Top Tips for a Successful working environment:
1 Keep the entrance clear. Just as human breathes in air through the noses and mouth, so a shop breathes in ch’i energy through the doors.
2 Use the ch’i gathering points to boost the back of the shop. A dramatic display, rotating decorative feature or a bubbling fountain can boost the ch’i energy in a ‘dead’ area.
3 Avoid large areas of conflicting colours. Each of the five elements of Feng Shui has its own colour and if the elements don’t match, zones of disturbance will be created.
4 Don’t weaken the customer. Ensure “attacking edges” of display fittings and columns do not injure the customer.
5 Strengthen the staff and management. The more harmoniously the ch’i flows through the whole shop, the better the working environment will be.
6 Make sure your main counter is facing the door, that way you are in control of the shop and you can see who is coming in. If your back is to the entrance you will feel an unconscious uneasiness which drains your energy.
7 Stand with a solid wall behind you rather than a large open space, this will increase your feeling of being supported. If you have a walkway behind you, reinforce your defenses with a display unit or at least a planter.
8 Symbology is important in Feng Shui. Check and see what negative and positive messages are being given out by the choice of posters, images and art around you. Are they dull, flat and limiting landscapes? Sunsets showing a decline of energy? Stark, aggressive images? Abstract and confusing lines without clarity?
9 Clutter is the enemy of good feng shui lucky color in the 2019. Keep your shop floor and walkway clear and let the energy flow freely around you.
10 Living plants bring in vital energy and are particularly good for lifting the energy of both, the staff and the customers. Make sure that they are not spiky and do avoid cacti.
11 The lighting must be good. Research shows that people are much more motivated and healthier if they work in a well lit area. Dark corners are lifeless areas and that means -you need twice as much energy to do a job. Don’t hang any plants or have lights suspended directly above the area of your staff’s head.
12 Don’t stand under high shelving or you will feel that everything is getting on top of you. The shelving behind the serving areas should always be converted into cabinets to neutralize poison arrows from the sharp edges affecting the sales staff. On this tip, you may have to use your judgement for keeping open shelves if you want the customers to browse through the items themselves.
13 Mark out your wealth corner for special attention (top left from the doorway). Make sure it is not cluttered in any way. Put something beautiful and preferably sparkly in this area. Locate your main till in this space if possible.
14 First impressions are very important – make sure your visitors see something like a counter floral arrangement, plant or a work of art, something on which to focus their energy when they enter the shop. It will help them to feel more comfortable and relaxed.