It can be a challenge for small businesses to find savvy ways to create a distinctive atmosphere in a way that also allows them to balance affordability with quality. But this is where our expertise comes in handy! Vision Lighting offers a range of LED lighting solutions from overhead lighting for your typical office to garden lighting - whatever your office space looks like, Vision Lighting has the perfect range of solutions for you.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at 10 innovative lighting ideas for your small business.
1. Cabinet Lighting
If you’re looking for a soft glow rather than bright, artificial light, cabinet lighting might be an option for your business. One of the more affordable lighting solutions, under-cabinet lighting complements an overhead lighting scheme, providing a more controlled and targeted light level. This is perfect for offices that have a good level of lighting already but need something to give an added boost.
One way to create your own cabinet lighting is by installing your own LED lights. LEDs use most of their energy for the light, so they don’t have the same heat output as other light bulbs, making them safer and more effective to use. You can simply cut the strips to size, arrange them under cabinets however you like and voila – the finished LED product in no time at all.
Additionally, cabinet lighting with LEDs acts as a smart decorative feature as well as a functional one. Cabinet lighting offers a range of flexible options, and you can choose from fixed lighting to downlights to LED strip lights in a variety of colours.
2. Floor Lamps
Floor lamps are an effective lighting solution if your commercial building has areas of natural light but not enough to consistently light the room. Floor lamps are becoming one of the more popular types of lighting. As floor lamps are often used in conjunction with natural lighting, they can be one of the most
eco-friendly lighting options for your office. When purchasing your floor lamps, take a look at the materials they’re made from, and you’ll find that many of them are made from recycled and natural materials.
Some other points to take into consideration when thinking about lighting requirements are that floor lamps take up minimal space, can very easily be moved around, and are extremely cost effective in comparison with full overhead lighting designs. With fixed lights, there is little room to manoeuvre, so the flexibility that is offered with mobile lighting is definitely one of its biggest benefits.
3. Make Use of Different Colour Temperatures with LED Bulbs
There are three main colour temperatures used in LED lights: from 1000K - 10000K and everything in between. In other words, extra warm white, warm white, cool white and extra cool white. Traditionally, office lighting has been 4000k natural white because it provides neutral tone and brightness - therefore more energy efficient. While energy consumption is an important factor in choosing lighting for your small business, using a
5W GU10 LED Bulb 3000K in Warm White saves 90% of energy when compared to a standard halogen bulb.
Cool white has a very clinical feel to it and, whilst there is evidence that this is good for productivity, it can produce headaches and prevent employees from feeling comfortable in their workplace. When choosing a lighting plan for your office, consider warmer tones to make the office feel like more of a relaxed environment.
If you wanted to experiment even more you could ditch the idea of white LEDs altogether and purchase colour-changing bulbs or downlights as a unique version of LED lighting for business.
4. Recessed Lighting
One of the key features of this type of lighting is that, similarly to cabinet lighting, it is a cost-effective solution to small business lighting issues. Recessed lights are a subtle and innovative way to add a modern feel to the office without going overboard.
Another similarity to cabinet lighting is that recessed lights are simple to install yourself. If you want to give it a go yourself, see our
comprehensive guide on how to install recessed lights.
As recessed lighting takes up less space in a room than traditional ceiling lights, it makes the room feel bigger than it is. If recessed lights are placed correctly in proportion to one another you can take advantage of the shadow effect that they create and highlight specific parts of the office. Ideally. downlights should be spaced to reduce shadowing where possible to provide an even spread of light across the workspace.
Different coloured trims and lights can be added so that recessed lighting can also be a clever way to show off any showroom display ideas. You may want to consider our JCC V50 downlights as they have white, chrome and brushed nickel trims available.
5. LED Sign Lights
After taking so much time ensuring that your signs are perfect, you want to make sure they’re going to be seen! The most effective way to do this is with LED sign lights. Attaching LED sign lighting to your signs will ensure that the content will be seen by everyone.
Again, there are many options when it comes to LED sign lights, so what you pick comes down to personal preference. Vision Lighting offers quick-fix brackets, vertical twisted brackets, flat-twisted brackets, swan neck sign lights, and much more.
LED light strips are always a safe option when starting out with a new idea. You can choose the colour and length when picking out light strips, and they’re very easy to move around and re-use, not to mention that you can install them yourself and save on the hefty cost of installation. Once you’re sure of the layout, you have the option of installing more fixed brackets, but the strips themselves are perfect as a starting point.
Here at Vision Lighting, we have LED trough lights that are available in made to measure lengths, these can be produced to bespoke RAL colours to match the branding of your external/internal business signage.
6. Desk Lamps
Adequate lighting is a must when it comes to having a happy and healthy office. Having proper office lighting promotes enhanced productivity due to increased visibility and improved accuracy, and it also
reduces the risk of health problems and occupational accidents.
Before purchasing desk lamps for your office, ask your employees what lamps they’d prefer. Most desk lamps are LED because of their brightness and efficiency; however, some employees may find the bright cool white lights uncomfortable to work with. Ideally, you’d choose a lamp with a softer hue or even a smart LED bulb that can be changed according to the employee’s preference throughout the day (more on this later) and depending on their access to natural light.
Desk lamps with adjustable heads and necks are also effective lighting solutions for small businesses. As the sun moves position, your employees might find that they too need to switch up their lighting positions - something that isn’t possible with static overhead lights.
7. Energy-Efficient Equipment
One simple way to light your office whilst still being environmentally friendly is to install energy-efficient light bulbs in place of traditional light bulbs. LED bulbs last longer and use much less energy than incandescent exit signs, for example.
Investing in security lighting such as floodlights outside of the office building is important too, but remember to turn these off as soon as possible at the start of each day to prevent wasted energy. Alternatively, fitting PIR sensors could help when used in conjuction with photocells. A photocell would sense the daylight levels and switch the power on. This clever technology will save energy by flicking power on and on as the sun dips.
Having occupancy sensors stationed around the inside and outside of the office is another effective way of ensuring that unnecessary energy isn’t being used. The lights in meeting rooms, storage rooms and other lower occupancy areas can be turned off while not in use, saving your business both energy and money.
If you needed another reason to switch to LED bulbs, research shows that during the day, an LED lighting system is often efficient enough to run on renewable electricity alone - saving your business money.
8. Natural Light
Making use of natural lighting is the most cost-effective and energy-efficient way to light an office, no matter the size of it. Large windows and skylights take advantage of the natural light without taking up any space. Improved access to the outside world and its natural light improves productivity in the office and, what’s more, research has found that access to natural light and biophilic design elements
have been found to boost wellbeing. So, for optimal well-being advantages, try pairing natural lighting with greenery and wood where possible.
Although desks can be moved, some employees may prefer not to have to relocate their workspace. As touched on earlier, floor or desk lamps complement natural lighting very well by filling in any gaps with soft light, enabling employees to work efficiently no matter where they are within the room. The use of daylight desk lamps is especially useful for this.
9. Smart Bulbs
With so many options now available on the market, smart lighting can be difficult to get your head around. Vision Lighting ensures you’re never left in the dark - check out our illuminating blog on how to make smart lighting work for you.
Smart bulbs are the peak of innovative lighting. People can now control the colour of their light bulbs via compatible devices or even by voice, allowing them to work in an environment with a soft, warm glow, or a fluorescent cool white. Being able to dim the lights gives employees a bit of scope to alter their working environment, depending on their mood. They might like to start the day with bright lights and end their day with a gentle, red-tinged light – all without affecting the work of anybody else in the office.
The best advantage of smart bulbs is that they are generally easy to set up and even easier to use!
10. Track Lighting
Track lighting takes the style of indirect lighting and combines it with the efficiency of traditional overhead lighting. For retail small businesses, this type of lighting is perfect - it draws attention to particular special offers or products depending on placement. This type of lighting is typically a bar with bulbs positioned along it, giving it an extremely minimalistic yet modern feel – hence why it’s popular in both commercial buildings and in homes.
LED track lights are extremely versatile, so despite the changes in the natural light outside, your room will still experience a sufficient level of light. These lights are also fashionable because of their ability to vary so much in design. Although track lights are generally bars with bulbs placed along them, you can choose from square panels to pendant shaped designs and many more, with multi-coloured bulbs if that’s your style!
Additionally, LED track lights are extremely durable and easily installed, saving you both time and money.
Find Lighting Solutions for Your Office at Vision Lighting
With Vision Lighting, you’ll be sure to find whatever it is that you require to light your business the way you want it. From LED sign lighting to simple LED bulbs, the team at Vision Lighting are committed to ensuring they have the quality products that you need.
As we are a reputable distributor for JCC Lighting and Kanlux, we can supply your small business with over 5000 different LED lighting products, meaning you’ll never have to worry about going without! If you’re hoping to light your office space with minimal impact, you’ll be pleased to know that our advanced LED strip technology is highly efficient, without compromising on their levels of brightness at all.
Get in touch with Vision Lighting today for more innovative lighting ideas for your small business.