floor plan for business plan

How to Layout a Business Floor Plan

by Jill Harness

Published on 29 Apr 2019

In offices, where you seat your employees matters . Open floor plans can allow for increased teamwork and more sharing of ideas, while cubicles are important when your employees need more privacy due to confidentiality concerns. Which employees get seated at windows and who is nearest the door is something that requires a lot of consideration. That's why laying out the floor plan of a new company or department (or even one you just want to rearrange) is so important to do before you actually move a single piece of furniture.

What is a Floor Plan?

A floor plan is a drawing, designed to scale, that shows the relationship between rooms, spaces, furniture and other physical features as they would be viewed from up above. This helps you get a better idea of how things like desks and cubicles can best be arranged in the office, where to sit certain employees or whole departments, and how people will move throughout the space. You never want to start putting out cubicles only to realize you have to pack them all back out again in order to make sure there are enough for everyone in your company.

Small business floor plans can even be useful to consider before signing a lease on a building to ensure the space will actually suit your needs. If you need to make sure you have space for all of your employees, two offices for upper management, an office for the HR department, a conference room, a breakroom and a smaller room for client consultations, a floor plan can help ensure all of this will fit in your potential property. If you're having a property constructed for your business, a floor plan can help ensure you have it built in a way that will be most beneficial for your needs.

Decide Which Type of Office Layout is Appropriate

You need to consider what kind of office layout to use for your company before arranging the furniture. While you could do a different floor plan for each possible layout, it is usually more beneficial to learn about the benefits of each type of office floor plan and have an idea of what you want first . You can find business floor plans examples online that show just about every possible option for office layouts based on different room dimensions. This can help you choose the right business layout for your floor plan.

Different Business Floor Plans Examples

A few of the most common office layouts these days are cellular, open, co-working and combination . Cellular office layouts are those that use cubicles. Many enjoy these layouts because they allow for more privacy, but they also can reduce communication and leave people feeling shut off and isolated from their co-workers. Open layouts require everyone to share a workspace together with low or no partitions, which results in less privacy and more noise but increased communication.

Co-working layouts are relatively new options that are similar to open layouts only workers generally do not have an assigned workspace, allowing them to choose a space that suits their needs for the moment as needed. Most co-working layouts offer a few private rooms that can be used for privacy purposes when necessary. Combination offices are also a new idea, consisting of small offices or cubicle clusters laid out in smaller spaces than they would be in a cellular layout. These also offer ample communal spaces, offering employees the benefits of a cellular office and an open office at the same time.

Consider Your Office's Needs

When making a business floor plan, it's easy to focus solely on making sure you find a way to organize all of your employees using the office layout you have chosen, but don't forget your other needs as well . Do you expect to have a lot of business meetings? Then you'll need plenty of conference rooms. If you expect people to be on their feet a lot in the office, you need to make sure workspaces aren't too closely cramped together.

Don't forget to leave space for printers, copiers, file cabinets, plants, artwork, office supply cabinets, water coolers, coffee stations, etc. because it can be easy to forget about these things when laying out your floor plan.

Even recreational activities and amenities you plan on offering might need consideration. If you want a TV in the breakroom, you need to include it in your plan. If you want to be able to do potluck lunches for the whole team periodically, then you need to make sure you plan on having enough table and counter space for everyone to be able to bring their own dishes. Finally, be sure your walkways and other spaces are wide enough to be navigated by a wheelchair in order to ensure your office is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Preparing to Create Floor Plans

While you're considering what you need to include in your floor plan, be sure to write down all of your requirements including both features, like wide walkways, and furniture and other large objects. Next, make measurements of your space, including:

• The walls from side to side and floor to ceiling
• Where each door, window and entryway sits on the walls
• The location of electrical outlets, switches and other necessary controls
• Any built-in architectural features including shelves, benches, counters, fireplaces, etc.
• All objects that will be located inside your space

Floor Plan Creation

You can make a floor plan with a pen or pencil and a piece of paper (graph paper will make drawing to scale easier), or with a free online floor plan designer, which many people find to be easier. If you draw your floor plan manually, you'll have to do more math and pay more attention to ensure everything is drafted to scale (most people prefer a scale of 1/4 inch to 1 foot), whereas online tools can handle all the scaling for you so you just have to enter your measurements. It can also be easier to make changes with an online tool than when working manually.

While you can move furniture and building features easily when working with an online tool, it can be hard to move these if you draw them in. This is why people working manually should draw these features on a second piece of paper and then cut them out so they can be moved around on the building page until you're totally happy with your layout. Be sure to work somewhere where there's no wind or fan and where your floor plan won't be disturbed. It can also help to take a picture of your floor plan when you're done working on it for a time just in case something does get knocked off the building drawing.

Whether you work online or on paper, take time to be sure you've met all the requirements you set before you began the floor plan. When you think you're done, be sure to review your requirements list and make sure you like the spatial arrangement, the flow of traffic, the ease of communication, the amount of privacy and the general accessibility of the space. After you're totally content with your floor plan layout, show it to someone else (preferably someone familiar with your company) and ask them to give you feedback on your design – they may notice something important you never would have considered before.

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Tips & Advice To Help You Create The Perfect Floor Plan For Your Business

Creating the perfect floor plan for your business is crucial to establishing a functional and productive workspace. Whether you’re designing a new office, retail space, or restaurant, the layout of your premises can significantly impact the efficiency of your operations and the overall experience for both employees and customers. This article will explore valuable tips and advice to guide you through crafting an effective floor plan tailored to your business needs.

Understand Your Business Requirements

Before diving into the intricacies of an exceptional workplace design , it is essential to have a clear understanding of your business requirements. Consider the nature of your operations, the number of employees, and the clientele you cater to. A tech startup may have different spatial needs than a trendy coffee shop or a law firm. Identifying these requirements early on will be a solid foundation for creating a functional and purposeful floor plan.

Prioritise Flow & Accessibility

Efficient flow and accessibility are fundamental to any successful floor plan. Ensure that the layout allows for smooth movement of both staff and customers. Consider the natural pathways people will take and strategically place key areas such as entrances, exits, and service points. Minimize bottlenecks and ensure that wheelchair accessibility and other ADA requirements are met. A well-thought-out flow can enhance customer satisfaction and improve overall operational efficiency.

Embrace Flexibility

Businesses are dynamic, and your floor plan should reflect that. Design your space with flexibility in mind, allowing for easy adaptation to changes in workflow, team size, or services offered. Modular furniture and versatile layouts can facilitate this flexibility, ensuring your space remains adaptable as your business evolves. This approach accommodates growth and promotes a more collaborative and innovative work environment.

Maximise Natural Light

Lighting plays a significant role in creating an inviting and productive workspace. Whenever possible, maximise the use of natural light. You want to position workstations and common areas close to windows to benefit from daylight, creating a more energising and pleasant atmosphere. If natural light is limited, invest in high-quality artificial lighting that mimics natural sunlight to maintain a positive and productive environment throughout the day.

Include Sufficient Artificial Light

As much as you want plenty of natural light in your workplace, you will also require artificial lights to illuminate your workspace on darker days and in the evening. You can use task, accent, ambient, and decorative lighting; blending these can help create a well-lit and fantastic-looking workspace. It is worth ensuring that the lighting you choose for your workspace uses LED lightbulbs , which use less energy and last longer than traditional ones. You can also use an app or a computer to change the brightness and colour if you use Smart bulbs, helping you make an excellent environment for your employees to thrive.

Dividing The Space In The Office

You must consider how you will divide the space in your office and what materials you will use. Open-plan offices are common throughout the UK, but they are not suitable for many companies, and many will use partitions to divide the different spaces in the office. Many options are available, and you can consider using metal partitions , glass partitions, or ones made using ot her materials. They can help you create the ideal workplace and ensure your office floor plan suits your business and its employees. 

Prioritise Employee Well-being

Employee well-being is a key factor in workplace productivity and satisfaction. When designing your floor plan, consider ergonomic furniture, comfortable break areas, and spaces that promote collaboration and relaxation. Incorporating greenery and open spaces can create a healthier and more enjoyable work environment. Prioritise the creation of zones that allow employees to take breaks, recharge, and socialise, fostering a positive company culture.

Allocate Space Wisely

Every square meter of your business space should serve a purpose. Carefully allocate space based on the specific needs of your business. Consider the appropriate balance between open work areas, private offices, meeting rooms, and communal spaces. Avoid overcrowding and ensure that each work area has sufficient space for its intended function. Efficient space allocation contributes to a clutter-free environment and enhances overall functionality.

Leverage Technology

Incorporate technology into your floor plan to enhance efficiency and connectivity. Consider the placement of power outlets, data ports, and technology hubs to support seamless operations. Implement smart office solutions like IoT devices and automation systems to improve energy efficiency and streamline daily tasks. Integrating technology into your floor plan can future-proof your business and contribute to a more innovative and digitally enabled workspace.

Crafting the perfect floor plan for your business is a multi-faceted process that requires careful consideration of various factors. By understanding your business requirements, prioritizing flow and accessibility, embracing flexibility, maximizing natural light, considering brand identity, prioritizing employee well-being, allocating space wisely, and leveraging technology, you can create a floor plan that not only meets your immediate needs but also sets the foundation for long-term success. A well-designed floor plan contributes to a positive and functional workspace, fostering productivity, creativity, and a positive experience for employees and customers.

Don’t Let Your Business Crumble: Expert Tips on Commercial Foundation Repair

A quick guide to help you create the ideal office space for your business, gina powell.

Gina Powell is a professional writer who specializes in writing about health, travel and the environment. She has a particular interest in helping people make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives. She is always exploring new ways to improve her skills as a writer. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking and spending time with her family and friends.

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550+ Business Plan Examples to Launch Your Business

Need help writing your business plan? Explore over 550 industry-specific business plan examples for inspiration.

Find your business plan example

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View all sample business plans

Example business plan format

Before you start exploring our library of business plan examples, it's worth taking the time to understand the traditional business plan format . You'll find that the plans in this library and most investor-approved business plans will include the following sections:

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally only one to two pages. You should also plan to write this section last after you've written your full business plan.

Your executive summary should include a summary of the problem you are solving, a description of your product or service, an overview of your target market, a brief description of your team, a summary of your financials, and your funding requirements (if you are raising money).

Products & services

The products & services chapter of your business plan is where the real meat of your plan lives. It includes information about the problem that you're solving, your solution, and any traction that proves that it truly meets the need you identified.

This is your chance to explain why you're in business and that people care about what you offer. It needs to go beyond a simple product or service description and get to the heart of why your business works and benefits your customers.

Market analysis

Conducting a market analysis ensures that you fully understand the market that you're entering and who you'll be selling to. This section is where you will showcase all of the information about your potential customers. You'll cover your target market as well as information about the growth of your market and your industry. Focus on outlining why the market you're entering is viable and creating a realistic persona for your ideal customer base.

Competition

Part of defining your opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage may be. To do this effectively you need to get to know your competitors just as well as your target customers. Every business will have competition, if you don't then you're either in a very young industry or there's a good reason no one is pursuing this specific venture.

To succeed, you want to be sure you know who your competitors are, how they operate, necessary financial benchmarks, and how you're business will be positioned. Start by identifying who your competitors are or will be during your market research. Then leverage competitive analysis tools like the competitive matrix and positioning map to solidify where your business stands in relation to the competition.

Marketing & sales

The marketing and sales plan section of your business plan details how you plan to reach your target market segments. You'll address how you plan on selling to those target markets, what your pricing plan is, and what types of activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success.

The operations section covers the day-to-day workflows for your business to deliver your product or service. What's included here fully depends on the type of business. Typically you can expect to add details on your business location, sourcing and fulfillment, use of technology, and any partnerships or agreements that are in place.

Milestones & metrics

The milestones section is where you lay out strategic milestones to reach your business goals.

A good milestone clearly lays out the parameters of the task at hand and sets expectations for its execution. You'll want to include a description of the task, a proposed due date, who is responsible, and eventually a budget that's attached. You don't need extensive project planning in this section, just key milestones that you want to hit and when you plan to hit them.

You should also discuss key metrics, which are the numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common data points worth tracking include conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, profit, etc.

Company & team

Use this section to describe your current team and who you need to hire. If you intend to pursue funding, you'll need to highlight the relevant experience of your team members. Basically, this is where you prove that this is the right team to successfully start and grow the business. You will also need to provide a quick overview of your legal structure and history if you're already up and running.

Financial projections

Your financial plan should include a sales and revenue forecast, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement, and a balance sheet. You may not have established financials of any kind at this stage. Not to worry, rather than getting all of the details ironed out, focus on making projections and strategic forecasts for your business. You can always update your financial statements as you begin operations and start bringing in actual accounting data.

Now, if you intend to pitch to investors or submit a loan application, you'll also need a "use of funds" report in this section. This outlines how you intend to leverage any funding for your business and how much you're looking to acquire. Like the rest of your financials, this can always be updated later on.

The appendix isn't a required element of your business plan. However, it is a useful place to add any charts, tables, definitions, legal notes, or other critical information that supports your plan. These are often lengthier or out-of-place information that simply didn't work naturally into the structure of your plan. You'll notice that in these business plan examples, the appendix mainly includes extended financial statements.

Types of business plans explained

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. To get the most out of your plan, it's best to find a format that suits your needs. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan

The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used for external purposes. Typically this is the type of plan you'll need when applying for funding or pitching to investors. It can also be used when training or hiring employees, working with vendors, or in any other situation where the full details of your business must be understood by another individual.

Business model canvas

The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

The structure ditches a linear format in favor of a cell-based template. It encourages you to build connections between every element of your business. It's faster to write out and update, and much easier for you, your team, and anyone else to visualize your business operations.

One-page business plan

The true middle ground between the business model canvas and a traditional business plan is the one-page business plan . This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business.

By starting with a one-page plan , you give yourself a minimal document to build from. You'll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences making it much easier to elaborate or expand sections into a longer-form business plan.

Growth planning

Growth planning is more than a specific type of business plan. It's a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, forecast, review, and refine based on your performance.

It holds all of the benefits of the single-page plan, including the potential to complete it in as little as 27 minutes . However, it's even easier to convert into a more detailed plan thanks to how heavily it's tied to your financials. The overall goal of growth planning isn't to just produce documents that you use once and shelve. Instead, the growth planning process helps you build a healthier company that thrives in times of growth and remain stable through times of crisis.

It's faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

Download a free sample business plan template

Ready to start writing your own plan but aren't sure where to start? Download our free business plan template that's been updated for 2024.

This simple, modern, investor-approved business plan template is designed to make planning easy. It's a proven format that has helped over 1 million businesses write business plans for bank loans, funding pitches, business expansion, and even business sales. It includes additional instructions for how to write each section and is formatted to be SBA-lender approved. All you need to do is fill in the blanks.

How to use an example business plan to help you write your own

How do you know what elements need to be included in your business plan, especially if you've never written one before? Looking at examples can help you visualize what a full, traditional plan looks like, so you know what you're aiming for before you get started. Here's how to get the most out of a sample business plan.

Choose a business plan example from a similar type of company

You don't need to find an example business plan that's an exact fit for your business. Your business location, target market, and even your particular product or service may not match up exactly with the plans in our gallery. But, you don't need an exact match for it to be helpful. Instead, look for a plan that's related to the type of business you're starting.

For example, if you want to start a vegetarian restaurant, a plan for a steakhouse can be a great match. While the specifics of your actual startup will differ, the elements you'd want to include in your restaurant's business plan are likely to be very similar.

Use a business plan example as a guide

Every startup and small business is unique, so you'll want to avoid copying an example business plan word for word. It just won't be as helpful, since each business is unique. You want your plan to be a useful tool for starting a business —and getting funding if you need it.

One of the key benefits of writing a business plan is simply going through the process. When you sit down to write, you'll naturally think through important pieces, like your startup costs, your target market , and any market analysis or research you'll need to do to be successful.

You'll also look at where you stand among your competition (and everyone has competition), and lay out your goals and the milestones you'll need to meet. Looking at an example business plan's financials section can be helpful because you can see what should be included, but take them with a grain of salt. Don't assume that financial projections for a sample company will fit your own small business.

If you're looking for more resources to help you get started, our business planning guide is a good place to start. You can also download our free business plan template .

Think of business planning as a process, instead of a document

Think about business planning as something you do often , rather than a document you create once and never look at again. If you take the time to write a plan that really fits your own company, it will be a better, more useful tool to grow your business. It should also make it easier to share your vision and strategy so everyone on your team is on the same page.

Adjust your plan regularly to use it as a business management tool

Keep in mind that businesses that use their plan as a management tool to help run their business grow 30 percent faster than those businesses that don't. For that to be true for your company, you'll think of a part of your business planning process as tracking your actual results against your financial forecast on a regular basis.

If things are going well, your plan will help you think about how you can re-invest in your business. If you find that you're not meeting goals, you might need to adjust your budgets or your sales forecast. Either way, tracking your progress compared to your plan can help you adjust quickly when you identify challenges and opportunities—it's one of the most powerful things you can do to grow your business.

Prepare to pitch your business

If you're planning to pitch your business to investors or seek out any funding, you'll need a pitch deck to accompany your business plan. A pitch deck is designed to inform people about your business. You want your pitch deck to be short and easy to follow, so it's best to keep your presentation under 20 slides.

Your pitch deck and pitch presentation are likely some of the first things that an investor will see to learn more about your company. So, you need to be informative and pique their interest. Luckily, just like you can leverage an example business plan template to write your plan, we also have a gallery of over 50 pitch decks for you to reference.

With this gallery, you have the option to view specific industry pitches or get inspired by real-world pitch deck examples.

Ready to get started?

Now that you know how to use an example business plan to help you write a plan for your business, it's time to find the right one.

Use the search bar below to get started and find the right match for your business idea.

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Small Office Floor Plans

Quickly create practical small office floor plans that work for you and your clients

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Draw Professional Small Office Floor Plans in Minutes

With Cedreo, it’s never been easier to create an attractive small office layout. Our intuitive tools and extensive library of office furnishings help interior designers, builders, and remodelers create professional 2D & 3D small office floor plans in just a few minutes. Help your clients envision their new office and close deals faster.

2D Small Office Floor Plans

A 2D small office floor plan shows the space from above and can include dimensions, partition locations, and even furniture symbols. An accurate 2D floor plan is the first step in designing an efficient workspace.

Cedreo’s continuous drawing mode helps you create accurate small office floor plans in 5 minutes or less. As you draw the plan, you instantly see the updated dimensions and surface areas. Then, just drag and drop doors, windows, and office furniture symbols into place.

3D Small Office Floor Plans

3D floor plans help bring your 2D plans to life. Cedreo allows your clients to simultaneously view their new office in 3D as 2D drawings are updated. This makes it easy to adjust office plans to match your client’s taste and needs, while instantly seeing the changes reflected in the 3D visualization.

You can add colors, materials, and office furnishings from Cedreo’s extensive 3D design library and then move through the workspace from a first-person perspective to help your clients visualize working in their new finished office space.

3D Rendered Small Office Layouts

All it takes is 5 minutes for Cedreo to create a custom room rendering based on the office lighting, time of day, camera perspective, and more!

Being able to visualize how office space will look helps your clients make better design decisions that pave the way to another successfully completed project.

Small Office Layout Considerations

When creating floor plans for small offices, there are 6 things to keep in mind.

Flexibility

Office space needs can easily change over the years. If this might be the case for your clients, it’s best to limit the number of permanent walls you include in your designs. Instead, make better use of temporary partitions or cubicle systems since they can easily be reconfigured as needed. You can also create a more flexible space by designing multi-use areas that work for a variety of purposes.

Be sure to include a variety of different lighting sources in your clients’ small office plans. Making good use of natural light helps reduce energy costs while also adding to workers’ sense of happiness. Then, combine natural lighting with daylight-colored task lighting to illuminate each person’s workspace and improve alertness.

An uncomfortable office chair or a desk that’s too small can make a workday seem to drag on forever. That’s why it’s important to choose office furniture that provides a comfortable and ergonomic place to work. Look for desks, chairs, and other office furniture that are versatile and easy to adjust based on each person’s height and body shape.

Space and Placement

As you work with your clients, consider how their employees will need to interact with each other. If their employees need to exchange ideas often with each other, consider designing a more open office layout. On the other hand, if certain employees need to concentrate for long periods on detailed tasks, it’s best to give them a more private workspace to avoid distractions.

Collaboration

More and more companies are prioritizing collaboration and interaction between their employees. That’s why it’s important to include areas that facilitate interaction and encourage creativity. This could include open floor plans, casual meeting areas, and even larger break rooms.

Make sure employees who need to concentrate on detailed tasks won’t be disturbed by noises from break rooms, telephones, and printers. You can do this with sound-absorbing furniture and partitions with acoustic insulation.

And if you’re designing a small home office floor plan, it’s best to position it away from living rooms and children’s play areas to minimize noise and promote concentration.

Small Office Floor Plan Examples

Check out some examples of real small office layouts created with Cedreo. These floor plans showcase different layouts depending on the client’s needs and constraints.

2D small office floor plan

Small office floor plan closed

Home office floor plan

Office floor plan with dimensions

3D small office floor plan

Rendered small office floor plan

Client-focused small office floor plan

Small office floor plan for two people

Small Office Floor Plan FAQs

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about small office floor plans.

What’s the best way to maximize small office space?

The three best ways to maximize small office space is natural lighting, functional furniture pieces, and making it a flexible space. Adequate natural lighting helps to make your space feel bigger. Find furniture that is multi-purpose to make the space more flexible and functional.

Can I create 2D & 3D floor plans with Cedreo?

Yes! Cedreo’s dual-window view shows you your 3D design in real-time as you draw in 2D. Then you simply switch to the 3D view to add 3D furnishing, materials, and products.

How will I know if everything will fit in my small office space?

Cedreo allows you to add dimensions for everything…walls, doorways, windows, appliances, and furniture. Once you have the basic floor plan in place with dimensions, you can test to view what different-sized furniture will look like in the space.

Can I create multiple offices on one floor plan?

Yes! Cedreo’s floor plan software helps you create an entire home or commercial space. So, create a small at-home office, or an entire company office space!

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Guide to Designing the Perfect Floor Plan for Your Small Business

When it comes to creating the ideal floor plan for your small business, you must consider layout, design, and implementation. For an effective shopping experience, a floor plan is essential since it dictates where merchandise, equipment, and the checkout process should be placed. You must put out the necessary effort to ensure that your design will be efficient for your staff and your customers. In order to achieve this, you must learn why a floor plan is important, how to plan the layout of your store, and where the checkout line will be. Check out below for why these factors are necessary to designing the best floor plan:

Why is a Floor Plan Important?

The set up of your store has a huge influence on customer experience and satisfaction. Having a floor plan that represents your company’s vision and leaves your customer with a positive association with your company is key. If your floor layout restricts their movement and doesn’t provide enough space, it might make them feel anxious, and they may decide to leave your business. Make sure to have enough space between merchandise. This is referred to as “an open layout,” which will put customers at ease and shop longer. As a small business owner, you may group products together to make it easier for clients to find different items in one place.

Plan your Layout by Products

Now it is time to strategize how you will layout your store. As previously mentioned, organizing your layout around your items is a great approach for building a successful floor plan for your store. You may need to research what products are the most popular and what else is trending each season. Product placement is helpful in this regard. You should be placing popular products in areas of the store where they will grab the most attention. If you do have popular products, the best place to put the items are in the middle or front of the store. Customers will notice your items immediately if they are displayed in a place where everyone passing by your store would recognize them. Customers will also appreciate that your store is up to date on the latest trends and will view your store as “trendy.” Being trendy may attract a large number of customers, yet failing to keep up with the latest trends will cause people to perceive your shop as “outdated.”

It is also important to have product organization for shoppers to easily find what they’re looking for. If you sell band-aids, for example, you may put a first-aid kit or any other injury-related product on the shelf. Customers will have an easier time finding what they’re looking for since they were able to find a product that will help them recover an ailment. As a result, if your related products are close together, your customers will have a pleasant shopping experience and you will receive positive feedback.

You can also have some fun with the checkout area by showcasing products that shoppers would find appealing as impulsive purchases. Any small item such as snacks or tiny gifts that are easy to grab are ideal for an impulsive buy. Customers will gravitate towards an item that captures their eye and purchase more than they anticipated. By having these products in the checkout line, customers will have an engaging checkout experience and your overall revenue will increase. It is definitely a win-win situation for all!

Where to put Your POS and Checkout System

Another crucial component of your floor layout is the positioning of your POS (Point of Sale) and checkout system. You may need to think about how you want to position your checkout to leave enough room for a line without being too overcrowded. To allow enough space for your items, the checkout line should be in the back of your store. Once you have done this, now you must think about what POS system will help make your customers’ shopping experience more enjoyable. Luckily, National Retail Solutions (NRS) offers a great POS system to make your check out experience more efficient. The NRS Pay Credit Card Processing system is a great option for quick and easy payment. The customer can swipe, dip, tap, or key payment all in one place!

For more information, check out NRSplus.com .

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Is an open floor plan right for your business 12 important considerations.

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As a business leader, you know your work environment can directly impact your productivity and performance. Many modern companies opt for an open floor plan for their office, which eliminates cubicles and allows workers to collaborate more seamlessly. However, this arrangement often breeds distractions and other concerns.

If you’re contemplating an open floor plan for your company, you should consider all the pros and cons of this type of office arrangement. Below, 12 members of Forbes Coaches Council explain how to determine if an open floor plan is right for your business, or if it might hinder your productivity and morale.

Forbes Coaches Council members explain the steps employers should take before choosing an open floor plan for their company.

1. Consider The Type Of Team You Manage

Companies of all sizes want to be seen as cutting-edge innovators like startups. Open floor plans work well for flat organizations, with self-forming teams that bring together people across functions to collaborate. They work poorly in production environments, for co-locating teams with different functions and no reason to collaborate and for people who need quiet to work with people who need to talk all day. - Larry Boyer , Success Rockets LLC

2. Give Employees A Way To Set Boundaries At Their Desk

Open-plan offices are not for everyone. You're not going to keep everyone happy, so the owner/entrepreneur is going to have to make that call. But you can make it work for everyone. Get your logo printed on some card—one side with a red and one side with a green background. Each team member can have one on their desk to indicate if they are ready to talk or need some time to "concentrate." - Nick Leighton , Exactly Where You Want to Be

3. Remember That Open Floor Plans Are Not Either/Or

The common question is, "Should we have an open floor plan?" The responses often fall into two buckets: "Yes" and "No." This is a false dichotomy. You can offer both an open floor plan and set aside quiet working areas, private conference rooms and other options for staff to work without disruption. Create a space that allows employees to "choose their own adventure" based on their preferences. - Kyle Cromer Elliott, MPA, CHES , CaffeinatedKyle.com

4. Evaluate Your Need For 'Quiet Spaces'

Evaluating your people and processes will tell you if you need to provide a quiet, uninterrupted space or if an open floor plan is best. Not every business should be aiming for the latest trend in bean bag chairs and foosball. There are some industries, personality types and organizational processes that require concentration and quiet spaces. Do your homework. The best solution might be mixed! - Dr. Teresa Ray, PCC , Dr. Teresa Ray

5. Check In With Your Employees And Their Productivity

Some open floor plans allow more time to socialize, which takes away from the productivity. Some people talk loudly while others speak softly. It's important to check the pulse of the employees and productivity. You don't want to lose a good employee because of the noise level in an open floor plan if changes can be made. - Claudette Gadsden , Coach Claudette & Associates

6. Consider The Disadvantages And Whether You Can Reduce Them

Think about disadvantages of open-space solutions. First, they are noisier and can be more chaotic. Second, conversations might be overheard easily. Third, passersby can cause distraction for employees. Last, but not least, security is reduced since there are no lockable doors. If you have resources and ways to reduce these drawbacks, then it might be a way to organize your office. - Inga Bielińska , Inga Arianna Bielinska Coaching Consulting Mentoring

7. Conduct A Team Personality Assessment

When a company is searching for ways to increase productivity, they sometimes think of converting to an open floor plan. To determine if this is right for your company, consider conducting a personality assessment of your affected employees to determine under what conditions they work the best. This can give you insight, before making the investment, to test for environmental compatibility. - Shelley Hastings , Synergy Empowerment Coaching, LLC

8. Design Your Workplace For Culture

To determine a floor plan for your culture, first, identify influencers in your company and ask them to be the team that identifies options for a new floor plan. Co-develop a list of must-haves. Set up site visits with other companies to learn from their experiences and discuss the pros and cons. Have the team finalize options to present to your leadership team. Decide based on their input. - Bobbie Goheen , Synthesis Management Group

9. Know The Results You Want To Achieve

What is the No. 1 result your company wants to achieve with an open floor plan? For example, is it to foster genuine bonding and facilitate communication? Or is it because it's a cheaper alternative budget-wise? A company's philosophy is what decides the proper use of an open floor plan. - Anne Beaulieu , Walking Inside Resources Inc.

10. Test It Out With Virtual Reality

Many office design companies have virtual reality programs that allow people to experience new working environments. Allowing employees to experience a virtual "open house" to test a couple of potential office layouts will provide excellent feedback on what aspects they loved versus not. - Karan Rhodes , Shockingly Different Leadership

11. Find A Design That Suits Your Team's Individual Work Needs

Unique personalities can make a strong workplace. It also means that everyone's productivity needs are different. Design with this in mind. For most professionals, being bombarded by noise and information in an open floor plan is not optimal. Create a space that allows for flexibility or is designed specifically for individual and work type needs for maximum results. - Erin Urban , UPPSolutions, LLC

12. Take A Field Trip

Nobody, it seems, takes their teams to visit another workplace. Do it. I just did this and it worked. We visited a bigger local enterprise where the "leaders" had private offices, but the other employees had the open office. It was terrible. The open office made them have to whisper in their phones and tiptoe around the facility. We knew the open office wouldn't be for us after our field trip. - John M. O'Connor , Career Pro Inc.

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Online Floor Plan Creator

Design a house or office floor plan quickly and easily, the easy choice for creating your floor plans online, easy to use.

You can start with one of the many built-in floor plan templates and drag and drop symbols. Create an outline with walls and add doors, windows, wall openings and corners. You can set the size of any shape or wall by simply typing into its dimension label. You can also simply type to set a specific angle between walls. SmartDraw also lets you see and adjust the exact distance between a corner of a room and a wall opening.

You can easily add fixtures, display dimensions, and measure distances and areas in your floor plan as you design.

Easy to Find the Symbols You Need

You'll get thousands of ready-made visuals for furniture, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, lighting fixtures, cabinets, office furniture, wiring, plumbing, HVAC, security systems, plants, landscape elements, and more! SmartDraw also includes many photo-realistic textures that can take your design to the next level.

Easy to Draw and Print to Scale

SmartDraw lets you draw to scale easily. Choose a common standard architectural scale, a metric scale, and more. You can print to scale just as easily. And your printed scale doesn't have to match your drawing's scale. You can easily change the scale at any time, even after you've started drawing.

Easy to Do More

Keep track of information like the author and settings used in a scale-independent annotation layer. Add layers for electrical, plumbing, or HVAC.

You can also add model numbers and other important manufacturing information to elements in your floor plan to display as a tooltip.

You can also export any data as a manifest. You can export the number of chairs of a certain model or get a list of equipment based on purchase date.

Easy to Work With Other Apps

SmartDraw is easy to work with no matter what other apps you use. You can add floor plans to:

• PowerPoint ®
• Excel ®
• Microsoft Teams ®
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets

Easy to Save to Your Existing Storage Solution

SmartDraw works hand in glove with most file storage systems. You can save your floor plan designs directly to:

• SharePoint ®
• OneDrive ®
• Google Drive ™
• DropBox ®

There is no need to create a parallel set of common folders and permissions, SmartDraw can just save files directly into your existing set up. You can spend less time managing software and more time on making floor plans.

Easy to Share

Share your floor plan or blueprint with anyone, even if they don't own a copy of SmartDraw, with a link.

Whether you're sharing using a link or a shared folder, you can control who can view or edit your files when it comes to sensitive designs.

You can also easily export any diagram as a PDF or common image formats like PNG or SVG.

Easy to Get Help

Have a question? Chat or email us. SmartDraw support is in-house and free!

Easy Collaboration

Get feedback on your new floor plan from your team or your clients.

You can work on the same floor plan by saving it in a shared folder or by sharing a link. Others can leave comments or make edits if they have permission.

SmartDraw also works where you already communicate with your team. You can collaborate on floor plans in Microsoft Teams ® , Slack or Confluence.

Use SmartDraw's floor plan designer to realize your vision and share the results.

Our Floor Plan Designer Features

• Professional floor plan templates
• Extensive floor plan symbol collection
• Built-in common scales
• Ability to define a custom scale
• Change scale at any time
• Ability to add layers for HVAC, and more
• Scale independent annotation layer
• Powerful shape data
• Export a manifest
• Collaboration and sharing
• Export as PDF, PNG, or SVG
• Works with Google Workspace ™
• Works with with Microsoft Office ®
• Works with Microsoft Teams ®
• App for Confluence ® and Jira ®
• Works with 3rd party storage providers

How to Make Your Floor Plan Online

Define the area to visualize.

Determine the area or building you want to design or document. If the building already exists, decide how much (a room, a floor, or the entire building) of it to draw. If the building does not yet exist, brainstorm designs based on the size and shape of the location on which to build.

Take Measurements

If the building exists, measure the walls, doors, and pertinent furniture so that the floor plan will be accurate. If the layout is being created for an entirely new area, be sure that the total area will fit where it is to be built.

Start with a Template

Choose a floor plan template that best fits your project. SmartDraw has basic floor plan templates for rooms, houses, offices, and more.

Create an outline by adding walls for each room of the building.

SmartDraw makes it easy to drag walls to adjust them or just type the length directly into walls to modify them. Once you've created an outline for your room or house, click on a wall and you'll see two types of growth handles appear. The handle with an up and down or right to left arrow will allow you to move your wall inward or outward vertically or horizontally. The handle at the corners where walls meet will help you adjust your wall diagonally by letting you move the placement of the corner.

Add Architectural Features

Begin adding features to the space by including the unchangeable things, like the doors and windows, as well as the refrigerator, dishwasher, dryer, and other important appliances that must be placed in a specific location.

Add Furniture

Add furniture like desks, equipment, chairs and so on.

Print or Share Your Floor Plan

Once your floor plan is built you can insert it directly to Microsoft Word ® , Excel ® , PowerPoint ® , Google Docs ™ , Google Sheets ™ , and more.

SmartDraw also has apps to integrate with Atlassian's Confluence and Jira. You can share your floor plan design in Microsoft Teams. You can also easily export your floor plan as a PDF or print it.

See Why SmartDraw is the Easiest Floor Plan Designer

SmartDraw's floor plan software is used by millions of users and over 85% of Fortune 500 companies. Why? Because it's easy to use and offers incredibly powerful scaled drawing features at a reasonable cost.

Designing floor plans doesn't have to be difficult. SmartDraw gives you powerful tools and a broad selection of templates and symbols that help jumpstart any project. You'll be able to adjust dimensions and angles by simply typing them in, drag and drop elements, easily add textures, and more.

Floor Plan Templates & Examples

SmartDraw comes with dozens of templates to help you create floor plans, house plans, office spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, decks, landscapes, facilities, and more.

What is a Floor Plan?

A floor plan is a scaled diagram of a residential or commercial space viewed from above. The scope of a floor plan may vary. You can create a drawing of an entire building, a single floor, or a single room. Your floor plan may be of an office layout, a warehouse or factory space, or a home. You can even create a floor plan of event space and conventions.

A typical floor plan will include measurements as well as furniture, appliances, equipment or anything else necessary to the purpose of the plan.

You can use floor plans for

• Interior design to layout a space
• Helping to sell or rent a space by real estate agents or leasing companies
• Designing a factory floor and keeping inventory of necessary equipment
• Layout of a retail space
• Designing the layout of a warehouse from self-storage to manufacturing
• Creating evacuation plans
• Space planning in your office to keep track of employees or equipment

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Floor Plan Software

You can certainly create your own floor plan without being a proffesional as long as you have the right tools and a bit of creative inspiration. Sketching out ideas yourself will help communicate your vision to the architect when you need to have a professional blueprint drawn up. Learn more how to make your own floor plan.

While many might call AutoCAD as the king of floor plan software, it may not be the ideal tool for everyone. There's no reason to shell out a ton of money for AutoCAD when a software like SmartDraw has almost all the same CAD power for a fraction of the cost. Learn more about our AutoCAD alternative.

SmartDraw works on any device with an internet connection. Once you're done, you can export your floor plan as a PDF, SVG, or add it to any Office ® application.

With SmartDraw, you can change the scale of any drawing at any time. You can flip between standard and metric scales at will. You can also define your own scale if it is not among the standard scales offered.

Using layers in SmartDraw allows you to group and separate items like electrical symbols or HVAC information so you can show and hide details or prevent editing of specific layers as needed. Learn more.

You can easily import photos to create texture or add more detail to any design. You can even import an image of an extisting floor plan if you want to draw over it in more detail or make notes to share with your team.

SmartDraw is Used by Over 85% of the Fortune 500

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Discover why SmartDraw is the easiest floor plan creator.

They Create a Positive Shopping Experience

As a small business, it’s important to make customers feel at ease. Larger retailers have the space to avoid crowding certain areas but that can be a little more challenging on a smaller scale. That’s unless you have an effective floor plan.

Your store’s layout can determine the emotions that are evoked in their shopping experience. Think about where you’ve placed the merchandise, the colours and even how much room you have between sections. All of these factors can affect how your customers feel, whether they like spending time in the store, if they’ll make a purchase or whether they’d return.

If your floor plan restricts their movement and doesn’t give them enough room, then it can cause a feeling of anxiety and they might want to leave your store. Try to make sure that sections aren’t congested to reduce any tension as this can make shoppers feel like they need to rush through the store.

With open layouts, customers can feel at ease and shop longer. This is how you can build a positive experience and encourage repeat custom.

Floor Plans Prevent Possible Thefts

Small businesses can also be susceptible to theft, but a floor plan can prevent risks of shoplifting. For example, having high-priced items locked in showcases at the back of your store rather than towards the entrance reduces that risk. Or if you have smaller items, you can keep them in displays where there’s more security or more traffic for extra support.

If your floor plan requires extra manoeuvres from shoppers or passes through security, then it’s more difficult for someone to steal something from your store.

You Can Predict Customer Behaviour

You also shouldn’t overlook the importance of your store floor plan because the flow can determine how your customers shop. In a large business, it’s easier because they have so much room. However, with less space, you need to be more strategic and utilise the area you do have.

The longer a customer is in your store, the more likely they are to make a purchase. Your floor plan’s goal should be to keep customers moving around and shopping for longer. As you’re likely to have less space compared to a larger counterpart, it’s important to make the most of it. The progression through your store needs to be natural.

So look at the larger counterparts for some inspiration. Look at what supermarkets do – they place necessities such as milk and bread towards the back so shoppers have to navigate through other aisles to get there. Even department stores are strategic with their placement, as children’s clothing is usually placed on the top floor so parents have to walk through other sections.

Try to do something similar in your store, even if you don’t have as much space to enjoy. 

A Strategic Layout Can Provoke More Sales

As a small business, you can organise product types and brands together so that customers can find different items in one location. This can make customers feel more inclined to buy products connected to what they’re shopping for.

You should do this carefully in your store, especially since you won’t have a lot of room to play with. If you group together designers or the same type of merchandise, then you’re likely to increase cross-category and cross-brand sales.

You Can Maximise Your Square Footage

As a small business, it’s even more important that you create a space that makes more money by maximising your sales per square foot. A floor plan can be really helpful here. For example, you might find that there’s an area in your store that’s lacking sales. Rather than letting that valuable space go to waste, you can rearrange areas to increase sales.

Another example to show how you can take advantage of the small space you have is by deciding where high and low-priced items will go. You can allow expensive items more space so they’re noticeable by customers while cheaper items can be stacked or grouped together to create more space.

A layout is more than just placing products in certain areas, though. Customer satisfaction goes a long way and it’s more challenging for small business because of the lack of space to worth with. To help you improve that, we’ve created a bunch of templates that will help your small businesses enjoy repeat custom and compete with the big businesses.

Get Your Free Floor Plan Templates

Our floor plan templates are perfect if you need some ideas or extra inspiration. Think of them as the initial blueprint that will shape your floor plan. Whether it’s a clothing store, coffee shop, an exhibition or even a hotel, you’ll get plenty of amazing ideas.

To get your free copy of the template pack, click on the link below.

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I thought having my own office meant I'd 'arrived,' but it was depressing. Here's why open-plan office layouts are best.

• Jennifer Moore has worked in financial services, tech, and SaaS for 20 years. 
• During that time, she's worked in cubicles, open plan offices, and has had her own office spaces.
• The open plan concept is her winner due to the natural light and varying spaces for work. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Jennifer Moore, 43, from Salt Lake City, about her experience working in different office spaces. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was a summer intern with a small desk in a hallway when my career began in 2003.

There was another intern who had her own cubicle with high walls that kind of looked like a mini office. I really loved my makeshift workspace, but I'll be honest — I was jealous. It was like I was an afterthought.

I've spent 10 years in financial services , where I worked in everything from high-walled cubicles to open office floor plans to eventually having my very own office. I also spent 10 years in B2B tech and software-as-a-service companies , where there's nothing but open office plans.

Cubicles are good for deep work and privacy, but they can be isolating

I've found that the true cube farm — with four high walls and a doorway — can be really helpful for deep work and conducting short one-on-ones.

I think privacy is another pro. In 2006, when I was working at Wells Fargo , I received an email telling me someone I was very close to in high school had died. I remember having a very loud reaction. My co-workers heard me but didn't necessarily see me burst into tears. It was a blessing to have a bit more privacy at that moment.

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The cons of cubicles is that they were somewhat isolating. There was no sunlight. The executives and leaders all got these fantastic offices that had windows, so you could tell immediately who the head honchos were.

Having my own office was depressing and soul-crushing

Having your own office is associated with prestige and privacy, but my first experience of this was horrible.

In 2015, I thought I had arrived. I had officially made it into product management at a financial services company and was given my very own office with a door. I had a furniture budget and everything, but I was absolutely miserable.

There was no natural light, only dim fluorescent lights, so I'd try to get out in the sunlight every day. There wasn't any foot traffic passing by my area because it was in a weird corner. It was isolating — I could go an entire day and not see or talk to a soul if I wanted to.

It was really depressing and soul-crushing.

One thing I would say is, at the time, I was doing some physical therapy, and it was really nice to be able to shut the door and close the shade on my tiny window so I could do stretches in complete privacy.

I learned that the overall workplace environment is more important to me than whether I had achieved having my own office.

You can say you believe in teamwork and collaboration but if you haven't designed an office space that encourages this, people are going to struggle to embrace it daily.

I think open-office plans are the clear winner, as they allow for different types of work

After I left my previous company in December 2023, I decided to focus full-time on my own consulting business.

I work in a coworking space for a company I consult for. It has an open floor plan with several conference rooms, telephone booths, and seating areas.

I think open office plans are the clear winner in a modern workplace, but their weaknesses should be augmented by using aspects of cubicle design that allow for areas of privacy and for different types of work.

Managers still need privacy. In a place where I worked recently, an executive would regularly conduct all their one-on-ones in the open seating area, and several people commented how awkward it was to hear highly personal information being discussed on a daily basis.

In open-floor plans, you can find spaces for deep work, collaboration, and large and small meetings. They can have soundproof booths in a hallway for privacy. Cubicles take up so much real estate, making it hard to create these options.

Another pro of open floor plans is natural light. I've noticed that in newer buildings, everyone has access to sunlight, rather than just the senior and executive leaders in their offices.

• Main content

How to start a flooring business in 11 steps

One of the top items on most homeowners' improvements list is the floors in their houses. Whether a home currently has wood flooring, hardwood flooring, or linoleum flooring, having a professional flooring business repair or replace the floors can elevate a home's value tremendously.

Before we dive into how you can create your own flooring company , let's explore some of the most common questions new flooring business owners have when starting.

What are the pros and cons of owning a flooring company?

As with any business, owning a flooring company has advantages and disadvantages. What’s important is that you compare the positives and negatives to determine if it makes sense for you to start a business.

Here's a look at some of the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur in the flooring installation industry:

• Unlimited earning potential
• Job growth for the industry is expected to grow over the next decade
• No formal education is required
• Avoid working in an office setting all day
• Set your schedule
• Choose which jobs you work on

Disadvantages

• Higher levels of stress as a business owner
• You are responsible for all business decisions and results
• The job is very physically demanding and taxing on the body
• Increased risk for injury while on the job site

What skills do I need to start a flooring company?

Even though flooring contractors aren't required to go to college to start their own business, you'll want to ensure you have the proper training and skills to deliver high-quality service before launching your company. Unfortunately, one or two bad jobs can significantly impact landing future jobs.

One way to obtain the proper skills and experience is to work as a floor installation contractor before opening your own shop. By working for another company, you'll have time to learn about different types of flooring while training under more senior installation contractors.

In addition to the physical skills, you'll also need to work on developing skills as a business owner. Below are some of the most important skills an entrepreneur needs when starting a new flooring company:

• Project management
• Verbal and written communication
• Basic understanding of accounting and finance

What is the difference between carpet and flooring?

As a flooring installation business owner, you'll probably get asked this question multiple times a day. While most people understand the visual difference between carpet and other options like hardwood flooring, it's essential to discuss the other differentiating factors.

For instance, the price difference between carpet and hardwood flooring is significant. In fact, hardwood flooring can range between $12 and $20 per square foot, while the carpet is much cheaper at $6 to $12 per square foot.

Another important element of the carpet-versus-hardwood flooring debate is upkeep. Many people assume that carpet is easier to maintain—however, that isn't always the case. For example, when it comes to spills, you can clean hardwood floors with a damp mop—carpets can't. Instead, dust and dirt become trapped in the carpet fibers, making it difficult to truly clean.

How much does it cost to start a flooring company?

Many factors can affect the cost of starting a flooring company, including location, material price, and margins. However, most owners will spend anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 starting their flooring company. This amount is generally enough to cover the rent for a small shop, purchase materials, and pay employees.

Are there grants to start a flooring installation business?

Currently, there aren't any grants specifically for entrepreneurs looking to start a flooring installation business. However, that doesn't mean there aren't options for getting the funding you need. Like other owners, flooring installation business owners have the opportunity to apply for general small business federal grants.

Some states also offer additional funding for small businesses. The best way to locate these opportunities is by contacting your state's small business resource center.

How do flooring companies make money?

Flooring companies make money by installing different flooring materials such as carpet, hardwood, and tile flooring. Even though some shops offer other flooring services like flooring repairs and refinishing, the best margins come from installation projects.

While many factors can affect the average amount of money a flooring company can make on a single job, most business owners can expect to change the following rates for a standard home:

• Vinyl or linoleum flooring: $1,500
• Carpet: $1,750
• Hardwood flooring: $4,000

Again the above averages could vary depending on the square footage and the type of material the customer wants to use.

Now that you have a basic understanding of operating a flooring business, let's look at some of the most important steps to turning your flooring installation company into a success.

Step 1: Creating a business plan

One of the best ways to set your company up for success is to create a business plan. The business plan acts as a blueprint for your flooring business. It's also a common requirement for lending institutions before you can apply for financing.

As you sit down to write your business plan, you'll want to include the following sections.

• Executive Summary: It might be good to save this portion of the business plan for last as it provides a detailed overview of what is to come in the document. You’ll want to write about your vision for the company and how you plan to achieve your goals.
• Industry Analysis: Provide details on what you have learned about your market — include elements such as market trends, size, level of opportunity, and gaps.
• Competitive Analysis: List out your competitors — discuss their weaknesses and strengths. Identify what makes your company different from the competition.
• Marketing Plan: Make a list of your ideal target market. Identify what the audience looks like, their pain points, and how you plan to engage them.
• Management: Note how you plan to run each project and the role that employees will play. Identify any possible gaps in your current team and what you need to do to fill those gaps.
• Operations: Walk through your day-to-day operations and how you plan on running the company. List out the major processes involved in an installation and the steps you will take to ensure that projects are completed.
• Financial Plan: Record your estimated startup and operating expenses. Discuss your business financial goals and financial projections for the first 5 years of operations.

Step 2: Selecting a business structure

While thinking through your business plan, you’ll want to consider the best way to structure your flooring company. Generally, there are 4 different types of business structures to compare before choosing. Those structures include:

• Sole proprietorship
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• Partnership
• Corporation

Each structure has its own set of rules that need to be followed. Carefully review each and select the one that makes the most sense for your future business goals.

Step 3: Choosing a business name

Choosing the perfect name for your company can be the difference between a successful floor installation business and one that struggles to stay open. Customers will typically search online to find businesses in the local area for service businesses like flooring companies.

If you choose a name that doesn't describe what your company does, there is a good chance that potential customers will skip your website and move on to the next on the list.

When selecting your business name, try to make it:

• Simple to spell and say
• Cohesive with your brand
• Obvious what type of services your company offers
• Easy to remember

Step 4: Identifying your audience

An easy way to save money on marketing and advertising is to identify your target audience. By asking yourself who your ideal customer is, you can create marketing campaigns targeting their specific pain points.

Try asking yourself the following questions to help identify what type of client you would ideally like to work with:

• Do you want to work with commercial or residential clients?
• Are you targeting homes within a specific household income?
• What careers do your ideal clients have?
• What type of business buildings do you want them to have for commercial clients?
• Do you prefer new homeowners or homeowners who have lived at the residence for at least 5 years?
• Are the clients married, single, or in a relationship?
• Do families have children?
• Will you work with any type of home, or do you want to specialize in farmhouses or Tudors?
• Are your potential clients on social media? If so, which platforms do they use?
• Why do your potential clients want to upgrade their floors?
• Do they value function or design more?

While you don’t need to answer all of these questions, they will give you a good starting point when considering who you want to market to.

Step 5: Establishing a niche, unique value proposition, and branding

After selecting your target audience, it's time to think about establishing a niche, unique value proposition, and brand. Let's look at how you might approach each as a new flooring business owner.

When most people start a business, there are many things to think about, but developing a niche usually isn't one of them. However, investing time into creating a niche can be extremely valuable for a business.

For instance, if you start your flooring company and specialize in installing hardwood flooring, it's easier to earn a reputation and market to homeowners looking for your service.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean you need to niche down. Instead, you can focus on either your unique value proposition or branding to help stand out in the market.

Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Every company has a unique value proposition, but most owners don't know how to identify it. The easiest way to determine your UVP is by thinking about what makes your flooring business stand out. Do you offer the shortest completion time for projects? Do certain groups, like members of the military, receive special discounts?

Whatever it might be, highlighting it in your marketing material can help you win business and capture market share.

After you work through a potential niche and your unique value proposition, it’s time to consider branding. A company’s brand can be one of the most important elements in determining success. Customers often look at your brand and decide whether they want to learn more about your product or service.

As you consider the type of brand you want to create, you should keep the following in mind:

• Design aesthetics
• Managing style
• Target clients
• Color palette
• Mission statement

Step 6: Crafting a service list

Even though floor installation will be your company’s most often selected service, that doesn’t mean that you can’t offer other services too. For instance, you could increase your total revenue and attract new customers by adding any of the following services:

• Polishing or refinishing current flooring
• Emergency flooring repairs
• Floor matching

The price point you set for your services will be dictated by your market. Conducting market research is often the easiest way to determine what customers are willing to pay in your location.

Step 7: Obtaining the appropriate equipment

Since flooring companies work with various flooring materials, you'll want to ensure that you have the appropriate equipment to complete any project. Here's a list of the most common tools you'll want to keep with you:

• Floor scraper
• Floor roller
• Floor cutter
• Tape measure
• Rubber mallet
• Tapping block
• Utility knife
• Protective eyewear, clothing, and footwear

Step 8: Securing financing

While the barrier to entry for starting a flooring installation business isn't high, you'll still need to ensure you have the startup capital to keep the business running during the first few months. If you find that you need additional funds for equipment, materials, or marketing, then you can always look to one of the following options for financing:

• Bank business loans
• Business credit cards
• Private investors or lenders
• Friends and family

Step 9: Purchasing the necessary insurance

Having the right processes in place is a great way to set your company up for success. However, your hard work could vanish without the appropriate small business insurance if a customer sues your organization.

To ensure you have the appropriate protection to keep your business running smoothly, you should consider the following flooring installation business insurance coverages:

• General liability insurance
• Business property insurance
• Commercial auto insurance
• Business interruption insurance

Additionally, if you plan on hiring employees to help with the installation process, you’ll need to purchase workers’ compensation insurance .

Step 10: Completing paperwork, licenses, and permits

One of the final steps in launching your flooring business is to ensure you have all the appropriate paperwork, licenses, and permits. Since there isn't a specific state requirement for flooring businesses, you'll want to check the general business requirements for the location where you plan to operate your business. Most states will require you to obtain the following before you can legally run your company:

• Employer Identification Number
• General business license

It would also be good to open a business bank account, so your personal and professional funds don't cross.

Step 11: Crafting a marketing strategy

Now that your company is officially registered, it's time to start thinking about how you will attract new business. Critical components like creating a website and posting on social media are important, but most flooring businesses see most new customers come in from referrals and word-of-mouth.

One way to take advantage of both channels is to ask recent customers for testimonials once installation services are complete. It's also a good idea to have business cards on you — that way, you can pass your information along to potential leads.

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The content of this page is for general informational purposes only. It should not be relied on as legal, tax, insurance, financial, or other professional advice and is not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, current, reliable, or error-free. See the Terms of Service for further information about this website.

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Start A House Floor Plan Business - Business Ideas

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Starting a house floor plan business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion .

If you're interested in how to sell , or selling online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Startup Costs

Successful businesses, pros & cons, marketing ideas, affiliate program.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to bring in a new revenue stream , especially when you don't sell products or services.

Simply put, an affiliate program is an agreement where a business pays another business or influencer ("the affiliate") a commission for sending traffic and/or sales their way.

The affiliate typically gets a unique link where clicks and conversions can be tracked.

Learn more about affiliate program ➜

Direct Sales

Direct sales strategy implies a direct contact between a seller and a consumer without the involvement of any third party. Direct selling is popular in sectors where sellers communicate with their clientele personally. The sales technique occurs at non-store locations which include at home, work, or online.

For direct selling to succeed, hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. It's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.

Learn more about direct sales ➜

Word of mouth

Word of mouth is when a consumers reflects their interest in a company’s product or service in their daily dialogues.

Therefore, word of mouth advertising is essentially a free advertising triggered by the customers experience.

According to Nielsen , 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family.

Therefore, in today’s hyper-connected world, a single recommendation through a word of mouth can have a huge impact to your business.

Learn more about word of mouth ➜

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