Office Plants - Benefits In the Business Environment

For most businesses, individual prospects and customers typically spend little time in their facility. A business may have very few, hundreds or even thousands of potential customers visiting their facilities daily depending on business type. This is where the old saying that "you never have a second chance to make a good first impression" comes into effect. If the customer immediately feels welcomed and comfortable when entering a new environment and enjoys their visit, the more likely that customer will have a sense of confidence in the business and in those who operate it. Maximizing the potential for visitors to enjoy a positive customer experience is the key element in both obtaining new clients and in retaining existing relationships. Incorporating the use of indoor plants in an aesthetically pleasing and practical design provides a meaningful degree of differentiation between your business and the competition!

And let's be sure to also consider our very valuable employees, who may be spending more than half their waking hours at their desks, in maintenance capacities, on the sales floor, or in any number of key positions. The funds spent in publicizing open positions, application reviews, interviews, orientation, and training are all investments in our organizations. The retention of these individuals and our investment in them is influenced by many factors.  Competitive wages/salaries, benefits, skilled leadership, and work environment all come into play.

A pleasant and healthy work environment provides a personal sense of well-being, as well as a positive perception of company leadership being concerned and involved with employee satisfaction and success. Many companies' employees state that plants become like pets to them. The daily presence of plants provides a feeling of caring for and enjoyment of the plants.  The artistic nature of plants in attractive containers, strategically placed and possibly coupled with other items such as water features or furnishings, is in itself a work of art which influences both employees and customers alike.  Interior plants have been shown to improve interior air quality, reducing sickness of occupants. Office plant services and maintenance are available from Plant Plantation today! Studies regarding the health benefits of plants can be found at the end of this section.

Home Away From Home

As in the interior business environment, plants in hotels, elder care facilities or other homelike situations provide an artistic statement for the enjoyment of the residents and their guests.  There are certainly psychological benefits to be derived from the plants being "one of the family." And again, interior plants have been shown to improve interior air quality which translates into fewer and milder reactions to the pollutants which are present in all interior spaces.

Health Benefits

There have been several studies undertaken to evaluate the health benefits of plants in interior environments. Results consistently indicate a correlation between the presence of plants and reduced atmospheric pollutants which leads to fewer health issues, as well as psychological benefits.

The NASA study entitled "Interior Landscape Plants For Indoor Air Pollution Abatement" recorded significant reductions in several toxic chemicals which are commonly found in indoor environments. These chemicals include benzene and trichloroethylene.  Excerpts from this study follow:

Additional study available:

The Influence of Indoor Plants on the State of Health of Office Employees

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There is much information available on the topic of the health benefits of indoor plants, and what is presented here is but a sampling.