The most successful businesses are those who have the most loyal and productive employees. How is this accomplished, and how can you translate a model, such as the one established by Google, to your small business? Building a positive corporate culture may make a huge difference in taking your business to the next level or letting it stay stagnant.

Here are four tips for improving your work environment to kick start a new level of employee satisfaction.

1. Brighten Up the Place

Many businesses take up residence in warehouse-type buildings with limited windows and rows upon rows of gray cubicles. While the partitions that separate work stations and employees give each person a more private working space, it can often create a drab and depressing environment. Give your office space a boost by installing more light fixtures and eliminating those yellow fluorescent bulbs. New advances in LED bulbs give you several brightness and color levels from which to choose.

2. Liven the Space Up With Color

Once you improve the lighting, you may notice how little personality the space has. Making a pleasant-looking work floor increases employee happiness and productivity. Hire a designer to add splashes of color in the form of paint or artwork. Potted plants also add to the scene, giving employees a corporate culture of vibrancy versus dullness.

3. Interact With People in a More Positive Way

You are the leader of the pack, and as such, you set the tone for how everyone else acts. When you remain behind closed doors and speak in short bursts, employees tend to believe you are not happy with them or their work. Be mindful of how you come across to those around you. Foster a supportive, positive and open communication environment for the staff, beginning with you. While you can’t consult with them on every decision, make sure you convey your sense of appreciation for their ideas and work.

4. Know When To Fire Poor Team Members

If you don’t take action to rid your business of negativity, it may start to run rampant. Negative team members, who always complain, bring others down and don’t produce their share of the work need to be replaced. Hire motivated and happy individuals who strike you as a good influence on those around them, including you. If they outwork the biddies, it gives you even more reasons to continue this hiring and firing practice.

Creating a positive corporate culture can take time, but you can do a lot in the interim to improve morale and production. Making just a few physical fixes may be enough to get people happy enough to continue working toward your business’ future growth.