Did you know that a business only has 7 seconds to make a first impression?
According to Forbes Magazine, if you have a physical store or office space, you need to spend time making it more eye-catching. Why? Because if a business owner doesn’t care about their space, why should customers?
Taking pride in your business and its outdoor space and garden design can make a huge difference. Not just for your customers, but also for your employees.
According to Shelter Solutions, creating outdoor break areas isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s backed by science and can lead to:
- 30% lower stress levels
- 25% increase in job satisfaction
- 15% higher engagement in tasks
Workplace wellbeing directly benefits your business. By investing in landscaping and commercial garden design, whether you own a cafe, shop, or commercial building, you can completely transform your space and attract new customers.
Be inspired by these outdoor workspace ideas that can leave a positive, lasting impression that keeps your customers coming back and helps you close deals.
Why Upgrading Your Outdoor Workspace Can Boost Business
Upgrading your outdoor workspace is a great way to boost business, from creating a lasting first impression and encouraging customers to stay longer to enhancing the overall brand image.
How well your business’s outdoor space is designed can also increase the property’s value by as much as 20%.
Besides obvious aesthetic appeal, commercial landscape and garden design can:
- Support the environment: Trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and provide shade, leading to more energy savings.
- Attract and retain customers or tenants: For example, if you’re a landlord, tenants are more likely to rent a space that has a nice outdoor area, reducing tenant turnover.
- Improved security: Strategically placed lighting, plants, and hardscapes can make the environment safer, reduce potential liabilities and improve security.
- Health and wellbeing: Outdoor spaces can contribute to positive mental wellbeing, reducing stress, enhancing mood, and boosting workplace productivity.
At Raine Garden Design, we were tasked with a European commercial project at Sirius Facilities. This commercial garden was designed and created specifically to complement their indoor meeting rooms, optimising their outdoor space so that they could impress their clients.
Explore our full garden design portfolio for more ideas and inspiration.
How Designing Better Outdoor Workspaces Improves Employee Wellbeing and Productivity
Designing better outdoor workspaces can significantly improve employee wellbeing and productivity while showing your staff you care.
For entrepreneurs and small business owners, running a successful business often means long hours indoors and intense focus. However, according to Capital Space, stepping outside is not just a luxury; it’s a productivity strategy.
Here are the top five reasons why you need to invest in your outdoor space, whether you’re managing a team of 20 or 200:
- Healthier and happier employees
- Increased productivity (45% increase, research shows)
- Enhanced performance
- Encourages collaboration
- Creates a positive work culture
Investing in staff wellbeing through creating an outdoor space for breaks, meetings, or team-building activities drives business performance.
Improved concentration can lead to clearer and faster decision-making, as well as boosting the overall morale and motivation in the office, particularly for tech-focused employees. It also makes coming to work a more enjoyable experience.
The key thing to remember is the more you look after your staff, the more they look after you.
What Types Of Businesses Should Invest In Their Outdoor Workspace
If your business has a physical location, whether that be for customers and employees or both, it’s worth investing in.
We’ve put together a list of the types of businesses/industries that need to prioritise their outdoor space and how it can benefit them:
- Office spaces – Breakout areas, team-building activities, corporate events, collaborative working spaces, client meeting spaces
- Retail – Attractive storefronts, improved security, clearer wayfinding
- Hospitality – Additional space, outdoor seating/dining, events and entertainment spaces, storage spaces
- Healthcare – Patient recovery, relaxation zones, therapeutic gardens, waiting areas, improved wayfinding
- Residential – Community spaces, therapeutic gardens, resident outdoor activities
- Education – Outdoor learning spaces, events, physical education
Outdoor spaces offer multiple business opportunities and service expansion that many businesses overlook. Designing and optimising the space can completely enhance the customer and employee experience and can differentiate against your competitors.
It may even become an ‘Instagrammable spot’, a phrase that a lot of people search for, especially for tourism and hospitality businesses, which can lead to more business exposure.
Whether you’re looking to boost staff morale, impress your partners or attract new customers, a thoughtfully created garden design can have a much bigger impact than you think.
How To Enhance Your Commercial Property’s Outdoor Space Through Garden Design
It’s all about understanding what the space will be used for, and of course the type of business you are. You want to identify your goals for the outdoor space and what you want to include. This can be anything from paths and water features to seating areas and relaxation zones.
You may also want to consider lighting, materials, and colour schemes – the possibilities are endless, but it also comes down to the size of the space.
Accessibility is a big one too for businesses to ensure that the space can be accessed by everyone – there’s a lot to think about.
The client brief plays a big part in the design process, and it is extremely important to ensure both the designer and client are on the same page. This is where you deep dive into budget, timeline, seasonal considerations, as well as sustainability and eco-friendly designs.
At Raine Garden Design, we follow 6 simple stages to make the design process as smooth and as efficient as possible.
- Client brief
- Site Survey
- Concept Stage
- Presentation
- Payment Terms
- Overseeing the Garden Project
Looking For More Outdoor Workspace Ideas?
Award-winning Raine Garden Design has 23+ years of experience transforming outdoor spaces into strategic assets for businesses.
From small gardens and large corporate landscapes to bespoke designs for architects, developers, and local authorities, we create innovative, visually striking designs that deliver real business results.
Ready to enhance your commercial outdoor space? Get in touch today and discover how exceptional garden design can boost your property value, employee wellbeing, and overall customer experience.
You can also explore our gallery here for more design ideas and inspiration.
