10 Design Basics For Small Business Owners While small business owners may focus on product pricing and finding great workers, an oft-overlooked aspect of business planning is smart design.

	While small business owners may focus on product pricing and finding great workers, an oft-overlooked aspect of business planning is smart design.  An attractive and eco-friendly office is possible without blowing your startup budget.  Locating Designers Skilled In Smart DesignInterior designers may not be at the top of your contact list, but they can make the difference between an eyesore and a stylish office.  Your search for experts on smart office design should begin with DesignFinder™ (http://www.designfinder.com).  DesignFinder™ is the ultimate resource for residential and commercial customers who are looking for designers affiliated with the American Society of Interior Designers©.   Dental offices, testing laboratories, and other specialized businesses need to look for experts on their particular niches.  Henry Schein® Dental (http://www.henryschein.com), for example, offers smart design services for dentists who want to use natural lighting, comfortable chairs, and unique storage spaces.  Designing Work Spaces A small business owner may lose a qualified applicant, a customer, or an investor if his workspace is not designed properly.  The sea of gray cubicles used in telemarketing, insurance sales, and other service jobs may be inexpensive, but it does not inspire confidence in employees.  Business owners can consult with their interior designers to determine clever ways to separate offices without putting up cubicles.  To avoid the disheartening look of a cubicle, your business can adopt an open workspace concept on each floor.  Receptionists, mail clerks, and other customers dealing frequently with the public should have a low countertop to allow the best service possible.  Instead of locating office space with conference rooms, you can leave open spaces in each corner to allow impromptu meetings without the obstruction of a wooden door.  Leasing Smart Work Spaces Most small businesses cannot afford to build their own offices, relying on leased office spaces in their early days.  While property managers may not allow massive overhaul of leased offices, you can ensure a smart office design by bringing a wish list of features in your perfect office.  The item at the top of your wishlist should be IT and electrical infrastructure.  Your leased office space should have an abundance of outlets and wall jacks as well as a Wi-Fi friendly location.  You should also look for leased spaces with plenty of large windows to allow natural light to reach interior desks.  The final item in your top three smart design features should be large, open rooms that allow for various furniture arrangements.  Create A Comfortable Waiting Room Your office waiting room is the first impression you make on visitors to your business.  Smart designers focus on simple but comfortable waiting room furniture, balancing between thrift and excessive opulence.  You should look to waiting room experts like Everything Office Furniture® (http://www.everythingofficefurniture.com), as you implement smart design techniques.  Everything Office Furniture® offers modern, classic, and unique chairs and tables that can be matched to your company’s colors.  You should arrange these chairs and tables to allow easy access for visitors walking up to the reception area.  Before you open your doors for new business, try a run-through with your employees to get feedback about waiting room design.  Ensure Worker Comfort With Smart Design If your employees have a difficult time staying at their desks all day, you can lose money through decreased production and lead generation.  Your focus on smart design should shift from office spaces to individual workers as you get your office ready for a grand opening.  Ecowork© (http://www.ecowork.com) is a Washington-based furniture design company that creates ergonomic chairs, desks, and furniture without using harmful chemicals.  You can customize desks, conference tables, and chairs with matching finishes to create a visually appealing yet comfortable office.  Another element of smart design for individual workers is ergonomics.  From keyboards to shelving, your employees will benefit from a focus on comfort rather than cost when it comes to office furniture.  Ergopro.com© (http://www.ergopro.com) is an online retailer that sells all manner of ergonomic devices to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic back pain.  You can select from foam arm pads, flexible keyboards, and laptop desks as you look for products to complete your office. Add Ambience To Your Office You must think about the lighting and wall hangings in your office to set the right mood for clients and employees.  Your human resources staff may encourage employees to walk away from their computers to avoid eyestrain, but the guilty party is fluorescent lighting.   The flickering of dim flourescent lights is a health issue for employees as well as a sign to prospective clients that you care little for small details.  Smart office designers will switch to LED and compact flourescents if they want to save money while creating the right atmosphere.  C. Crane Company© (http://www.ccrane.com) sells LED bulbs that produce bright bursts of white light that use only a portion of the energy of a standard fluorescent bulb.  Noli Control Systems© (http://www.nolico.com/saveenergy) offers compact fluorescent bulbs that look just like standard fluorescents, but are more energy efficient.  Lighting Controls and Design© (http://www.lightingcontrols.com/index.asp) offers a digital light sensor that is connected to every light in your office.  This sensor picks up the slightest movement within its range to keep the lights on when employees are hard at work.  Once everyone leaves the office, the sensor will automatically shut down office lighting to save money.  Once you have settled on a lighting scheme, you need to give your customers something to view while they wait for service.  BestArt.com™ (http://www.bestart.com) carries a full line of prints from van Gogh, Georgia O’Keefe, and other famed artists that will show your company’s level of sophistication.  Another way to decorate your office is to reach out to art schools and universities in your area.  You can sponsor an office art contest each year, offering the winning student a small cash prize in exchange for unique art.  Saving Money Through Smart Design While the suggestions noted here cover bigger issues in the office, you can find small ways to implement smart design in your office.  Each common printer in your office should include a box for misprinted or unnecessary documents to be recycled in the future.  You can use multiple break areas throughout your office rather than a common room to decrease the amount of time a worker spends away from his office.  A small business owner who adopts these minor design changes can save money over a matter of months and years.