I know that Spring has been and gone, but if you are sat reading this whilst buried deep within an avalanche of paperwork, then perhaps now is the time for a belated ‘Spring Clean’ to spruce up your office.

We all know the old adage ‘Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind’, but there is evidence to suggest that this isn’t just a rumour started by Cleaning Product Companies when sales are running low.  There really are a number of benefits to a good old workplace spruce up! Firstly – and let’s get the not so palatable reasons out of the way early – your computer keyboard and desk telephone can harbour all kinds of nasties.  A recent article from the BBC website cited research carried out by Consumer group Which? who claimed that out of 33 keyboards that were tested at their London Offices, 4 were classed as a ‘potential health hazard’ and one was incubating 5 times more germs than one of the office toilet seats… lovely stuff!  Thankfully, a regular swipe over your keyboard, mouse and telephone with an anti-bacterial wipe can help to reduce the risk of your own electrical equipment becoming a breeding ground for not-so-pleasant things, so it is possibly a good place to start with your office spruce up!

Further benefits of a tidy workspace are noted on the American Psychological Association’s website.  They quote an investigation by Dr Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota, who found that working in a tidy room can encourage people to do socially responsible things like eat more healthily – always a positive thing! So if you are experiencing a sugar come down after a morning of too many biscuits, and really want to substitute your tasty processed snacks for something a little more natural, perhaps an office clearing session is just the inspiration you need!

Once your workplace has been de-cluttered and unwanted germs sent packing, why not add a touch of greenery to your office space?  Having plants in the workplace has been found to improve general feelings of well-being for staff and can even help to improve productivity.  Recent research also suggests that certain species of plants can work to improve air quality in your home or office, and reduce the effects of toxins that are present in cleaning products, printing inks, synthetic fabrics, etc.  The Daily Mail recently produced a great infographic showing the pollutant-reducing abilities of certain plants: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3081747/Prescribe-HOUSEPLANT-Infographic-reveals-shrubs-reduce-levels-pollutants-homes-offices-near-roads.html According to their article, Peace Lilies are one of the best plants to invest in for the home or office, as they work to reduce the harmful effects of 5 major toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis.  Thankfully, they are also affordable and easy to look after and look quite pretty too – I’ll definitely be investing in one for my desk!

So if you have a spare half an hour this week, why not take some time out to have a quick office tidy-up?  The psychological and physical benefits really could help to ensure that you have a happier and healthier summer!

P.S. Also, if you are visiting the Which? Offices in London at any point, you may want to take some hand sanitiser with you (or a full bio-hazard suit…).

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest – not a day goes by without hearing one or all of these Social Media sites mentioned on the news or in the papers, or by colleagues, friends or family.  Are you one of the 1.44 billion people worldwide that logged on to Facebook in the month of March (source: newsroom.fb.com)? Even if you aren’t, it’s difficult to dismiss the impact that Social Media has on our daily life, and how it has changed how we communicate not just with people we know socially, but also Businesses – both small local companies and multi-national Corporations.

If you are a Social Media sceptic with no presence on sites like Facebook and Twitter, I strongly advise you to reconsider.  Cooper Smith (@CooperASmith), a Retail and Commerce Analyst writing for Business Insider UK states that ‘Social-driven retail sales and referral traffic are rising at a faster pace than all other online channels’ (http://uk.businessinsider.com/social-commerce-2015-report-2015-6).  With millions of British people – including many of your potential customers – logging on to Social Media sites every day, you really are missing out on your target demographic of potential customers if you aren’t reaching out to them with a Social Media Marketing Strategy. 

There are a number of benefits to having Business Social Media Pages.  Firstly, it gives your customers another convenient line of contact if they have any questions or comments about your products or services.  People who work full-time may find it difficult to contact you with enquiries during your standard opening hours, but Social Media accounts give customers the power to contact you easily during a tea or lunch break when they are ‘checking in’ with their own accounts.

Another benefit can clearly be seen when you are trying to connect with new customers, as the Search function on Social Media Sites can really help you to carefully target your ideal customer demographic.  If you want to reach out to Local Businesses, search for local business groups and request to join or follow them.  If you are searching for a very specific demographic (i.e. a specific gender, age, income or employment status), the paid-for advertising feature available on many Social Media sites may be of more use to you, as Social Media sites tend to hold more personal information on individuals than other sites offering Paid-for advertising.  But once you’ve connected, don’t rest on your laurels! The key to a successful Social Media Marketing Campaign is to engage with your new professional contacts. You need to remain ‘top of mind’ in order for them to choose your Business over a competitor, and for that, you need to post regular and interesting content on your Social Media accounts – a good mixture of relevant articles from other sources, posts designed to ‘humanise’ your brand (i.e. pictures of what you are doing today, staff birthdays, etc.), and posts about Special Offers or upcoming events works very well to keep your audience interested in your Business newsfeed.

Having a number of active Business Social Media accounts can also help your Business to rank more highly with the Search Engine Results Pages (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.).  This is because links from Social Media accounts with ‘good’, trusted reputations can add value to the website that your Social Media pages link through to.  The higher your ‘Social Reputation’, the more highly you are regarded by the Search Engine Results Pages, and over time, through an active and engaging Social Media Marketing Strategy, it is likely that you will see your position in the Search Results climb.

I understand that not everyone has the time to put into running and maintaining an engaging Social Media Marketing Strategy for their Business, but don’t let that stop you.  CCProfessional Secretarial Services offer assistance with Social Media content and scheduling, as well as Blogging and Copy Editing, so that you too can benefit from increased sales and referrals without having to take time out of your already busy working day.  If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to call us on 07931 783395.