Source: https://pixabay.com/en/start-start-up-new-year-s-day-1765839/
When we think of start-ups that deliver business services, it’s easy to think that this would always entail delivering products to drive productivity and, ultimately, profit.
Which, of course, all businesses looking to grow and prosper are always on the look out for. However, beyond the practical and corporate services that businesses require for their efficient running, there’s also the more human side of things. Those products and services that, well, that make turning up for work in the morning that little bit more pleasant.
Creating a work place that’s positive, welcoming and pleasant for the employees, management and visitors alike is an important factor in the long-term success of businesses of all sizes. It’s the cornerstone of employer branding. The idea that by creating a positive, engaging and social workforce, you are improving your chances of higher productivity, lower staff turnover and greater chances of attracting the more talented candidates in the market.
This creates opportunities for business start-ups that offer products and services that we might consider geared more towards the indulging of personal pleasures, luxury items or treats; as opposed to purely business-centric.
Food & Drink
There’s that somewhat clichéd image of employee chat taking place around the water cooler; in other words, the idea that employees grab a moment to talk about the previous night’s match or episode of Westworld, while grabbing themselves a quick drink.
Well, the modern office environment has moved on a bit from that. As businesses strive to make their work place more amenable and relaxed, so there’s a tendency to invest in small luxuries that the employees can indulge in as they work.
With food and drink featuring pretty high on that list.
For instance, in this coffee shop culture world in which we live – you really can’t go 100 yards along most high streets without walking by at least 2 major coffee chains – small and large companies alike are seeing value in bringing quality tea and coffee into the office. After all, it modernises the place away from those old fashioned canteen kitchens, adds a bit of personal value and comfort to the working day of the employees and saves them money and time leaving the office to head to the coffee shop down the road.
All of which can improve the morale of the company and make for a happier, more productive environment.
A reason why there’s a market for start-ups to lease coffee machines to companies; delivering a cost-effective way to provide quality coffee on-site and play a part in helping that all-important employer brand.
Work Space
Of course, it’s not just the little touches that make for a pleasant working environment, it’s the environment itself.
With more and more people moving towards remote working and a rise in freelance working this represents another opportunity for canny start-up ideas, aimed at delivering easy access and flexible office space.
The concept of taking up occupancy of a building, or part of a building, giving it a simple but elegant make over with some funky décor and office furniture, pipe some music in, some communal areas and a nice kitchen space. Then rent out desk space or set up a membership scheme for freelancers who can sign in, grab a desk and get to work.
It’s a simple concept but perfectly caters to the remote working freelancer that’s prevalent among the millennial workforce of today.
Networking
Networking has always been a staple of business development, but in recent years, again with the increase in contract, freelance and greater collaborative work, the demand for quality networking has grown exponentially.
And represents another area that innovative start-ups can find opportunity. Networking start-ups have sprung up all over the world in recent years, tuning into the need for developing local business communities.
They come in a variety of guises, from the traditional breakfast meeting – which is good for those who wish to engage without it impinging too much on the working day – to more innovative schemes that blends social activity, such as golf networking, with a chance to meet and build relationships helpful to business.
Living in a digital age where online innovation and development moves at an at times absurdly high pace, there’s a temptation to think that all the best start-ups exist in the world of high technology.
However, in adapting to the changing needs of businesses and the different ways in which people work these days, there is plenty of non-tech ideas out there, ripe for success and ready to fulfil and real, physical need.