Creating an office Feng Shui layout doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive (don’t go hiring a Feng Shui expert just yet!) Figuring out where to put the copier for the perfect office Feng Shui layout is particularly difficult because of the size of most copiers and the noise that a copier makes. But first, let’s start with a definition. If we want to create an office Feng Shui layout, let’s first decide what Feng Shui means.
According to Feng Shui expert Rodika Tchi, the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui is “…A complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.” You can read more about the general practice of Feng Shui here, but suffice it to say that there are some general principles that are broadly applicable to any office Feng Shui layout in any culture.
The basic idea is to reduce anything that might make your office unhealthy in any way. For example, Rodika Tchi recommends having a good airflow in your office to reduce indoor pollution and create an excellent office Feng Shui layout. Not only is this a generally healthy practice, but it turns out that it also creates excellent Feng Shui. I want you to apply the same kind of principles to your copier. Think about the aspects of a copier that might cause disharmony in an office and ruin any attempt at making an office Feng Shui layout.
A Good Office Feng Shui Layout Considers How Noisy Copiers Are
The first problem that copiers have is noise. To get the perfect positioning, make sure the copier isn’t right on top of people. A good office Feng Shui layout positions the copier a good distance from everyone’s desk because copiers can be noisy and disruptive. Not only do they make noise while copying or scanning, but they’re also beeping a lot if they’re being used as a fax.
You can also easily see how this idea of keeping the copier away from people makes good business sense. Someone whose work is being disrupted by a copier is going to have pretty low productivity. To make a truly great office Feng Shui layout, keep the copier away from people’s desks.
However, you don’t want the copier to be so far away that employees have to walk half a mile just to make a copy! Keep it somewhere that employees can easily reach it without disrupting their work to create that perfect office Feng Shui layout.
Consider How You’re Powering Your Copier
Something else to consider is how you’re going to power your copier. In a perfect world, every appliance in your office would be on an independent line—that is, nothing else would be plugged into that outlet. To really achieve that perfect office Feng Shui layout (and protect your copier!), you need to plug in other appliances, like the fridge, into a different outlet. The copier draws a lot of current all at once, and even the paper shredder can draw off enough power to cause damage to your copier. Give your copier a dedicated line, with nothing else plugged into it, to protect your investment.
We also recommend that your copier always be plugged in through a surge protector. One of the biggest problems we see with copiers today is that, when the power goes out and then comes back on, the surge knocks out the copier. Many times we just do a reset, but sometimes a circuit board can get blown, which will cost you more than you want to know.
Get the Right Copier For Your Needs
If you’re ready to the perfect office Feng Shui layout, start with a copier from Dean Office Solutions.