5 Ways to Improve Feng Shui When Starting a New Business

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese system of rules, concepts and principles which attempts to explain the impact on people's lives of the layout and design of their homes/businesses and the impact of the environment around them. The literal Chinese translation of feng shui is wind and water. The principles are still treated with some scepticism in the West but I think a very pertinent analogy can be drawn between acupuncture about which Westerners were similarly doubtful but which is now seen as a valid alternative medicine in its own right.

The first way in which you can improve your business is by considering its location. Basic no-nos for a business are location near a subway entrance, facing an oncoming road or at the end of a cul-de-sac or dead-end road. It is also considered bad luck to be situated near a place of religious worship, church, mosque etc as it is considered that religious buildings create a strong spiritual energy that can overtake the active chi needed to nourish business. The best principle to bear in mind is the mantra of estate agents location, location, location. Your new business should therefore be located where it is visible to a lot of people and not stuck in a backstreet.

A business's name also needs to be given careful consideration. You should avoid using words suggesting death or misfortune in a business's title. Ideally a business name should evoke a business's purpose, be easy to remember and have a nice rhythm to it. In today's age you must also have something that stands out from your competitors and is distinctive.

Moving on to practical matters you should pay attention to the entrance and in particular the entrance door. This is considered by the Chinese to be the business's mouth and therefore should be large enough that the business doesn't starve. It should be at least as large as its competitor across the road. It is also relevant that the entrance should be inviting to potential customers ie be set out in bold colours.

One of the most important things to bear in mind is the Wealth Corner. This is located in the southeastern corner of the business usually diagonally across from the main entrance. To try and enhance chi (positive energy) the Chinese usually adorn this area with symbols of prosperity, coins, a cash register etc. This area should ideally be kept clear of all clutter and well-lit. Another thing that the Chinese are very fond of doing and which you should definitely consider is putting a tank containing between 5 and 8 goldfish in the Wealth Corner. (Don't put 4 goldfish there - this number symbolizes death in China.)

Finally, as a lot of businesses nowadays are offices you also need to consider the very specific feng shui rules that relate to them. There are certain things that you should certainly avoid in an office situation such as having a light shining directly above your head or sitting at a desk with a window at your back. You should aim for an office environment with positive vibes ie light-filled, airy and as mentioned above an uncluttered money corner with lots of symbols of wealth.

In all aspects of feng shui always attempt to emphasize the positive. Good luck.

Feng Shui Basics Every Home Buyer Should Know

If you're looking for a new home there are some basic feng shui tips you'll want to keep in mind. This will make it easier for you to select a home that has good basic feng shui and works with your personal feng shui energy too.

1) Find a home that is on a square lot. This will create overall balance for the property and allow an even flow of both yin and yang energy.

2) The home should be centered on the lot rather than off to one side, too close to the front yard (leaving a much larger back yard) or too close to the back (leaving a much larger front yard). If the home has a bigger front yard than back yard bringing money into your household will be easy but hanging onto it will be difficult.

If the front yard is smaller than the backyard bringing money into your household will be hard but once you get it you will have an easier time saving it. Try to find a home where the front and back yards are equal in size.

3) There should be trees, another home or fence behind the house to hold the positive energy on your property and make it easier to hold on to your money.

4) Stand in the street and look at the front of the home. Any vegetation, buildings, telephone poles, flag poles, trees, etc. should be higher on the right side of the house than the left. If it is the other way around it can create legal problems and/or angry females in the home.

5) The ideal shape of a home is square, however it can be difficult to find a perfectly square home. If the home isn't square then you will at least want the home to have all of your 4 personal best directions (Success, Health, Relationships, Wisdom) because if any of these areas are partially or completely missing you will have more problems in these areas of your life.

Your personal best directions are different from general feng shui directions for Success, Health, Relationships and Wisdom. Your personal directions are specific to you and based on your birthday.

6) Ideally the front door should face the Success or Relationship direction of the bread winner in the family. If you are retired then finding a home where the front door faces any of your four best directions is fine.

7) Your master bedroom should be in one of your four best directions in the home. A simplified way to determine this is to draw a tic-tac-toe symbol over the floor plan of the house and see what direction the master bedroom is located in (N, S, E, W, SE, SW, NE or NW). If it's in one of your four best directions this will be good for you.