Changing Spaces - advice on expanding or relocating one's business, from a design perspective.

Our economy has led to a new beginning for many businesses. If yours is a retail, restaurant or office-based enterprise - or if you are starting up a new business - there is much to consider in regards to a possible relocation or remodel.
Change for your business may involve one or more of the following: creating a new space, remodeling an existing space or switching to an entirely new location.
Regardless of the nature of the change in one's business location, as an integral part of your business and marketing plan you’ll likely consider inventory, equipment for storage, display and point of sale. It's also important to thoroughly consider the design of the space for your new business location. In order to get it right the first time, plan to include help from design professionals.

Your retail business will benefit from a merchandising designer to maximize impact of entry, point of sale and product layout. Interior designers can help a business owner guide their space planning and optimize furnishings and color.

An architect will provide space planning, coordinate design and building code compliance needs, as well as assemble and coordinate your consultant group.

Restaurants should consider restaurant design consultants to assist in finalizing menu design, establishing kitchen/work center layout, equipment selection and procurement, as well as staffing and training. Restaurateurs should also look to their architect to squeeze the most from limited planning time.

In order to ensure a successful remodel, be sure to budget adequately for upgrades to your new or remodeled location. Even the simplest improvements must include often overlooked expenses for paint, floor and ceiling finishes, minor carpentry and lighting fixtures. Budgets for more complex upgrades should include design and permitting fees and costs for interiors or construction upgrade work.

Also don't forget to schedule adequate time for design, construction and set-up/installation. Your opening date will come at you fast, so anticipate schedule slip and build extra time into your schedule. Maximize marketing impact by advertising your grand opening. The luster is lost when you're forced to postpone.

If you're contemplating a new or first location lease or purchase, consider a due-diligence study of the building or lease space. Whether you're buying or leasing a space, it's wise to know precisely what you're getting and how you might use the space prior to signing an agreement.

An architect can help by reviewing your prospective space and evaluating existing systems, as well as confirm that your business is compatible with the occupancy permit granted to the space you are considering.

Also make sure your new space is sized to accommodate your business. Resources are available through trade associations and merchandising indices to help establish a base floor area. In addition, concept sketches by an architect can help you determine if the new space is a good fit.

Wisdom dictates making prudent changes to adapt to the current business climate. Smart and judicious planning for one's new or expanded location will go a long way to help ensure business success.

Our Community, Our Economy

October 17 marks completion of two years of business for Manley Architects. 10 months into our first year, the economy began to convulse around us. Lehman Bros and Bear Stearns were making history, credit markets were folding like a card table after a losing poker night. The nightly news informed us that we were well into a recession and that the recession had, in hindsight, begun as Manley Architects first opened its doors.

The recession has hit the design and construction industry with a special malice. My associates and peers in the industry have seen and continue to see layoffs at a scale few of us have witnessed. In spite of this, most associates I speak with, regardless of the impact they've felt personally from the stumbling global economy, have shown a positive and upbeat face. Manley Architects has been fortunate during this time and has experienced modest expansion. For this we owe great thanks to our friends, associates and clients in our community.

Though our community, my community, has suffered along with the rest of the global economy, through the gloom a steady glow of hope and confidence that better days are near has shown. This comes out in the high level of activity, professionalism and community spirit that can be seen in the interactions at our local business and professional associations and service clubs. For those of us who have been in the Southwest Washington and Vancouver / Portland metro area business community for some time, this appears to be as it should be. We're accustomed to our local marketplace where knowing others in the community and the relationships and trust that are built over time are paramount over marketing collateral and cold calls. I am reminded of the difference between our metro area community and markets outside our area whenever I speak with someone new to our community. Inevitably, the comment will come out; “it's different doing business here”.

For Manley Architects, this leaves us with the sense that the rebirth of our new market is just around the corner. We are eagerly stepping into our third year of business with a feeling of optimism. We have a new respect for our allied businesses and associates who have endured in their businesses for many years and we feel camaraderie with those who like us are relative newcomers to doing business in this seeming brave new world.