7 Reasons Why Corporate Plants Can Boost Your Business

When it comes to business, it’s often the small things which can make a big difference.  

Corporate plants are a prime example. From a simple plant on an office desk right through to large statement plant installations in a shopping centre, each can serve a very worthwhile purpose and make a positive impact on your business – more so than you may realise! 

The health benefits of office plants have been well documented and these include their ability to improve air quality, boost mood and wellbeing, promote concentration and even enhance productivity. Luxury plants are also an easy way to add colour and interest to offices and introduce natural features to any urban interior, providing a quick makeover without having to reach for the paintbrush. 

Research demonstrates that humans have a connection to nature which draws us towards more natural surroundings, whether at work or leisure. Therefore, commercial planters, and even luxury artificial plants, have a unique ability to calm staff, attract customers and make visitors feel at ease. A small investment in the best large indoor plants and trees can go a long way. 

How do corporate plants installations make a difference to businesses?

All kinds of office plants can improve the corporate environment in so many ways. Small indoor plants can brighten up any desk and keep morale high in offices, while urban planters and high-quality plants located in reception, meeting spaces and high footfall areas can make a beautiful impact, providing a talking point for visitors and helping your organisation to stand out from the crowd. 

Here are 7 of the best reasons why corporate plants can boost business: 

• Increase dwell time: Biophilia (the term for incorporating nature into the design of a building) makes us feel calmer, more content and even safe. By harnessing this trait using plants, you’re encouraging people to want to be in your premises. If you’re looking to attract visitors or customers, this is the holy grail and could even contribute to the likelihood of a positive outcome, whether that be a sale, an investment or a recommendation to another customer.  

The good news is that artificial luxury plants have the same impact as the real thing so if you can’t have real plants in your premises or want to avoid the upkeep, there is a viable alternative.  

• Perception of greater value: Imagine if you could entice a customer to want to spend more. Interestingly, plants could do just that. Not only can plants reportedly increase dwell time within a premises, they can also even lead to an uptick in spend. A study by Kathleen L Wolf into the effects of plants in the retail environment found that shoppers valued products by an average of 9.2% more when they were sold in biophilic environments. This study, backed by architectural designers, suggests that adding plants and biophilic design into your premises does far more than improve the aesthetics but can contribute towards a physical and even emotional connection in the people who spend time there.  
• Improve indoor air quality: Corporate plant installations not only look good and can make you feel good, but they also have functional health benefits. While many of us know that plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, studies show that plants can also filter pollutants and chemicals and balance air moisture whether it’s a large tree or planter or a medium-sized plant. This amazing ability of plants can help reduce staff health problems, including asthma and throat irritation, reducing absenteeism and generally improving morale, making staff more productive. And we’re not just talking about plain, green plants. Glamourous luxury plants have the same properties so you can create the dual benefit of creating an environment which looks good and has a net positive health benefit too.  

One tip worth remembering is to steer towards office plants with smooth leaves, such as pothos, palms and peace lilies to avoid dust or pollen getting trapped and therefore reducing their positive effect. 

• Reduce noise: Dense or large indoor plants in offices can absorb or deflect sound, reducing disturbances in the corporate environment or making noise volume more bearable in big areas, such as shopping centres. Succulents, such as sansevieria, are good sound absorbers, while leafy office plants, such as ficus or aglaonema plants, make excellent deflectors. For the ultimate sound break, why not try a living wall filled with high quality plants. A living wall itself will help absorb sound rather than let it reverberate around the room while portable living walls can be moved in order to divide rooms, create new immersive spaces. As well as being the perfect natural room divide, they are a stunning addition to any environment.  
• Help save energy: As well as brightening up an urban interior, large indoor planters and indoor trees can also be very handy when it comes to regulating room temperature as they are able to cool themselves and the space around them in warm weather. 
• Covid-combatting measures: Large indoor plants and commercial planters can be used as barriers to help form queues and direct staff and visitors in one-way systems. These came into the fore after businesses opened up after lockdown during the pandemic as they were an attractive way of implementing social distancing. However, barrier planters and directional planters have proved so popular that they’re here to stay. Functional and aesthetically pleasing, they are far better than cones, tape and retractable barrier systems. 
• Make redecorating easier: You might be surprised how well your corporate image or personality can be portrayed through everything from small indoor plants to large commercial planters. Colours, shapes, textures and sounds can all combine to create your perfect corporate environment. The addition of plants can transform an environment; injecting colour and revamping dull, tired spaces without even needing to pick up wallpaper samples or get in the decorators. 

There is a plant to suit every environment, for every purpose and even if you have minimal time to maintain it. Some office plants are hardier than others, requiring little upkeep and, in fact, many staff members enjoy the responsibility of looking after a nominated corporate plant.  

However, it’s always a good idea to get advice from a professional plant installation and maintenance company, such as phs Greenleaf to recommend which room plants and trees will be suitable for your environment.  

Each type of plant has different needs and requires a certain habitat in which to thrive. Factors to consider range from availability of daylight, how often they will be watered, how warm the environment is and if there is air conditioning. It’s essential to get the right plants for your premises so they continue to look great and deliver their extensive range of benefits day in, day out. If they fail to thrive, your effort and investment will be wasted so it's important to get this right. Ask our experts for their advice.  

Finally, while you can of course buy plants online, working with an expert planting provider and horticulturist such as phs Greenleaf will not only ensure your plants will thrive but makes your job easier. We deliver and install the best indoor plants and trees from our own nurseries, and (if required) maintain them to ensure that they perform as your businesses deserves.  

Get in touch with phs Greenleaf today to discover how corporate plants can help grow your business.