Your Interior Environment As Communicator!

Whether it’s a clean, crisp, contemporary look or a classic period treatment, your environment speaks loudly about who you are, how you do business and what you expect!

​Make no mistake – business environment tells all tales!  When you swing the door wide and invite your business associates, clients and customers in, the gig is up and the masks are off.  Your interior surroundings, ‑ the place where you do business, conveys a lot about who you are, what you think, what you prefer and – often – what you expect from others.
 
Stop what you are doing.  Look around.  Walk through your space.  What do you see?  You see you, like it or not!
 
Do you like what you see?  We may not wear our environments, but they sure enough wear us!  We step in and out of them daily, hourly.  We bring others in, and ask them to slip into the “outfit” of our environment.
 
Interior environments are powerful communicators.  They shout out messages that we can’t retrieve after the fact.  They reflect parts of our values, preferences, tolerances – and expectations.
 

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Let’s look at Interior environments from several perspectives: Those not refreshed or re-designed in ten or more years; those newly designed within five years or less; and, environments that have just been newly designed and installed.  
 
Your Interior environment has not been refreshed or re-designed in ten years or more.   Take time to really assess how important it is to you to change the status quo.  You may be OK with the condition of the most vulnerable of your appointments – furniture and carpet.  They show a lot of wear, but you think it’s good enough. (Furthermore, it might indicate robust business rather than upkeep neglect! ...might).   
 
On the other hand, you could ask yourself: “Is this how I wish to present myself and my operation to my market share?”  Is it smart to reflect neglect and wear rather than a healthy bottom line and appreciation for the business that walks through my door?   You might be surprised at how far a little upgrading, refreshing and contemporizing could take your “message” -- to employees, customers and clients.
 
Now, let’s take a look at a fresher environment wisely created a short five years or so ago.   You made the investment and maybe had a party to launch your new look!   How are you doing in the maintenance department?   Are you protecting that investment?   Too often, it is easy to slip into that place where a lick and a promise seems enough – after all, you just spent a lot!  It’s brand new and looks terrific!  
 
Your Interior Design team probably coached you as the installation progressed.   They may have provided a reference resource for you concerning the best maintenance approaches to guarantee durability and quality.  Look around with a critical eye.
 
That brings us to brand new installations.   You are excited to present this important communicator to your market share!  It may have been a tough decision and a significant expenditure, but you could see both the need and the value.  Take a moment and reflect on the other two examples discussed above.  Time has a way of slipping by.  Soon the project you have just created will see its five years, then ten.  
 
Your business environment – inside and out – is a powerful communicator.  Take control of its message with common sense, conscientious maintenance, carefully planned improvement costs and, an awareness of your market and the competition it presents!