What is it that everyone says about starting a business? Location, Location, Location. Sure, if you are going to be relying on walk in traffic, then location is a must. If you are supplying physical goods to a specific client, then you might want to be close to them. But these days, people will travel to the cool businesses.
Your Location is The Face of Your Brand
Many people disregard the visual aesthetics of their business location because they think it is what is inside the building that counts. And even though there is a lot of truth to that, it is the outside of the building that makes a first impression on many of your clients. So what does your building say about you? Depending on where you are planning to open your business, there may be a great number of architectural styles represented. Colonial, Greek Revival, Victorian, Art Deco, Spanish, Modern, Post Modern, Contemporary, or others. Making a choice of anything other then contemporary adds an intrinsic value to your business right off the bat. It tells the customer “I have been here a while, and will stay her a while”, even if you have just opened.
Many cities across the country are seeing their historic neighborhoods revitalized and it is not uncommon to see streets filled with old architecture becoming the hip and trendy places to visit in cities these days.
Don’t Just Re-Use, Restore
The biggest problem with historic buildings is that they were not designed with modern use in mind. Therefore, if you are going to open your business in a historic building (even one from the 1960’s or 70’s) you should have the electrical system and HVAC system gone over, as well as the insulation checked. Poor insulation will put a strain on the HVAC, and cost your power bills to skyrocket, as will out of date wiring. These also present a fire hazard. This isn’t a difficult problem to deal with however, in most places you can find a company that specializes in building maintenance like BRAVO! Group Services that can come in and take care of all of that for you.
Don’t Overlook Interior Design
There is a common belief that the interior design should match the exterior style of the building. In some ways, I agree with this. I mean, why wouldn’t you have a Deco interior in a Deco building?
But in some ways, I feel interior design should match the business more. Would you really want to see a high tech company with colonial interior design? I feel like, in that situation, it would be nice to see a colonial exterior give way to a post modern interior to show the advances of technology.
Of course, you don’t need to worry about that either. A good interior designer can work with you to get the perfect look to make your business in a historic building the Classiest one on the block.