Say Hello to the Modern Reception Area
Your office reception area is not only the first impression for your business, but it is also the first experience that most people have with your business.
Your guest walks in and they’re instantly greeted by the friendly face of your receptionist. They marvel at the beautiful and fresh interpretation of your company’s brand as the receptionist politely takes their name, invites them to take a (very comfortable) seat, and offers them a nice refreshment. They’re impressed, engaged and intrigued. They can’t wait to see the rest of your office.
You can’t put a price on it, but as the ancient proverb states, “First impressions are the most lasting.” In the grand scheme of things, that makes your reception area extremely important. So when thinking about how to upgrade your reception area consider these five focal points.
1. Start with People & Culture
Companies often overlook culture as an inspiration for office design. That’s a mistake. After all, what could be a better reminder for intangibles like company culture than the way the company’s physical space is put together. Once you’ve summarized it, you can find ways to express the company culture in the colors, furniture choices, wall art, and every other aspect of your reception area.
Now, as the boundaries between work, company culture and private life blur, the reception area is transforming into a ‘social condenser’ — a space that mediates between all three.
– Richard Kauntze
Chief Executive of the British Council for Offices
2. Blur the Lines
(Reception areas have become less transactional and more experiential. Receptionists are no longer gatekeepers and the reception area is no longer a holden pen for guests. Today, the receptionist is an ambassador and the reception area has become a place to relax, socialize.
For example, a company might have a particularly fancy conference room or a swanky employee break room within eyeshot of the reception area. Hospitality design firm TruexCullins compares this shift to the same shift that hotels have undergone whereby the restaurant and hotel lobby are more integrated. (source)
3. Make it Modern
Most companies work hard to be seen as modern—if not positively cutting edge. Smart visitor registration digital check-in services such as Envoy help to show off your company’s technological savvy while automating certain check-in tasks to speed up that process. They also allow your front desk person to focus on delivering coffee, tea, mineral water, and delightful visitor experience.
London investment firm Investec took the human experience even farther. Their reception area features an expensive-looking wood table with a vase of orange flowers at the entrance with receptionists turned greeters who were ready to guide visitors to where they needed to go. The security desk in the lobby handles the check-in process and alerts the visitee of the guest via a message that they get on their watch. (source)
GET STARTED
Whether you opt for a few small tweaks or a complete overhaul, Corovan’s workplace change experts can assist you with updating your reception area into a space that turns office visits into a memorable experience.
4. Have the Right Desk and Chairs
As your guest enters the front door, the reception desk is like a giant signpost saying, “You have arrived.” It should reflect the professionalism and prestige of your company. Find a modern, stylish reception desk that reflects the stature of your company and is an apt projection of the brand.
When deciding on seating, consider the average number of visitors at any given time and how comfortable you want to make them. Add a low coffee table or side tables for magazines, brand literature, and beverages. As a side note, green, eco-friendly furniture may even save you some green on your taxes.
You can also consider it as an opportunity to add a touchdown space where employees can get some work done.
5. Use it as a Co-Working Space
(The workforce continues to become more fluid. A 2017 study by Intuit found that thirty-four percent of American workers were contingent employees working as freelancers, part-timers, or temps. That number is projected to grow to Forty-three percent by the year 2020.
With a continual flow of new people in and out, many companies have shifted to offering employees many different places in the office to get their work done. They’re no longer tied to a cubicle or desk, but can work in any number of different spots around the office—including the reception area.
How to Move On From Your Open Plan Office
Your employees don’t love it. Here’s how to transition to a better, more productive office without breaking the bank.
An employee comes into their office and sits down at a workbench, just about shoulder-to-shoulder, with a coworker. After a cursory greeting, the two employees pop in some AirPods and start busily typing, using Slack or some other form of electronic communication.
Used in over 70% of companies, the open plan office has been painstakingly designed to encourage collaboration. Down with isolating, claustrophobic cubicles, up with easy communication and a looser, more dynamic feel.
The only problem: it didn’t really work. In fact, if you wanted to design an office that lowers productivity and sucks the life out of the employees, the open plan office would be ideal.
At least, that’s what the research is telling us.
When the Walls Came Down
A significant body of research has been amassed in the past few years that pokes some pretty big holes in the open office plan. Here’s what they found.
Less Communication
The original theory was that open offices would promote more communication between employees, more idea sharing, and more collaboration overall. But Harvard researchers found that when companies switched from cubicles to open offices, they saw an average of a 73% reduction in face-to-face communication and 67% more email.
Lower Productivity
Employees complain frequently about noise levels and depersonalization. That Harvard study mentioned above found 86 minutes of productivity lost—about 18%. There’s also some evidence to suggest that open office plans have a greater negative effect on women, who can feel they’re “on display” at all times. Talk about distracting!
More Absenteeism
One 2014 study found that, “...there was significant excess risk of employees taking sick leave in open plan offices.
More Turnover
Gallup’s massive 2017 report about the state of the American workplace reveals that 41% of workers would switch jobs to get access to a personal workspace.
Less Ownership
Here, at Corovan, we’ve seen a huge drop in the number of personal items included in employee moves. Not having a personal workspace means that employees just don’t feel connected to the office. When those 50 hours a week are spent in an environment that discourages human interaction, you can easily end up with disengaged, unproductive employees.
If less work, less collaboration, more absenteeism, and more employee turnover doesn’t drive a nail into the coffin of open offices, then perhaps nothing will. But many businesses have gotten the message that it’s time to move on. Loud and clear.
The only question is, “so now what do we do?"
What Comes After The Open Plan Office
Contrary to what you might think, transitioning away from an open plan office needn’t break the bank. And you don’t have to take a wrecking ball to your office. There are hybrid approaches that companies have taken to transition gradually. We’ll cover some of them here.
Phone Booths
These modern-day cubicles act as a temporary private office. A quiet space that employees can share. A number of studies have found that when someone feels that they are working in a private space, their job performance improves. The only downside is their sheer popularity. If you see employees monopolizing these booths for long periods of time, that may be an indication that their work requires a cubicle or a private office.
Office Dens
Similarly, more open booths—called “office dens”— are comfortable spaces that seat a few people (as opposed to phone booths that usually only accommodate one) to either hold quick meetings or get some quality deep work done in silence. Dens come in many formats, can be positioned just about anywhere, and are easy to move.
Zones
According to workplace efficiency experts at Leesman, there are 21 activities employees perform throughout the work day. So it makes sense to create spaces, or activity-based working zones, to cater to those activities. Someone who needs to focus might head to a sound-proof booth or den, while groups that need to engage in creative brainstorming will gather in spaces with couches and whiteboards. Identify the different activities and think about the kind of zone you would create to accommodate it. Some ideas include:
- Small meeting rooms
- Quiet rooms for one or two people
- Work spaces in the employee canteen
- Informal work areas or break out zones
Mix n’ Match
One company that has taken a hybrid approach was Ikea’s innovation lab. The architects designed a series of pods each design to fit a small group of desks belonging to one team. Each pod had a mix between an open desk cluster and a cubicle. Cube walls have acoustic panels designed to cut noise and boost visual privacy. Teams that need more quiet time can add more acoustic panels to create a “deep concentration cocoon” where they are more isolated and peaceful.
More Ways to Survive Open Plan Offices
Companies that acknowledge the issues with open offices and take steps to address them will see their employee engagement and retention improve. Here are a few ideas for how to do that:
- Dialogue: Initiate a conversation between employees and execs about what’s working and what needs to change about the office design, work from home policies, and technology solutions.
- Remote Work: Give your employees the tools they need to work from anywhere - and encourage it - and give them tools to block out distractions.
- Quiet Time: Allow your employees the quiet time and devices they need for focused work. They’ll appreciate this more than ping pong and free almonds.
- Balance: Encourage everyone to disconnect after work hours. Balance helps people focus while they’re there and makes them feel more relaxed.
The Bottom Line
Open office plans saved companies millions in their build-outs, but cost them much more in lost productivity, turnover, absenteeism, and morale. But because it’s infrastructure, turning it all around isn’t going to happen overnight. By taking a thoughtful, gradual approach to reconfiguring your workspace with some of these modular ideas, you can have a huge positive impact on your company’s output, employee morale and retention.
Green Conscious Commercial Movers
In honor of Earth Day, we wanted to take the opportunity to talk about something near and dear to our hearts: minimizing the ecological impact of commercial moves.
Commercial moves, like any major undertaking, have the potential to unload a huge quantity of pollution and environmental contamination in a very short amount of time. The exhaust from trucks, runoff from disturbed machinery, industrial byproducts, and more, can all take a huge toll.
Most businesses haven’t considered how to keep their commercial move green-conscious ahead of time but as California’s premier commercial moving company, we’ve been putting a great deal of effort into minimizing our own environmental impact and helping our clients to do the same.
Here are the green checklist on the best ways to prepare for your green-conscious commercial move:
1. Do Your Research
Before choosing to work with a particular moving company, take the time to research their practices, policies, techniques, and values. If they have systems in place to minimize their environmental impact, odds are they’ll be glad to tell you about them in advance.
Bonus tip: Ask specific questions, too!
What sort of fuel are their trucks using, for instance? Are they using greener options, like electric or hybrid engines, or burning biodiesel? How will they dispose of industrial runoff or other contaminants? Do they use biodegradable or sustainably sourced packing materials? Is your mover committed to reusing or recycling materials during and after the move?
Corovan can help you with your office moving and relocation needs. While we are not in the business of actual decommission, we are able to help you conduct your move in a way that will meet all appropriate requirements, regardless of what is to happen to your former premises. Learn More
2. Choose Eco-Friendly Moving Supplies
Corovan provides both cardboard boxes and plastic moving crates. Our plastic moving crates are eco-friendly and boxes are made with recycled materials and recycled after they have served their purpose.
3. Shredding
Corovan can provide shredding bins to securely destroy unwanted paper. Not only is this green-conscious it also protects sensitive documents from ending up in a garbage bin preventing theft and breach. All shredded paper is later recycled.
4. Low emission vehicles
Our energy- efficient trucks provide a 58% reduction in carbon monoxide emissions- top in the industry.
Green Conscious Moving
We’ve been in the commercial moving business a long time, and with so many trucks, heavy equipment, warehouses, and so on we’re proud to say that we’ve been finding clever ways to keep our operation green-friendly, and we are glad to put those practices to work for your next commercial move.
Happy Earth Day!
Office Moving and Relocation
It’s your office moving day, and the last thing on your mind is what your landlord intends to do with your unit after you leave. They may choose to decommission the building or lease it to a new tenant. Your landlord’s needs affect your move. Is your office moving and relocation company prepared or equipped to help you meet those needs for any potential situation?
Why is understanding your landlord’s intentions important?
Since a fixture is considered part of the real estate, a fixture will remain throughout the life of the office building until it is sold, decommissioned, or moved. You’ll want to be sure to take all your property, but should you forget to remove a personal item, it legally becomes part of the real estate after a period of time. In effect, it becomes your landlord’s property. If your current office moving and relocation company up for decommissioning, then likely any trade fixtures or business items that were left behind will be destroyed along with the rest of the building.
According to FEMA, what this means for your business moving needs depends on three specific definitions of terms as they relate to building decommissioning and corporate relocation:
Decommissioning involves the cessation of building or facility function, followed by the the controlled process of safely retiring the structure from service.
Structural Moving requires lifting a home or property from its foundation, placing it on a heavy duty flatbed trailer, hauling it to a new site, and installing it onto new foundations.
Office Moving, sometimes called office relocation, involves the moving of personal property from one office location to another.
Note: there is no decommissioning or structural relocation involved with Corovan’s business moving services.
Regardless of whether you're moving an entire structure, decommissioning your office building, or simply moving your operations to another facility, for the duration of the move you will need temporary office space and a place to store your office furniture, as well as other business assets.
Corovan can help you with your office moving and relocation needs. While we are not in the business of actual decommission, we are able to help you conduct your move in a way that will meet all appropriate requirements, regardless of what is to happen to your former premises. Learn More
Four Factors to Consider when starting an Office Moving and Relocation project
When you’re making preparations for an office moving relocation project, there are many factors to consider. With so many competing needs, interested parties, and assets at stake, it can be almost too easy to overlook something critical. That’s where Corovan comes in. We’ve developed the processes, the infrastructure, and the training, over more than seventy years in business, to ensure that even the most intricate business moves go off without a hitch.
Today, we wanted to pass on some of that wisdom, with a few jumping-off points. Are you getting ready to move your business, and trying to balance your own needs with your building manager’s requirements, all without sacrificing productivity? We’re here to help. These basic questions are a great way to organize your thinking to get your next corporate move prepared, planned, and implemented.
How many offices do you have?
Let’s start with something basic. How many offices do you need to move? What’s the total scale? It’s often better to very slightly overestimate, to be sure of success. Let’s presume that you’re moving from several floors of a building, maybe 13,000 square feet. That’s about 50 cubicles, offices, and workstations. Each office space comes with infrastructure, power connections and cables, and a veritable maze of network access that is difficult and time-consuming to disassemble.
As part of the Corovan audit process, we take stock of the precise layout, organization, and complexities of your various office spaces. We’re ready to bring even a single piece of equipment to just the right place, making a map of where it came from and where it’s going before the move starts, which keeps our efficiency up, and your costs down. The last thing you need is a lost router, delivered in a box to Unit 420 when your primary network is operating out of Unit 416.
How many employees do you have?
Each employee has his or her own needs, preferences, layouts, and network settings, and each of those variables is integral to a successful office move. It goes almost without saying the more employees you have, the more complex your move will be. And the higher the stakes. The more people who are moving, the more productivity could potentially be lost. It’s important to consult with experts who can help you optimize the moving process to reduce loss of productivity.
What does your inventory look like?
This is another often overlooked factor. Many people make the mistake of thinking that their square footage, or total volume, is the most important element of their office move. That simply isn’t the case. Your inventory can be charted by volume or charted by real value, or it might be charted by practical value. That blue ethernet cord might be carrying your whole operation.
Any question of inventory depends on practical usage, and that’s the kind of detail that our audit will explore and catch. After seven decades, we have an eye for the little details that many movers miss.
Still, when we take your full inventory, it’s our job to explore it from every possible angle. Sometimes that means tracing cables, and sometimes that means taking note of how someone’s desk happens to face a window, and what that boost does for his productivity.
Put simply, your inventory extends beyond the things you want to move. The layout and orientation and purpose of your assets make an important difference.
How much time pressure are you facing?
When is your deadline for moving your offices or production facility? Are weather conditions likely to be difficult? Are you moving your whole business at once, or are you planning to relocate your operations in stages? It’s important to choose a relocation expert that can take timing and conditions into consideration.
If you do need to stagger your move, you’ll also need to consider storage and temporary accommodations to ensure that you’re not missing critical working hours.
It’s important to have an understanding about how much time will be required by your move We take the time to understand the implications of your situation and you needs, and make sure to communicate with you so that there are no surprises.
The intricacies of an office move include how many offices or how much space is involved, the amount of employees involved, the kinds of inventory you have, and the time pressure and conditions under which the move is to take place. These are the problems our office moving experts solve every day.
Here’s a quick checklist to further refine your thinking:
Office Moving and Relocation Checklist
Take the burden off yourself when it's time to move and allow Corovan to coordinate the following items for you:
- Cubicle Dismantling
- Professional Office Cleanup
- Coordinate Multiple Vendors
- Broom Sweeping
- Trash removal
- Office Furniture Sales
- Removal of electrical wiring off the walls
- Furniture Liquidation
The Corovan Audit
One of the things that sets Corovan apart is our comprehensive audit. We work with move managers to ensure that every detail is considered so that an action-plan that puts your business’s productivity front and center.
Considering a Office Moving and Relocation project?
We can help! Our team at Corovan is happy to answer questions.
17 Inspirational Workplace Quotes
These workplace quotes will spark discussion, lift the mood, and remind employees of what they should focus on.
Whether you’re moving your business to a new location or thinking about a workplace reconfiguration, the question inevitably comes up: “How do we decorate the walls?” Well, science shows that inspirational quotes can genuinely help motivate workers.
We combed through songs, speeches, books and movies for the most inspirational workplace quotes. Splash them on your reception area walls or create beautiful word-mosaics throughout your workplace—they can even help express your company culture.
-
-
Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
– Oprah
Talkshow Host
-
You must do the things you think you cannot do.
– Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady of the United States
-
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
– Mark Twain
Author
-
A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.
– Serena Williams
Athlete
-
Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
– Henry Ford
Entrepreneur
-
Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.
– Mae Jemison
Astronaut
-
Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.
– Malala Yousafzi
Activist
-
-
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
– Vincent Lombardi
Football Coach
-
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
– Steve Jobs
Entrepreneur
-
No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.
– Robin Williams
Comedian/Actor
-
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
– Dale Carnegie
Writer
-
Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.
– Sara Blakely
Entrepreneur
-
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.
– Anatole France
Poet
-
People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.
– Norman Vincent Peale
Minister
-
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
– Albert Einstein
Theoretical Physicist
-
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
– Bill Gates
Entrepreneur
-
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Poet
Where to Place These Inspirational Workplace Quotes Around the Office
Where do your employees tend to congregate? Where are the spaces that offer them time and space for reflection, away from their desks? Here are some suggestions:
- On both sides of the front door
- On or near the front desk
- The water cooler
- The door leading into/out of the Kitchen
- Above the kitchen sink
- Wall above the printer
- The bathroom mirrors
- Conference rooms
After you’ve found the perfect spot for these quotes, surprise your employees with them, maybe after a three-day holiday or a big move day.
Editor's Note: This post, originally published on March 11, 2016, has been updated with new quotes and research.
Implications of Working with Unlicensed Moving Contractors
The Risks of Working with an Unlicensed Contractor
Working with unlicensed contractors invites significant legal risk, including:
- Legal and financial exposure for health and safety violations
- Legal and financial exposure for third party injuries AND
- Going to court uninsured
What is the Installer License Classification?
The D-34 license certifies an installer as a Prefabricated Equipment Contractor, under Title 16, Division 8, Article 3 of the California Code of Regulations.
A prefabricated products/equipment contractor performs installations of prefabricated products and equipment, including but not limited to the following:
- Theater stage equipment, school classroom equipment, playground equipment, bleacher bench/seat component parts (no installation or renovation of any supporting or structural member); store fixtures, and display cases (either prefabricated or modular form); all forms and types of toilet/shower room partitions/accessories; and prefabricated closet systems.
- Laboratory and medical equipment, dust collecting systems; factory built fireplaces and accessories (no masonry facing); major appliance installations and ventilating hoods in connection with existing fuel and energy lines which are installed by others.
- Bus stop shelters, prefabricated phone booths; prefabricated sound proof environmental clean rooms; panelized refrigerated walk-in boxes (not to include the work of refrigeration contractor); all types of modular office, institutional or home improvement systems including, but not limited to all types of pre-finished and/or UL listed pre-wired wall panels.
A certification from California Contractors State Licensing Board reflects the passing a rigorous licensing and bonding process.
How to check if your moving contractor is properly licensed
To check for D-34 certifications, you should query the California Contractor State Licensing Board by searching your contractors provided contractor license number. Installers, as a matter of law, must have a D-34 or B contractor’s license. It’s a misdemeanor to operate as a contractor in California without a license (B&P Sec 7028). Licensed contractors are insured and bonded, and agree to arbitrate their disputes, while unlicensed contractor are not.
What are the Risks for Hiring an Unlicensed Installer?
If you hire an unlicensed contractor, you are responsible for the unlicensed contractor’s crew’s safety on the jobsite (see CLC Sec. 2750.5). An injured worker can also sue you for CAL OSHA violations if injured while on a job, a third party impacted by an unlicensed contractor can bring an action against you, and, since there’s no guarantee of contractor insurance, you will likely be going to court uninsured.
Is Corovan Fully Licensed?
Corovan is one of California’s only fully-licensed and certified intrastate installers that also operates as a commercial mover. We’re proud of our certification, and of our health and safety record because it helps us protect our clients’ businesses.
Conclusion:
Corovan is one of California’s only fully-licensed and certified intrastate movers and installers. We’re proud of our certification, as well as of our health and safety record, because it helps us protect our clients’ businesses.
If you inadvertently use an unlicensed contractor you are taking on an unnecessary risk. You will be responsible for the unlicensed contractor’s crew’s safety on the jobsite (see CLC Sec. 2750.5). An injured worker can also sue you for CAL OSHA violations if injured while on a job, a third party impacted by an unlicensed contractor can bring an action against you, and, since there’s no guarantee of contractor insurance, you will likely be going to court uninsured. This is the last thing you and your business want! Corovan customers do not take on these unnecessary risks.
Office Furniture Design Trends 2019
Stay up to date with 2019 furniture trends that are attractive, functional — and compliant.
As you plan moves and office space this year, it is essential to keep track of both manufacturing trends and industry laws. Unfortunately, class-action lawsuits are on the rise due to a California employment law, informally called the “suitable seating law,” that requires employees to be provided with suitable seats when the "nature of the work reasonably permits the use of seats."
We worked with Corovan’s furniture specialists to pull together the top five office furniture trends that will keep businesses on the right side of the law and team members happy.
Read on to find out how you can stay up to date with 2019 furniture trends and help your customers remain compliant.
1. Relief from Constant Movement
Many professions require employees to be on their feet, including equipment operators, assembly-line workers, and nurses. Working in a standing position on a regular basis can cause sore feet, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, general muscular fatigue, low back pain, stiffness in the neck and shoulders, and other health problems (CCOHS). Seating options at work allow workers to rest and change positions as needed.
California’s “suitable seating” law, outlined above, requires some employers to provide some employees with suitable seating. This unusually vague law has led to many class-action lawsuits. Manufacturers such as our partners Mayline and SAFCO are solving this issue by providing ergonomic stools that allow rest and recovery between standing periods while providing dynamic support.
2. ‘Smart’ Office Furniture
From an increase in hot desking (seating assigned on an as needed basis) and bring your own device (BYOD) cultures to a heightened focus on employee wellness, the modern workplace is evolving rapidly. Humanscale has created a range of technology-integrated tools to address the changing needs of today's computer users and organizations such as the new docking stations that eliminate cable clutter while providing easy access to user ports.
3. Space Dividers
Space dividers are a modern alternative to cubicles that provide flexibility and convenience while creating private spaces on the fly. Space dividers are also a far more cost effective method of dividing an office than having full, permanent walls installed. Our partner, Loftwall, provides unique and visually stimulating designs to add both an aesthetic touch and function to your space.
4. Modern Conference Rooms
Well-designed and furnished conference rooms can make a great impression. Our partner, Enwork, created an equilibrium conference table that provides the perfect balance of form and function to turn any conference environment into an impressive design statement. To learn more about how
to impress your visitors with better conference room furniture and design, contact us.
5. Personal Storage
With more organizations using ‘free address’ benches for focus work, it can be hard for team members to find a place for their personal things. Concealed and multi-functional storage units create a sleek and minimal workspace that boasts easy to retrieve document holders or convenient places for the team to store personal belongings. One great example, created by our partner, Great Openings, is Bill.
Want to know more about how to keep your office beautiful, functional, and compliant?
4 Pitfalls of Moving During the Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but your stress level couldn’t be higher. Moving is always a challenge, and the added pressure of the holiday season is enough to make anyone wish for another cup of eggnog.
From planning considerations to building requirements and moving company shortages, it is important to know exactly how your business can prepare for a holiday season move, whether your move is extensive or more simple.
Corovan is always here to make moving easy for our clients, and we are excited to assist you this holiday season. Through numerous holiday moves, we want to share 4 tips and how to avoid moving headache.
Planning Considerations for the Holidays
Planning ahead is always necessary for any corporate move, but during this holiday season, planning a lot farther in advance is essential. In preparation for making your moving arrangements, it is best to compile a general list of all the things you will need to have moved, as well as by when you will need to have your move completed. With these considerations in mind, your company will be able to develop a realistic budget for the holiday move.
By understanding your company’s needs ahead of time, you can easily communicate expectations and constraints to your contracted moving company so that they can make arrangements to meet those expectations and make your moving experience as efficient and easy as possible.
Building Requirements
It is important to check on your building’s holiday hours, safety requirements, and moving instructions. Whether your company is moving into a new building or moving equipment into another building, it is important to also check the building’s holiday hours and policies. Usually, a building’s management will require you to turn in appropriate paperwork in order to begin the move into your new office space or require paperwork to authorize the moving crew to access your space for the move.
Aside from holiday hours and building moving requirements, it is also a good idea to relay the floorplan or any building accommodations to your moving crew so that they can prepare special equipment in advance to ensure a smooth moving process. Knowing all of this information ahead of time will allow you to complete the necessary steps before your move and create guidelines for your moving company to follow before, during, and after the move.
Shortage of Movers
Request your move services further in advance. Many companies are looking for move help in December and around the holidays. The offices are slower and many people are off anyway on vacation. That means your movers are busy. Get your orders in early to be sure to reserve your manpower.
A Hassle-Free Moving Process
During the hectic holiday season, leave the work to a qualified moving company. At Corovan, we have an excellent crew to execute and manage your move so that you are left with no surprises. Our experienced and well-trained management team will communicate with your company to determine its needs, goals, budgets, and options for the holiday move and make sure that even your highest expectations are met!
We have experience handling moves for companies of various sizes across different industries and have all the resources to handle your move seamlessly. When the move is complete, we will notify you and send you an invoice so that you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Corovan is here to help
At Corovan, we have been helping offices with corporate moves for 70 years. We pride ourselves on being the largest and best moving company in the western United States. We want to help your company move during the holiday season! Take the first step and schedule your corporate move with Corovan today. Learn More>>>
Read what our satisfied customers have to say about Corovan and see how we can help your company’s holiday move.
7 Step Corporate Mover Guide
Relocating can be one of the most challenging experiences within the life of your business. From losing valuable time in the process of packing your entire company into boxes and vans to transitioning quickly back into the day-to-day in your new space. That’s why it’s so important to partner with a qualified and professional corporate mover that has the resources and experience to ensure a seamless move.
Choosing a high-quality corporate mover will save you time, frustration, and unnecessary cost, all while making sure to protect your business’s most valuable assets. Check out and check off these 7 tips to determine how ready your business is for moving day.
1. Get Proof Of Insurance
You’ll be entrusting your most valuable business assets to a crew of movers, a fleet of trucks, a secure storage facility, and so on. You’re putting your livelihood in someone else’s hands. Before you entrust something so major, ask to review general liability insurance and umbrella insurance, so you can be sure that your assets and company are covered in case of accident or emergency.
2. Look For Financial Stability
When researching corporate movers, don’t hesitate to look into their pertinent financial information. If the company itself has a history of insolvency or other financial hardships, this may be an indicator that you’d be better off taking your business elsewhere. If the company isn’t handling their own assets with care, why would you expect them to handle yours any differently?
3. Request References
Ask your mover for at least three recent move references. Call those customers and ask direct questions about their experience. Ask about things like delays, hiccoughs, unforeseen expenses, and so on, as well as overall experience.
4. Verify Credentials
If a mover claims a certain competency, certification, training, practice, or other credentials, it’s fair to expect them to provide proof. You should never take a claim at face value, least of all before signing a contract.
5. Pay Attention To Customer Reviews
Read reviews to see what others are saying about the moving companies you investigate. If previous customers had good experiences, you can generally trust those reviews and testimonials as a barometer of the sort of service you can expect. When considering reviews, be sure that the previous customers are more or less in line with the scale and scope of your own move. A moving company that provides top-notch service to household clients or smaller commercial businesses may still be out of its league when working with larger commercial clients.
6. Tour the Facility
When deciding on a corporate mover, you and your prospective move partner should take a tour of the mover’s facilities. Watch to make sure they ask detailed questions about your move. Any good mover will make full use of a thorough facility tour, so look for signs of attention and comprehension. Specifically, look for the commitment of the mover to commercial moving based on their investment in new and modern equipment and technology used specifically for commercial moving.
7. Interview The People In Charge
Call each mover and interview the manager regarding commercial experience, knowledge, and capability. The manager should have a clear picture of how the moving crew and equipment operate, and shouldn’t hesitate to share that with you before closing a contract.
There you have it! We know how important it is to protect your company’s resources, which is why moving your company is not something to take up lightly. The best corporate movers mitigate risk and reduce downtime, taking special effort to ensure your staff’s regular tasks are disrupted as little as possible. With these seven tips in mind, you can be sure you’re putting your business in good hands.
A trusted corporate mover can make everything easier.
Corovan can help you execute any office move Get Started >>
Ergonomics: It’s Not Just About Chairs
Managers now know employees are more productive when they're happier and healthier. Thanks to basic ergonomic principles, your company can easily take steps to increase productivity and satisfaction.
Contrary to popular belief, ergonomics isn't just a fancy buzzword for expensive chairs and wrist rests—it's an applied science dealing with the design and arrangement of workplaces to increase both efficiency and safety.
Safety means more than hard hats in construction zones. Common injuries on the job like musculoskeletal disorders come from repetitive motion done in uncomfortable positions. Those musculoskeletal disorders include shoulder tendonitis, lower back strain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Employees with these kinds of injuries need three more days away from work than those with other injuries or illnesses.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2013 indicated one-third of days away from work are a result of musculoskeletal disorders acquired from work—and account for one out of every three dollars spent on workers’ comp.
The total cost to companies, the BLS said, was around $20 billion each year. The indirect costs, including resources spent hiring and training replacement workers, are five times that. (Source)
Maybe you think you can't afford to implement ergonomics in your workplace. The better way of thinking about this issue is: Can you afford not to? The results more than pay for themselves. That's in addition to the less-quantifiable satisfaction of knowing your employees aren't spending a third or more of their lives in discomfort.
Here are three easy ways you can go ergo.
1. Do Get Better Chairs
Yes, there's more to do, but workplace seating is actually a good place to start. One key to a good chair is adjustability. The same applies to desks, as well—something as simple as desk and chair height can have a huge impact on preventing musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome or lower back injuries.
You can also make access to standing desks easier. “Desk hacks" like this Ikea one dreamed up by Customer.io CEO Colin Nederkoorn are common, but if you want the Real McCoy, Corovan also has you covered.
2. Pay Attention to Ambiance
Now that you've solved the seating problem, turn your attention to what your office feels like. Is it dim and cold? Warmly lit? Do you have an open floor plan with workbenches, or cubes? Are your common spaces inviting, or empty? Ambiance is not just for restaurants.
Temperature is more important than you think. Research from Finland and Cornell University indicates an optimal temperature range between 71.6 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Color is another factor. What color to base an office-wide scheme on depends on what your employees' energy levels need to be, but everyone in the field seems to agree: Avoid beige and grey at all costs.
3. Prioritize Employee Health
Ergonomics in the workplace is not just about comfort—it's about employee health. Physically, that means reducing the stress on the body from repetitive motions and hours of maintaining the same position. Encouraging your employees to take even just a two-minute walk every half-hour can help combat the deleterious effects of sitting, which researchers have now found is associated with decreased blood flow to the brain.
For mental health, encourage employees to take breaks and use their vacation days. The average American worker takes only slightly more than half their yearly vacation time, and even when they do, they end up working on their vacation anyway. A policy wherein vacation time is strictly blocked off as non-work time, with no negative repercussions on the employee's career, can go a long way to reducing burnout and increasing retention.
Case Study: A Simple Fix at Segment
A good case study for simple ergonomic fixes with big impact is the remarkable story of San Francisco-based Segment, a data software company. Segment was having a noise problem: many of its employees said they were having problems focusing on their work because of ambient chatting noise. Once the company gathered data on which areas of the office were noisier than others, they moved teams whose tasks required more quiet away from teams that required more vocal collaboration.
This simple move increased focus time a massive 45% to 60%! "In a purely numerical sense, you could equate that to hiring 10–15 people," CEO and co-founder Peter Reinhardt wrote in a blog post about the experiment.
More Sources
-
- Study: Being happy at work really makes you more productive | Fortune
- How the Color of Your Office Impacts Productivity (Infographic)
| Entrepreneur - Why Sitting May Be Bad for Your Brain | New York Times
- GLASSDOOR SURVEY FINDS AMERICANS FORFEIT HALF OF THEIR EARNED VACATION/PAID TIME OFF | Glassdoor
How to Reduce Noise in the Workplace
Over the past twenty years or so, we’ve seen a clear and consistent shift towards open plan offices. While they certainly have their benefits, fostering employee communication and saving costs on space, one of the most consistent complaints about open offices is the noise. Now, there’s a meaningful difference between “sound” and “noise”. “Sound” isn’t necessarily unwelcome while “noise” is consistently described as unwanted, jarring, or uninvited. This gives us the interesting task of reducing noise in the workplace to improve sound. Indeed, David Craig, Senior Vice President of CannonDesign, New York, has recently written that “the average employee does want fewer distractions, [but they also want] more frequent interactions within their teams; they want more energy and buzz.”
Ways to Reduce Noise in the Workplace
To reduce noise in the workplace, thereby increasing employee happiness and employee productivity, there are three types of workplace changes you can make: you can block sound transfer with a physical barrier, you can absorb ambient noise, or you can mask that noise. You may have seen some of these tips before, but seeing them categorized may well give you a fresh perspective, and inspire some ideas of your own.
Blocking Noise in the Workplace
It’s tempting to use this option like a cudgel, separating people with physical barriers to prevent noise transfer, but doing so would also undercut the benefits of an open office plan. Removing impenetrable barriers contributes to employee productivity too, so use this option dexterously. Partitions and high-backed furniture, about four and a half feet high, can help you reduce noise in the workplace. When seated, employees are shielded from much of the ambient noise bouncing around the room, but, by standing up over the barricades, they can collaborate just as effectively.
While you’re at it, don’t discount layout. Grouping discrete clusters of desks together will encourage tight-knit teamwork while blocking noise from other clusters. Cordoning off the photocopier, fax machine, and so on into a separate room can keep the noise out of the workspace. You might consider taking this a step further and creating dedicated quiet areas or quiet hours during the workday. An empty conference room is a handy refuge, but a sound proof, glass-walled oasis is a godsend for employee happiness.
Absorbing Noise in the Workplace
This one tends to be a nice middle-of-the-road approach. If you’re willing to undertake a major renovation, soundproofing can be a dependable long-term solution to your noisy workplace problem. Adding sound-absorbing elements to your ceilings alone will make a considerable difference, but don’t discount your walls as well. Textured, sound-absorbing installations on your walls can carry an aesthetic bonus, and the intricacies of their designs can focus minds and contribute to employee productivity, even with a rigidly open plan.
A rubber underlay beneath vinyl flooring can be almost as effective as carpet at absorbing sound, without the excessive cleaning costs. If you’re redoing your floors, look for something with a high IIC (impact insulation class) rating; it’s a measure of how effective something is at attenuating impact sounds (like footsteps).
If full-scale renovations, or large-scale workplace changes aren’t appropriate for your circumstances, you still have a few good options. The best of the best, and this is true whatever your approach to office structure, is plants. According to article, “8 Ways to Reduce Noise in the Workplace,” FormaSpace suggests various office plant types such as the Peace Lilly, Madagascan Dragon trees, Ficus trees, and Kentia Palm to help prevent noise within open spaces. Plants purify the air, they have a clear and measureable impact on employee happiness, and they inhibit reverberations.
Masking Noise in the Workplace
While often discounted, this can be your best weapon in the war against noise: make more noise. It’s counterintuitive, but there’s a good reason for it. Your brain is perfectly good at ignoring noise that doesn’t carry semantic or interpretive value. Though a thing might be loud it needn’t be understood. Have you ever been completely unable to ignore someone on a cellphone, even though you’ve had no trouble putting aside the conversations of the people around you? Yes, you can reduce noise in the workplace by making more noise!
When you ignore the conversations around you, your brain is listening to a dialogue and filing it away as irrelevant. It can’t do that with a phone call, because it keeps hearing a series of disjointed phrases (since you can’t hear both halves) and treating each phrase as though it were a new conversation, at every single interchange. It can be monumentally distracting, but helping those disconnected conversations and sounds to blend into the background is easier than you might think.
Noise cancellation technologies work along two basic principles: either they overrule noise with a desirable, repetitive, predictable sound (like rainfall or ocean waves, colloquially referred to as “white noise”), or they directly counter a sound by playing its perfect opposite, equalizing the ambient sound to zero. These are variously classified as passive and active noise cancellation.
If white noise machines are overkill for your open plan office, noise-cancellation headphones are a wonderful option. Unlike other workplace changes, these need to be highly individualized, so have each employee research his or her perfect solution. Keep in mind that poorly sized headphones can cause earaches, headaches, fevers, and, in extreme cases, lockjaw. Help your employees find the best noise-cancelling headsets to stay focused and reduce noise in the workplace.
Corovan can help!
From office furniture options to workplace reconfiguration, we are here to help you reduce noise in the workplace. From our huge selection of office furniture options, we’re sure you’ll find dividers, cubicles, and more, if you’re restyling your office for improved and directed sound flow. For bigger renovations, Corovan’s project management and business moving services can help you every step of the way. When making any major workplace changes, Corovan will be there to make sure the job is done to your satisfaction.
Learn more about our Workplace Support services >>
Check out more office furniture options for your workplace >>
Conference Rooms, Productivity & Culture
Impress Your Guests with Better Conference Room Furniture and Design
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. When you meet with clients on your turf, the design, conference room furniture type and even the name of your conference rooms can make a positive impression for you. Your conference room is the centerpiece of your office. You not only meet with clients there, but you also hold meetings with everyone in the office. It’s a space for ideas, new plans and great working relationships. With all that in mind, it needs to communicate the right message. Here are some ideas to consider.
Express your culture
Your conference room walls are the perfect place to help visitors, and your staff, understand the values and culture of your company. Logos from clients you’ve worked with before, pictures of your products or photos illustrating your services will set the tone. In addition to what you have displayed in your reception area, you can also use vision and values posters in the conference room to inspire your team members and illustrate what is important to your organization.
Give your conference rooms creative names
Rather than A, B and C, you can pick names for your conference rooms that reflect your culture. For example, SEOMoz is a San Francisco-based company that makes search engine software for companies. One of their company values is to be fun, and in that spirit their conference rooms are named the Batcave, Hall of Justice, Death Star and other geeky references their target audience would get. Another example is a creative agency in San Diego. They named their conference rooms after nearby beach towns – La Jolla, Del Mar and Carlsbad. Animal names, movie names, names of industry leaders and inspiring words are also common choices. So get creative!
Keep everyone comfortable
Meetings can run long, so you want to be sure that your attendees – whether they are your employees or customers – stay as comfortable as possible. Here are some basic guidelines:
-
Joplin Chair from Woodstock
Buying a comfortable conference room chair—like our popular Joplin chair from Woodstock—is a first step, but you also have to be sure that the chairs fit nicely around your table. These chairs are a great fit for small conference rooms, or your common workspace.
Although the average width of an office chair is 24 to 30 inches, that’s not enough space to be comfortable. In order to give everyone some elbow room, make sure that each chair has 36 to 42 inches of space along the length of your conference table. If you do a lot of planning and workshops in your conference room, make sure it’s at the upper end of that range to accommodate papers, laptops and tablets.
-
Pick the right table shape
Your conference room table shape can inspire creativity and collaboration—and also say a lot of about your company. For example, a classic rectangle communicates that you value traditional hierarchy. There’s a clear “head of the table” where the focus goes. A U-shape conference room table allows different people to take control of the meeting and present from the inside of the U. It can also make the room feel more productive and collaborative. A round table can make things equal, but can also be difficult to talk across and to designate a specific speaker.
More Conference Room Furniture >>
Looking for more ways to transform your office space for clients and employees?
A trusted workplace change partner makes everything easier. Corovan can help you make the right impression through office furniture consultation, installation, and reconfiguration. Learn more >>