Image above is an archive image from Life magazine
Peter Gibbons: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that’s on the worst day of my life.
Dr. Swanson: What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Dr. Swanson: Wow, that’s messed up
Office Space (1999)
I wonder if Peter is able to use his HSA account to pay for his sessions?
Over the next couple of weeks I want to cover at least two areas of how working with an architect on your office design can better support your business. Most businesses will fall into either one of two categories: (A) Ones that work with, and directly interact, with their clients. (These are the places that hawk a product or a dentist office, doctor office, restaurant, salon, etc.) and (B) Businesses that are centered on the services done internally by employees interacting with one other, and paid for by external clients. (These are your marketing firms, graphic design firms, architecture firms, law firms, etc.)
First on the list are type A offices. So you dentists, doctors, purveyors of goods, and stylists should be asking yourself these questions:
1. Does our office style and layout (location of walls, rooms, etc.) reinforce the outward image we project with our marketing, advertising, and branding materials?
2. If we are trying to attract affluent customers are they going to feel comfortable giving us repeat business if our office feels old, outdated, dirty, cramped, or overcrowded?
3. Does our office allow us to interact with clients in ways that allow us to be most productive and profitable?
For example, the doctor’s office is getting by with having space for 4 patients at a time but could up their profit by 15% if it had room for 6 patients. The store that has 50 products to sell but currently only has room to display 40 and is thus losing out on potential sales to increase profits from 16% to 20%. The fact of the matter is the lack of usable space is cutting into both of these company’s potential and profit, and many times a lack of space is caused by an inefficient use of the square footage you have. Someone once said something about a simple solution usually being the right one? I have seen instances where taking out one wall, and moving another, could gain the extra space. By working with an architect to analyse your current office space, any building code issues, and develop simple solutions to your business’ needs you could be on your way to a more profitable 2011.
If you don’t own a business but know a business owner who could benefit from this info please forward a link to this article to them. Also, please keep an eye out for our blog updates at www.brown-architecture.com, or keep up with @BrownArch on Twitter, or Brown-Architecture on Facebook. If you w