A company heading into its tenth year of business, repeatedly winning awards for being the best at what they do, peopled with the brightest in the marketplace, consistently on top of the technology heap, still must do something to keep getting their “unfair” share of the business. In tough economic times, hanging in is important, but not necessarily all that needs focus.
In an economy that hasn’t been worse since 1982, what do you do to attract new customers to your business? According to Don Packer, COO of Finish Editorial, you take that time to prepare to be at a superior level of performance when the good times return. His mantra has been to stay as fresh as the day the company opened its doors.
If you’re not sure how to do that, a good idea is to ask your top clients. Let them tell you what would make your house of business more desirable.
Actually, the place had become a labyrinth with no point of entry and once in, you could get lost.
One year ago, Don Packer and his Renaissance bent team asked Arnold Advertising Senior Broadcast Supervisor, Margie Sullivan the question, “What can we do to make Finish a better place and more enjoyable for our customers?” Her response was swift and telling, “Finish,” she said, “doesn’t have Feng Shui.”
Feng Shui is a lifestyle, and an art and a science! Most likely not what techie- types are paying too much attention to when they’re in extreme need of a new Avid edit suite or a station for Film Transfer. It’s a combination of interior decorating, environment enhancement and geomancy. It creates a sanctuary at home or business bringing great beauty and spiritual balance to its residents and work environment. Its what you do to attract customers to your business. Billionaire Donald Trump, Madonna, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, AT&T, Hilton and many, many more people use Feng Shui.
Packer called his troops together and formed a six-person design team. They got their arms around this thing called Feng Shui. They collectively and creatively got to work. An architectural firm in their own building, Visnick & Caulfield Associates, Inc., laid out the space. Then the employees, 17 of them now, became set designers. They opened hallways, created units, knocked down walls, added skylights, chose the color schemes, painted, decorated. They did much of the work themselves, everyone rolling up their sleeves days, nights and weekends.
And its realized that this is an evolving process of continual growth. For now, Phase I and Phase II are complete and all of operations have moved to the second floor. Last month the new “digs” were celebrated with an open house party, which thoroughly showed off the new space brought about by the desire to impress clients and provide comfort and harmony for creative customers and employees. It’s all about the space: visually appealing, lots of glass to see through, a drop-dead view coming off the elevator, a handsome room to hang out in, and well lit and decorated editing suites where you can lower the lights when you need to. Remember the dimly lit suites of old where if you needed light, you couldn’t get it and how it feels after days of working in the dark.
Finish Editorial is an energetic Mecca for creative pursuits. Now, in addition to being the best in the biz, Finish has Feng Shui!
Don Packer told Imagine, in the worst of times, “adapt, change, but make progress, move forward!” Precisely! Finish is as fresh as the day it opened. It’s alive and well, sporting verve and great expectations for a good looking fall run of business and a terrific 11th year in 2004. They’re ready and raring to go. “We’re seeing more story boards,” Packer said. And that may bode well for the industry.