Over time, the appearance of any business premises can deteriorate, often without the owners or managers being aware of it. Whenever you go to the same place day after day, changes occur but they are less obvious than if they occurred overnight. It's like looking at a photograph of yourself now and comparing it to one taken ten years ago. Sadly there will be a few more lines, possibly a few more pounds and in my case a little less hair. If you woke up and saw that these changes had occurred overnight, you would rush to your doctor to find out what life-threatening illness you had suddenly developed.
Exactly the same changes can occur in your business. The day you open the doors the business is sparkling, the uniforms are fresh, the company cars look smart and everyone has a bounce in their step. Over the space of a few years, however, the premises can become run-down, the uniform fade, the company cars become dented and old, and the signage and carpets deteriorate, giving the whole business a run-down appearance. A friend of mine aptly describes this as business fatigue.
Stop for a few minutes and take a good look at your business. Be objective. Think back to the day you opened your doors. How does it compare today with when you started? Are there areas that could be improved?
For most businesses, a revamp is required every five years or so. It may be necessary to get in a professional to give you a few ideas on what you can do to make your business sparkle again.
An added bonus with doing a review of this nature is that, as technology has developed, there are now many new and exciting options available when it comes to fitting out a business. There are some amazing new materials, communication systems, fabrics for uniforms and many other new developments that will help to freshen up your business's appearance.
The benefits to you are that this reinjection of enthusiasm and money into your business will be reflected in the attitude of your staff and the perception of your business by your customers. Customers like to see that a business is staying current and fresh. It shows a commitment to customer service that will pay for itself many times over.
We recently did a corporate makeover for a recruitment company. It was a very successful business, but their name stereotyped the type of recruitment that they offered. No matter how hard they tried, their customers only ever used them for one aspect of their recruitment needs.
We recommended changing the company name and logo, and completely revamping the office, staff uniforms, signage and company cars. The overall process required a firm commitment from the owners and I can really appreciate their bravery in changing the name of this well-known company. As it was, the change worked fabulously. The entire business was transformed and there was a real change in the attitudes of staff and clients. The end result was that this was a successful corporate makeover that will take the company into the next stage of its development. If the change hadn't been made, the business could have been overtaken by its competitors.