Every business needs a quality product that is in demand; a workforce that is competent, trained, and engaged; pricing that is competitive in the marketplace; and customers who hold your company in high esteem. All of that is necessary for your business to succeed. Today, I want you to consider one more tool you can use to drive your business success: your real estate assets.
As a Minneapolis commercial interior design firm, PlanForce works to have your real estate assets be a positive force in driving your business success. Whether you lease a small storefront or own an international conglomerate of corporate campuses, your real estate should be more than a line item on your expense report. Your real estate becomes an expression of who you are as an organization, influencing your reputation with customers, employees, stockholders, your competition, and, not least, your future employees. Yes, your facilities need to be functional — having all the right parts in the right places, efficient, safe, and cost effective. But beyond the necessities lies a tool for positioning your company for the future. That tool is the Power of Design.
A good example of a company with a vision and a problem is Tricam Industries. Tricam designs, manufactures, and sells ladders and garden implements. Their corporate office rarely sees a customer visit, as they sell their products at big box and local hardware stores, as well as online. But the designers, engineers, and marketers who create and manage product sales — the Tricam employees — have many choices about where they can work in this economy. Tricam’s Executive Vice President, Jeff Skubic, came to PlanForce with a vision to change his serviceable, yet tired, suburban office into a workspace where the employee of tomorrow will want to work.
I compete for engineers and marketers with edgy, legendary downtown brick and timber buildings, with all the festivities of First Avenue. How do I make my suburban office worth the drive? Free parking is great — but then what?
Jeff Skubic, Executive Vice President, Tricam Industries
The PlanForce solution recreated the Tricam office in a way that is edgy and exciting, and Skubic reports an employee force that is engaged with their work. He now enjoys having prospects visit the facility. And he realized his dream: a building that contributes to the future success of the organization.
Like any other business asset, your workspace represents an opportunity to help move your business forward. When designed well, your office will:
- Contribute to your productivity
- Inspire your employees to perform at their best
- Impress clients and prospects
- Attract new talent — which is especially important in today’s tight employment market
To better understand the state of your office and identify how to make it work as hard as you do, download our new Workspace Evaluation Workbook today. Inside, you’ll find nine questions that will help you identify how your workspace can help your business thrive.
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Weld Ransom, CID Managing Partner |
