{"id":110810,"date":"2026-01-19T20:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T09:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/?p=110810"},"modified":"2026-01-19T20:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T09:10:11","slug":"small-business-bets-big-on-the-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Business Bets Big on the Office"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As some organizations continue to fine-tune their hybrid work policies, Ballad Group is doubling down on a fully in-office strategy and its conviction that the office matters more now than ever. The Alberta-based employment services and consulting firm believes the office is where culture comes alive, and this requires work environments designed to spark collaboration, strengthen relationships, and make people want to be together.<\/p>\n<p>The company recently unveiled two new spaces in downtown Edmonton\u2014 a vibrant training and program hub in Energy Square and a corporate headquarters in Stantec Tower \u2014 designed to reflect its culture, fuel collaboration and prepare for future growth. For small and mid-sized businesses, Ballad\u2019s story offers a compelling case study: Physical space isn\u2019t just overhead\u2014it\u2019s a strategic asset. And they have the data to support it: Ballad\u2019s employee net promoter score, a metric that measures employee satisfaction and loyalty, jumped almost 20 points.<\/p>\n<div class=\"u-shaded u-shaded--light\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Ballad, the commitment to the office is not negotiable. Nearly all staff work on-site full-time, a policy made clear to job candidates from the outset. In return, leadership sees the physical environment as a key benefit \u2014 perhaps the most important benefit \u2014 in attracting and retaining talent.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI have a strong belief that the physical space you work in really matters,\u201d says John Corie, Ballad\u2019s founder and chief executive. \u201cBeing together in person in a functional, high-quality, enjoyable, nice-to-look-at space is incredibly important. I think it\u2019s a competitive advantage, now more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Corie rejects the notion that remote work is the inevitable future. Instead, he sees the office as a differentiator, particularly for companies that thrive on collaboration and human connection. \u201cWe\u2019re very much an in-office culture,\u201d he says. \u201cIf we\u2019re taking remote work off the table, then the next most valued thing we offer is the space itself. The space itself becomes everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ballad\u2019s core business is people. More than half of its work involves employment services \u2014 helping individuals, often with significant barriers, develop the skills they need to enter or reenter the workforce. That means classroom instruction, one-on-one coaching and group collaboration. In an era when adult learners can easily disengage, the company believes an inviting, energizing environment can make the difference between a student completing a program or dropping out.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>A space for collaboration, learning and community<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before the move, Ballad\u2019s Edmonton staff were scattered across three downtown offices. \u201cWe were always siloed,\u201d recalls Sydney Gunn, director of Strategy and Operations. \u201cOur consulting team was in one building, employment services in another. It was hard to build the collective vision we wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Energy Square changed that. The Energy Square location occupies an entire floor \u2014 about 10,000 square feet \u2014 split evenly between staff work areas and training facilities. The front-facing side is dedicated to clients: bright classrooms of varying sizes, flexible furniture to accommodate different teaching styles, and a sprawling kitchen caf\u00e9 that takes up nearly a quarter of the floor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe kitchen was huge for us,\u201d Gunn says. \u201cWhen we did our design workshops, it came up over and over. People wanted a place to gather\u2014just like in a home, where you can make connections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFlexibility was also key, especially in the classrooms. Every facilitator teaches differently, so 100% of our classroom furniture is mobile. You can go from U-shape to breakout groups in minutes,\u201d explains Gunn.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"print-only\" src=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,dpr_auto,q_70,h_656,w_1166\/v1757523299\/25-0262003.jpg\" \/><div class=\"slick-slider light-slider not-initialized mosaic-slider\" data-type=\"module\">\n\t\t<div class=\"first-slide\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757523299\/25-0262003.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110817' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523299\/25-0262003.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523299\/25-0262003.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Bright, open workstations line the windows to maximize natural light, while low panels and collaborative zones encourage spontaneous interaction.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757523287\/25-0262005.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110818' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523287\/25-0262005.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523287\/25-0262005.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Steelcase Flex Personal Spaces provides visual and territorial privacy to help people keep focused, while remaining connected to their peers.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757523276\/25-0262011.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110819' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523276\/25-0262011.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523276\/25-0262011.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Enclosed meeting rooms and quiet nooks provide spaces for focused work or private conversations, balancing openness with the need for privacy.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757523265\/25-0261998.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110820' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523265\/25-0261998.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523265\/25-0261998.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Flexible classrooms at Energy Square feature mobile tables and chairs, allowing facilitators to reconfigure layouts for different teaching styles and learning. <\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757523252\/25-0262008.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110821' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523252\/25-0262008.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757523252\/25-0262008.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The caf\u00e9-style kitchen \u2014nearly a quarter of the floor\u2014 serves as the social heart of Energy Square, fostering connection and community among staff and learners.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .panel-type-slider -->\n<p>The result? A space that feels less like a traditional office and more like a learning community\u2014one that inspires both staff and clients. \u201cIf you\u2019re inspired when you walk in, you\u2019re going to want to spend more time there,\u201d Gunn says. \u201cAnd that leads to better outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Behind the scenes, staff workstations line the windows to maximize natural light. Enclosed offices hug the core, leaving open collaboration zones sprinkled throughout. Lead interior designer Lori Cox of Lori Cox licensed interior design Inc. says the design was shaped by a workshop that revealed just how much Ballad\u2019s teams valued working side-by-side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCollaboration was the number one thing,\u201d Cox says. \u201cThere\u2019s no large corner office here. The biggest room is the boardroom \u2014 and even that seats only about 10 people.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"u-shaded u-shaded--light\">\n<p><strong>At a Glance<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Ballad Group at Energy Square<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Industry<\/strong><br \/>\nEmployment Services + Consulting Firm<\/p>\n<p><strong>Location<\/strong><br \/>\nDowntown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada<\/p>\n<p><strong>Square footage<\/strong><br \/>\n10,000 sq. ft.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Number of employees<\/strong><br \/>\n60 team members, with future growth planned toward 85 by 2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project Goals<\/strong><br \/>\nUnite previously siloed teams<br \/>\nCreate an inspiring, approachable space for adult learners<br \/>\nSupport collaboration and community<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sustainability<\/strong><br \/>\nProduct choices support Ballad\u2019s B Corp certification<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Results<\/strong><br \/>\nNet Promoter Score up almost 20 points after move-in<\/p>\n<p>Dealer: <a href=\"http:\/\/rgo.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RGO Office Products Edmonton Ltd.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Stantec Tower, a few blocks away, houses Ballad\u2019s corporate leadership and executive teams. Here, Ballad created a showpiece for leadership meetings and client engagements\u2014a space that blends mid-century modern aesthetics with contemporary warmth. \u201cWe wanted a place that reflects who we are and where we\u2019re going,\u201d says Gunn.<\/p>\n<p>The boardroom, for example, replaces the traditional long table with a mix of soft seating, a round dining-style table, and a sectional sofa. \u201cWe wanted it to feel like a living room,\u201d says Cox. \u201cInterviews, strategy sessions, even celebrations\u2014it\u2019s all about making people comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"print-only\" src=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,dpr_auto,q_70,h_656,w_1166\/v1757526276\/25-0261966.jpg\" \/><div class=\"slick-slider light-slider not-initialized mosaic-slider\" data-type=\"module\">\n\t\t<div class=\"first-slide\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757526276\/25-0261966.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110813' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526276\/25-0261966.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526276\/25-0261966.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The lobby of Ballad Group\u2019s Stantec Tower office welcomes visitors with warm wood tones and orange accents, a nod to the company\u2019s brand and its commitment to creating approachable, people-first spaces.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757526265\/25-0261971.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110814' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526265\/25-0261971.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526265\/25-0261971.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In place of a long, imposing table, the boardroom features soft seating, a smaller round dining table and a more relaxed layout, encouraging collaboration over formality.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757526253\/25-0261974.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110815' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526253\/25-0261974.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526253\/25-0261974.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ballad\u2019s private offices in the Stantec Tower use Steelcase Privacy Wall with glass fronts \u2014 so while people have quiet space to focus, the clear sightlines keep the workplace open, connected, and true to Ballad\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"panel-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mosaic-right mosaic-standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-fixed content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-image has-ppp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex-image extend-right\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,q_auto,f_auto,h_492,w_875\/v1757526242\/25-0261982.jpg);\"role=\"img\" aria-label=\"\"><span class=\"u-visual-hide\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a data-saved-state='0' data-item-id='110816' data-type='attachment' class=\"can-save ppp-link icon icon-ppp\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/download\/?url=https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526242\/25-0261982.jpg\"  data-social-media=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757526242\/25-0261982.jpg\" data-social-title=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office\" href=\"#\"><b class=\"u-visual-hide\">Open image tooltip<\/b><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cover-image-companion content-well\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Ballad\u2019s meeting rooms at Stantec Tower are designed to feel open and approachable, with glass fronts that encourage visibility and collaboration while still giving teams the privacy they need to focus.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .cover-image-companion -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .slide -->\n\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .panel-type-slider -->\n<p>A \u201cReflections Workshop\u201d facilitated by Steelcase and local dealer RGO helped the company identify priorities: ergonomic seating, better access to natural light, spaces for both privacy and teamwork, and, above all, areas that brought people together.<\/p>\n<p>Quiet corners and enclosed rooms offer refuge for focused work, while open lounges encourage spontaneous collaboration. \u201cWe designed for different work modes,\u201d Cox says. \u201cBecause not everyone thrives in the same environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ballad\u2019s approach may resonate with other mid-size organizations. By working closely with local partners, the company was able to create spaces that feel high-end and are cost-conscious. \u201cWe just built a great team. They showed us how to be economical in some areas and invest more in others,\u201d says Gunn.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Designing with purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ballad\u2019s commitment to space goes hand-in-hand with its commitment to its values. The company is proudly B Corp certified\u2014one of the few in its sector\u2014and sustainability was a priority throughout the project. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to create something disposable,\u201d says Gunn. \u201cWe reused furniture where we could, and we asked every vendor about their sustainability story.\u201d Steelcase provided data on recycled content and environmental impact, helping the company align its choices with its certification goals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a nice-to-have,\u201d Gunn adds. \u201cIt contributed to us achieving one of the highest B Corp scores in Canada in our category.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Measuring the impact<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Has it paid off? The numbers suggest yes. Ballad\u2019s employee Net Promoter Score\u2014a key engagement metric\u2014jumped from 50 to 68 after the move, its highest ever. \u201cThe new workspace definitely played a meaningful role in that improvement,\u201d says Gunn. \u201cHappiness and wellness scores also climbed. People want to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recruitment has benefited too. \u201cWhen candidates walk into Energy Square, they\u2019re like, \u2018I want to work here,\u2019\u201d Gunn says. \u201cIn a tight labor market, that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Employment services firm, Ballad Group, doubles down on physical space \u2014 proving that design can drive culture, collaboration and growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37261,"featured_media":110812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"topic":[14324,581],"class_list":["post-110810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topic-culture-talent","topic-wellbeing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Small Business Bets Big on the Office - Steelcase<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Employment services firm, Ballad Group, doubles down on physical space \u2014 proving that design can drive culture, collaboration and growth.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small Business Bets Big on the Office - Steelcase\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Employment services firm, Ballad Group, doubles down on physical space \u2014 proving that design can drive culture, collaboration and growth.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Steelcase\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SteelcaseAsiaPacific\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-19T09:10:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,dpr_auto,q_70,h_600,w_1200\/v1757516224\/25-0261993-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gema Perez\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@steelcaseap\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@steelcaseap\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gema Perez\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Small Business Bets Big on the Office - Steelcase","description":"Employment services firm, Ballad Group, doubles down on physical space \u2014 proving that design can drive culture, collaboration and growth.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Small Business Bets Big on the Office - Steelcase","og_description":"Employment services firm, Ballad Group, doubles down on physical space \u2014 proving that design can drive culture, collaboration and growth.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/","og_site_name":"Steelcase","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SteelcaseAsiaPacific","article_published_time":"2026-01-19T09:10:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,dpr_auto,q_70,h_600,w_1200\/v1757516224\/25-0261993-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gema Perez","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@steelcaseap","twitter_site":"@steelcaseap","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gema Perez","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/","url":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/","name":"Small Business Bets Big on the Office - Steelcase","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757516224\/25-0261993-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-19T09:10:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-19T09:10:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/#\/schema\/person\/494e3c13cba2b472b7a797655f0f9ea9"},"description":"Employment services firm, Ballad Group, doubles down on physical space \u2014 proving that design can drive culture, collaboration and growth.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757516224\/25-0261993-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/v1757516224\/25-0261993-1.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Ballad, Case Study, Work Better"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/small-business-bets-big-on-the-office\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Small Business Bets Big on the Office"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/","name":"Steelcase","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/#\/schema\/person\/494e3c13cba2b472b7a797655f0f9ea9","name":"Gema Perez","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed5d03d0a6e1a53f658d47fbf0c4cc79?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed5d03d0a6e1a53f658d47fbf0c4cc79?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Gema Perez"},"url":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/research\/articles\/author\/gperez4steelcase-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110810"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/users\/37261"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110810"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110823,"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110810\/revisions\/110823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/media\/110812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/asia-en\/restapi\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=110810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}