Business Elements (Literally)
Earth, air, fire, and water.
These are the four elements that humanity has long understood to be the core fundamentals of the world. While we now know that there are actually over 100 elements – and the “original four” aren’t among them – there is still something almost mystical about the original four, and they continue to draw attention even in the modern world.
There are many ways to think of earth, air, fire, and water; what they represent, what they influence, and how they interact with one another. However, there is another way to use these four elements, a more practical consideration: these elements can be focused on as a concept, and the results of that focus can produce outstanding results. For example, by focusing on the elements, you can formulate ideas that are capable of improving the way your business operates, future-proof your business against dangers and mishaps, and even protect the health of your employees.
Curious to find out how such results can be achieved by contemplating something as simple as the four essential elements? Then read on…
Earth
Unless your business literally is related to the earth – for example, you run a landscape design or gardening firm – then it is highly unlikely this you have ever really thought about the earth in regards to your business. This is completely understandable, given that we rarely encounter the earth during the working day – we are separated from it by several layers of concrete.
It’s nevertheless interesting to note that the only reason you can forget about the earth is that, at some point in the past, someone thought about the earth in great detail. Before your building premises were constructed, experts will have assessed the earth to ensure it was safe for use, and could withstand the demands of building construction.
The fact that earth needs to be assessed and judged to be fit for purpose is something that all business owners have to keep in mind when planning an expansion. If you are constructing a new building, or just adding additional space to an existing building, you will need assistance from experts such as Cochran to conduct a thorough evaluation of the site, and potentially make recommendations for soil treatment work that needs to be performed before the earth is safe to build on. The consequences of overlooking this step and proceeding straight to construction can be disastrous, resulting in – at best – a dangerous or unstable building. At worst, you could find that you go to great lengths to fund and construct a new building, only for it to be rendered unusable due to issues with regard to the soil.
Finally, it is important to note that evaluating the earth before construction is crucial even if you are just expanding your existing property. It’s more than possible that while the earth was suitable for your original premises, the earth even just a few feet away from your existing boundary isn’t. As a result, any construction project – be it brand new or an expansion – needs to begin with a thorough investigation of the viability of the earth it will be built on.
Air
In an ideal world, air is benign; a substance that no one notices, and has no reason to pay closer attention to. Unfortunately, the modern world is not an ideal one, and air – and most particularly air quality – is an area that merits a huge amount of extra thought.
However, when considering air quality, most of us tend to turn our thoughts to external air quality, concerning ourselves with pollution levels and potentially toxic particles. While this is an undeniably essential factor, it’s also important to consider the impact of indoor air quality, and more specifically, the air quality in your business premises.
You, and your employees, will spend around seven hours indoors every day; a concerning statistic, considering the fact that air quality indoors can be five times as damaging as it is outside. In fact, the impact of indoor air quality can be significant enough to actually harm your business; for example, if employees are struggling with health conditions related to poor air quality, then you are likely to experience higher rates of employee absenteeism. A further harm is found in productivity or the lack thereof; it is believed there is a direct correlation between poor air quality and low employee productivity, which is a concern for any business owner.
Thankfully, there are ways and means of improving indoor air quality in your business. The simplest way is to use an air filtering system; this will usually be built into your HVAC unit, but it’s worth checking to ensure it is working as it should. You may also find it useful to add plants to your office; spider plants and snake plants can be particularly beneficial for this purpose.
Fire
It seems safe to assume that every business knows that they have to ensure their fire prevention strategy is robust. You need to have the appropriate signage, purchase extinguishers, and ensure that you keep emergency exits clear – these are the basics.
So let’s extend a little further beyond the basics, and instead use the thought of the most destructive of the elements in relation to your employees. While your building premises may be ready to handle a fire as well as possible, are your employees?
If a fire were to occur, there’s a strong chance that your employees would panic. If this happens, then fire management strategies can only do so much to prevent catastrophe. What you really need is to focus on drills, continually repeating the same process over and over again until it becomes second nature to your employees. Fire drills are often seen as an inconvenience, a disturbance to the work day, but they are actually crucial for ensuring your employees have the information and knowledge they need to overcome the challenges they will experience during an actual emergency.
If you have never run a fire drill before, it’s worth reading through the starter guide at Chron for a few pointers on how to organize a drill effectively. When you have refined your drill procedure, you’ll then need to diarize regular drills every three to six months. It’s also essential to plan one-off drills every time you hire a new employee, so your new staff member will have the chance to experience one, and thus be equipped with the information they may come to rely on in an emergency.
Water
There are numerous ways that water can influence your business, with the most obvious being the destructive potential of floods. While it’s important to ensure your business is as storm-proof as possible, with this one, we’re going to take a turn for the more unusual, and instead focus our attention on another area: water waste.
It is often odd to hear the term “water waste” as water very much seems to be one of the few things you can always rely on having access to – it falls from the sky, after all. However, water waste is a real problem for a number of different reasons, and the campaign to preserve water supplies has benefited from increased attention over recent years. The one downside of this increased focus is that it has predominantly been centered around water saving measures people can use in their homes, with relatively little focus on how businesses can save water… until now, that is.
It is well worth making the effort to examine strategies for reducing water waste in your business. After all, water is not free, so any savings you can make in this area could substantially reduce your outgoings, leading to higher profit margins for your company as a whole. Besides, making an effort to save water is also a good idea from a purely environmental perspective, and could help to bolster your company’s eco-friendly credentials.
So how can you save water in your business? Perhaps the most influential step you can make in regards to water waste is simply to inform your employees to be cautious; to only draw water from the tap where necessary, with a particular focus on your kitchen. If you want to take your effort to the next level, then it’s worth looking at adding flow restrictors wherever possible; these devices can reduce water consumption without anyone even noticing, so they’re well worth using.
The result of your efforts should be two-fold; your business is able to enjoy lower water bills as a result of reduced consumption, and the environment will benefit, too.
In conclusion
Science may have moved to a point where we understand there are elements far in excess of the original four, but there’s still something to be said for a focus on earth, air, fire, and water. If you choose to implement any of the ideas discussed above, then you, your business, your employees, and even the environment could stand to benefit – proving that even the most ancient of ideas still have a place in the very modern world.
