Feng Shui’s Growing Influence In Real Estate

Here’s a quickie for you: a fascinating article from yesterday’s NY Times, “When Feng Shui Helps Determine A Deal’s Fate.”

Checking the Chi at the Empire State Building.

There are many ways to evaluate a space using Feng Shui and this article touches on just a few of them.  I’m not surprised to learn about Feng Shui’s growing influence as Asian businesses become more prominent in the US.

And one of my favorite types of jobs is evaluating a space before a business moves in so that egregiously bad Feng Shui can be avoided.

What do you think?  Is it wise for businesses to assess the Feng Shui before setting up shop in a new location?

Before & After: Office Feng Shui Part 2

We’ve looked at how moving the CEO’s desk transformed the Feng Shui of this office; this post takes a look at a few of the other high-impact Feng Shui adjustments.

Here’s the Before photo of the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)’s desk:

CMO's desk, Before

The desk was crammed into a corner and far from the window, a wonderful source of natural light in the office.

From a Feng Shui perspective this location was also a problem because the CMO was sitting directly in the “line of Chi energy” entering the office.

Here’s the After photo:

CMO's desk, After

Great, isn’t it? Once the two desks were moved, the office even had room for a small meeting table to accommodate visitors.

The bookshelves were cleared of unnecessary items and have become a nice design element for the room.

Office meeting area, After

Finally, here’s a shot of the entry into the office (you can see where the CMO’s desk used to be). The office is missing one Bagua area, Travel & Helpful People, so to adjust for that I recommended hanging the large mirror you see in the entry hall here:

Office entry with good Feng Shui

All in all the office feels and functions much better now for all concerned.

What do you think?

Before & After: Office Feng Shui Part 1

Creating offices with great Feng Shui is a key part of my work, and I recently had the good fortune to work on one where Before & After pictures tell a lot of the story.

The office belongs to a small tech firm that consists of two principles — a CEO and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) — who hire freelance specialists on an as-needed basis.

They wanted an office that felt, looked and functioned better, where they’d be proud to meet with clients and vendors, and that inspired them to do great work every day.

The CEO’s desk was our first priority. Here’s the Before photo:

CEO's desk, Before

The desk faced away from the door, distracting the CEO and putting him at a disadvantage when people came into the office.

He sat facing a window, which may be good for daydreaming, but isn’t so great for focusing on the task at hand and the huge desk was a clutter magnet, too.

Here is the “After” photo:

CEO's desk, After

After we moved the desk across the room and into the Command Position, or Power Spot, he felt more focused, visually engaged, and “in charge” of his business. He decided that a smaller desk worked better for him, too.

The CEO told me he felt more inspired after this key re-positioning. The office layout makes more sense — the Chi energy flow is better, and it’s more obvious that business gets done here.

Stay tuned: in the next installment we re-position the CMO’s desk and deal with the entryway and an important “missing” Bagua area.

ps: They’re so busy that they’re getting ready to hire an assistant. Do you think it’s the improved Feng Shui?

(More) Best Feng Shui Tips For Your Office

It’s Business Feng Shui week here at Open Spaces Feng Shui.

My previous post focused on one area of the Business Bagua. Here are a few more essential tips for organizing your office and filling it with good Chi energy.

Whether you go to an office or work from home, your success is enhanced when you work in an atmosphere that supports your ability to focus and be productive.

Here are nine tips guaranteed to create a productive atmosphere in your office.

1. Use Feng Shui’s Bagua Energy Map to place things in your office. (You can download a Bagua for Business here.) For example, client files go in the Relationships area, while revenue-related items go in the Wealth corner. 
2. Declutter! Clutter accumulates fast in a busy workspace.  Clear your desktop of non-essential items, create files that support your work, archive materials you no longer work with, and schedule one day per year for a total cleanup.
3. When you move from office to office, take a half-day to unpack all your boxes so they don’t become obstacles, or worse, auxiliary pieces of furniture.
4. If possible, set up a tabletop fountain to symbolically bring in wealth and create subtle background noise.  Alternatively, a photo of a beautiful waterfall creates a similar impression of abundance.
5. High-quality file cabinets can change your life because they’re built for easy access.  Lateral cabinets are only 18” deep, so they make a sleek, yet super-functional, addition to your workspace.
6. If possible place your desk in the Command Position, facing the door. “No surprises” is something we want at work as much as possible For cubes, a small, strategically-placed mirror provides a view of the entry behind you.
7. Place a small fan under your desk to circulate air & Chi energy.  Its white noise soothes the atmosphere and provides fresh air that improves your ability to concentrate.
8. Get a “do not disturb” sign for your door or the back of your chair to reduce unwanted interruptions.
9. Give yourself an anchor with a bit of your personality — a piece of art you love, awards or special gifts you’ve received, or anything that reminds you of your uniqueness.

How are you making your office your own? Let me know in the Comments!

Feng Shui Tips for the Office

Feng Shui can support you at work just as well as it does in your home.

Relationships with superiors are key, and if you’re self-employed, you want to make sure you’re leading your business towards the growth you desire.

On Feng Shui’s Bagua Map for Business the middle of the left-hand side of your office is the New Beginnings and Growth area, symbolizing attributes such as leadership, inspiration and teamwork.

This is the area to focus on when your professional growth — and the growth of your business — are a concern.

A healthy office plant, striving upwards.

The New Beginnings aspect of the Bagua is tied to the upward-growing Wood element, symbolizing aspiration, high achievement, and the teamwork it takes to get there.

Here are a few ways to bring these characteristics into your work life:

Try laying the Bagua Map over your desk to see how you might rearrange things there as well.

How are you inspiring yourself — and reminding one and all of your achievements — in your office?