Anne and Joe Roy, owners
The Floor Store, West Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Anne and Joe Roy have had their business for over 20 years now. When they heard Home Depot was opening in a neighboring town, they feared this competition would decimate their business. They thought Feng Shui might help.

Goals:

Anne and Joe wanted their business to remain secure for at least another ten years. They wanted to increase profits, have more free time, and to improve customer relations. They wanted their business to reflect the values of reliability, honesty, fairness, family and hard work.

The goal of the Feng Shui recommendations is to create a space in which all staff can thrive and to impart values to your customers in an atmosphere that is welcoming, comfortable and engaging

Challenges:

The most important challenge with their space was chi flow. This was be improved by enhancing the entry (the mouth of chi) to the business, optimizing the chi flow, through the store, directing it to the place where money is taken in, and business is conducted.

Balance the earth element by adding wood and fire. The business, by nature (the floor, shapes, and materials) is earth. Earth element expresses loyalty, family, and reliability. But too much earth can cause stagnation. The natural elements in the store are balanced along with the street and the river (flowing directly behind the building).

Yin and Yang balance:

The office is strongly yang, so yin elements are recommended to reduce the feeling of overwhelm and energy drain. The retail store, however, is more yin, with dark areas, subdued colors and cool temperatures. So, here, we want to increase the yang to stimulate and engage the customers.

Placement:

The desk is in a vulnerable position, placing the owner with her back to the store and in line with the door. The prosperity corner of the office is the door to the bathroom, where resources can drain away. Using the bagua will help to focus energy on your goals and values.

Changes:

Anne and Joe were planning on closing the store over the holidays, which gave them time to make changes. Some of the changes made were:

• The entry was enhanced with a new floor and welcome mat, a vibrant plant in round container circulating chi, along with signage to direct the customers.
• Displays were reworked so they did not block off the prosperity corner, and leaning tiles now had a home.
• New energy efficient lighting was installed, enhancing all displays, and the pathway to the office was opened up by eliminating obstacles, with lighting and new flooring.
• The office desk was turned to face the store and the full, overhanging shelving was lightened with a healthy plant.
• The cash register was given a place of honor with lighting in the compassion position and the bathroom door was kept shut.
• File cabinets with historical files were relocated to create more space in the office for new business.
• Family photos were displayed in view of the customers.

Results:

From Anne: “You need to know that since the changes, our usually slow January is a thing of the past. We have hit the ground running since January 1st! My whole family has agreed that the Feng Shui suggestions have made a remarkable difference.

“Your initial visit, with the thorough and insightful interview assured me that you knew what you were doing. Your questions and photographing of the store inside and out left no area unvisited.

“So many of your suggestions immediately made the store less cluttered and gave a real flow to the space. It has noticeably made customers more comfortable. Personally, the recommendations for my office for positioning and clearing have honestly made my days feel lighter and less overwhelming. This I can say even though our business has increased so much. Contented customers, a calming atmosphere and a larger bottom line have definitely given me the proof I need that Feng Shui works! Your service has absolutely re-energized a 20 year old business.”

And from Anne, one year later: “Happy New Year! I wanted you to be the first non-family member to know this…we did over 42% more business last year than the year before! Over $100,000 more in gross sales! This is thrilling for us and we wanted to share our glee with someone who enhanced our possibilities! Thank you for your input and guidance!”