Inspired Feng Shui Life

I did a Feng Shui Consultation last year for a retail space in Pasadena.  The initial results were great!  Within two weeks they found two specialized new employees they had been seeking, sales increased and the young lady who contacted me for the consultation wound up with a raise-a side bonus!

But I got a phone call this past week from this client asking if there was anything they could do to help prevent theft.  Apparently theft has been on the rise for the entire chain of stores, so they are really doing their best to prevent any further criminal activity.

The way this particular store had been designed, the cash registers were placed where they did not have a view of the doors leading in and out of the store.  In addition, there was no solid wall behind them, rather there were panels behind each register which allowed the people entering the store to have full view of the backs of the people working at the register without the employees knowing anyone was even there.  

These registers are built-in, so moving the registers themselves would involve serious remodeling.  It is difficult to understand why a commercial retail space would have been designed in such a way, but it was.  Now the task was to resolve the issue without having to remodel.

In a retail space, employees should be standing in the armchair, or command position.  That is, they should be supported in the back by a solid wall with a view of the doors.  In this position, they have a view of what is happening in the store, who is coming in and who is going out.  Additionally, they will feel as though “their back is covered” and that they are in control of how they react to a room. 

Would-be thieves will feel that employees who do not feel secure and supported in a space are going to be vulnerable.  They know that when it is difficult for employees to keep track of who is in the store at a time and where the shoppers are located that they are easy prey.  They are looking for opportunities and will find the shops with the most weak spots.

For this situation, I recommended hanging mirrors so that while the employees were standing at the registers they had a full view of both doors.  I also recommended exchanging the seating position at the customer counters so that the customers were facing inside the store and the employees had views of the doors. 

As it turns out, while they made a large portion of the changes recommended last year, they had not made the changes regarding supporting the employees at the cash registers.  So at this time, they are going to get those mirrors hung so that the employees will immediately know who and when someone is coming in and out of their store.  I also spoke to them about changing some of the art in the store to pieces that represent strong supporting elements in nature. 

These types of changes in your environment, whether it be in your business or your home, will cause you to feel more supported and in control of your situation.  It will help prevent would-be thieves from feeling as though they have found an easy target.  You will have a far greater peace of mind and sense of well being by making small changes in your space.

For more information on how Feng Shui can help you, call 818-383-7502.