers/clients. To avoid this disastrous scenario, you’ll need to take measures - consider the following:
● Open windows
● A masks-on policy
● UV for your HVAC system
● Antibacterial hand wash on entry and exit
● Contactless payment methods
● Regular surface cleaning
● Daily tests
These might seem like overly-cautious tactics but, remember, you don’t know the medical background of your visitors or their vulnerability to the virus and it’s better to be overly safe than apathetic. Ultimately, it speaks to your concern for your visitors and contingencies are there to help protect your business as well as everyone’s health.
Comfort
Home-hosted meetings are quite a novel concept and they can take some getting used to, especially if you’re sharing the property with others. That’s why it’s important to make a few adjustments to help your guests feel as comfortable as possible.
The first action to take is to try to divide your living quarters from your working area. You can do this by addressing any audio or visual distractions. If you’re living with others, for example, you don’t want the sounds of kids, running water, clattering plates, or TV screens to affect your professional environment. You can help avoid this by soundproofing the meeting room itself with a few rugs, carpets, paintings, mirrors, or even with renovations - remember, a renovated home office space could increase your home’s appraisal value and so any changes might be good ROI. Just make sure you take before and after pictures and keep track of improvements so you can quantify your home’s increase in value.
It’s also important to consider the physical comfort of your guests. Take the time to pick out some soft, sturdy couches or adjustable chairs. This is also for your own benefit, as you’re likely to spend a lot of time sitting in one place throughout the day.
Appearances
Without a conventional meeting room and with so much business conducted over Zoom, the appearance of your home office matters now more than ever. Luckily, improving its appearance can be easy and affordable. If you haven’t already, try adding a few plants to help add colour and improve the air quality - you can’t go wrong with pothos and philodendrons or you could try and add some exoticism with lucky bamboo.
Mirrors are another excellent idea if you have limited space, just make sure to position these away from the actual meeting area - the last thing you want is for your guest to feel self-conscious as you’re discussing. Bookcases have proven popular and help to give the room a sense of intellect and thoughtfulness. If your library is a bit thin, it’s possible to buy books in bulk online.
As we proceed into a new era of working, it’s important to take caution - your home-based office is now a base of operations and the measures you take to make guests feel comfortable and safe may well reflect in your bottom line.
From implementing new business strategies to ultra-efficient work processes, Acorn HR Services is ready to tackle any challenge and put you on the path to success. Learn more, at: www.acornhrservices.com
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