Keeping Your Home Office Looking Good - Chicago Corporate Finance

Many home businesses cannot afford a cleaning service to keep their offices looking good. Nonetheless, public reception areas make a powerful first impression upon potential customers. You cannot afford to let these areas look sloppy or dirty. Your customers enjoy visiting a clean and safe environment, and a well-organized workplace is more productive. Perhaps equally important is that your home office be decorated in an attractive, professional manner. Most cities and towns have at least one commercial decorating service available.The Smell of SuccessThere are many stories of home-based companies that have lost business due to an untidy or poorly decorated appearance. Take, for example, J.S. Dean and Co., a thriving private investigation service in Atlanta. In 2012, the owners started noticing that potential clients who visited the home-based office frequently chose not to pursue an engagement. It turned out that the reception area suffered from an unpleasant odor caused by lax cleaning and disinfection. The owners had become used to the odor, and were only made aware of the problem when a visitor complained. Mortified, the owners immediately hired a commercial cleaning service, and within weeks business began to pick up again. They then brought in an interior decorator to completely revamp the look of the home office. Customers started complimenting the owners for their excellent taste in design.Your Checklist for SuccessWhether you hire an office cleaning service or do the work yourself, you should be aware of the tasks to be performed on a daily or weekly basis. Here is a checklist that will help you organize the work to be done to keep your home office shipshape:o Clean out and periodically wash waste receptacles, replacing liners daily.o Vacuum all floors, mats and carpets. Disinfect hard floors.o Dust and damp wipe all horizontal surfaces, using a disinfectant where appropriate.o Check for and remove cobwebs.o Clean walls, door frames, light switches, glass surfaces and metal doors and cabinets.o Ensure all areas are arranged neatly, removing all garbage, papers, bottles and other effluvia.o Stock hand towels, toilet paper, hand soap and facial tissues in your bathrooms and kitchen areas.o Clean and polish mirrors.o Clean off towel and soap dispensers, sinks and faucets, and hand-dryers.o Sanitize all basins and neighboring partitions. Remember to remove splash marks.o Mop wet-area floors with disinfectant. Apply disinfectant when cleaning toilets and urinals.o On a weekly basis, spray buff all hard floors and squeegee windows, inside and out. Also, vacuum vents and chairs.Of course, the tasks required for your home office will vary with circumstances. In any event, always make sure you are dealing with a reputable cleaning company, so that you know you are getting all the service you expect. The same is true for a decorating service - pick one with an excellent record of accomplishment.Business OfficesThe same general recommendations apply to small service-oriented businesses that rent commercial office space. In some cases, cleaning services will be supplied in the lease, and in other situations, it might fall upon you to be responsible for these chores. But remember, you have the ultimate responsibility, and the difference between a well-maintained office and a sloppy one could affect your bottom line.