There’s no denying it – when it comes to commercial space, looks matter. The aesthetics of your office or store are often the first impression you make on potential clients and customers. However, for your business to run smoothly you can not afford to sacrifice function for style. So how do you design a commercial space that is both attractive and efficient? To help, we at Carolina Services Inc. have composed a list of questions and ideas to kick-start your commercial space planning.
1. How do you want your business described? What qualities do you value most, and do you hope your customers appreciate? Perhaps your work requires a high degree of creativity, and you aim to be described as innovative. In that case, using an open floor plan encourages teamwork and communication amongst creative team members. Perhaps you own a medical or legal office and wish to be known for your discretion, in which case you would choose to designate space into more intimate private offices. Your commercial space, like every aspect of your business, should be indicative of what your business values most.
2. What demographic is your desired customer base? It’s simple – people go where they feel comfortable. If you own a restaurant catered towards young professionals, you may opt for a trendy lay out with industrial elements and a longer bar. If your establishment is geared more towards families a longer bar is unnecessary and possibly deterring to your demographic, which would typically prefer larger tables and more homey interior design. You must know your customer base inside and out, and have them feel comfortable in your establishment, to ensure good business.
3. What will your employees use daily? In other words, what do you need to have easily accessible for your workers to be efficient? For example, if a large part of the job is constant paperwork, it only makes sense to have folders and files close at hand. Instead of using bulky metal file cabinets, you may consider adding a built-in cabinet near work areas that appears as a counter to the customers, or in any other way disguises storage in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. By studying the daily tasks of your employees, you can determine what they need to have close at hand and the best way to store these items while style presenting a clean style to the public.
4. Do you have room for expansion? Planning for future expansions is an often overlooked commercial space planning idea, but ideally, you’ll see your business grow and find yourself in need of more employees. This means you’ll need more workspace, more storage space, and possibly more space for customers to dine, browse, wait ,etc. depending on the nature of your business. For example, imagine you own an ice cream shop with 3 built-in wall dispensers. If your business expands, you may find yourself wanting to add a fourth machine. If your dispensers were placed centered on a shorter wall, you would have to either move all of the dispensers or have one separated from the rest. You can avoid future headaches by asking yourself now what you may eventually need more of, and where you would fit that into your future space.
At Carolina Services Inc., we understand that commercial space planning can seem overwhelming. Our experienced design team can help you plan a workspace that is attractive, efficient, and complies with local building codes, and our construction crew can help make that plan reality. Contact us today for more information on the services we offer.
Photo courtesy of: Haldane Martin
