Guest post by Jay Harris

Brick and mortar small businesses that feature products in a showroom-type setting know the importance of lighting in a retail setup. So does anyone who’s tried on an item of clothing in a dressing room awash in flickering fluorescent overhead lights — and then opted not to buy the clothing because it didn’t look quite right.  Consider how carefully you craft your email marketing message; why wouldn’t you spend as much time and effort on your store’s appearance.

Lighting accounts for 20 to 50 percent of a company’s electricity consumption, so the business-minded among us should recognize how essential energy-efficient selections are to the ROI of a major upgrade.

What are the brightest ways to maximize your illumination scheme while minimizing your small business’s energy expenditures? Below, I will shine a light on how to focus your energy where it is most needed, as well as turn you on to a handful of simple switches that can boost your business.

Task Lighting: Encouraging Desk Staff to Radiate Productivity

Overhead

While employees certainly perform better in well-lit workstations, when standard T12 fluorescent ceiling lights are bearing down, the outcome may be anything but vibrant. These older fluorescent systems often yield poor-quality light and are subject to flickering and humming that can distract staff.

However, fluorescents can be useful, as they have proven four times more efficient than incandescent lamps. Just be sure to choose the high-efficiency (and warmer) T8 and T5 options. And spread your fixtures evenly to eliminate shadowy “dead” zones in production areas. You want uniform coverage throughout the office space.

Indirect

Harsh direct lights can cause eyestrain, fatigue, and reduced productivity, so it’s ideal to supplement your overhead design with indirect lighting from desk and table lamps. But before you stock your supply closet with cases of inexpensive bulbs, consider investing in longer-lasting, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights. Energy Star-qualified CFLs consume three-quarters less energy than their incandescent counterparts, without sacrificing any of the warmth. In fact, swapping a single 60-watt incandescent bulb for a 13-watt CFL saves roughly $37 over the life of the bulb. And since this technology produces less heat, when used in large numbers, it can help cut back on cooling expenses.

Daylight

To increase sunny days in the office, be sure to let in those rays. Not only does natural light increase energy levels among employees, its energy cost (and thus the cost to your bottom line) is nil. Plus, it’s brighter than artificial substitutes. Take care not to block windows, consider installing skylights and sun tubes, and orient desks to take advantage of daylight without causing computer-screen glare.

Only have limited access to the sun while on the inside? Turn to energy-efficient LED lights with a “daylight white” balance of color to promote concentration.

Bright Source: Selling Customers with Brilliant Ideas

Spotlights

If you’re looking to highlight a particular item in a sales environment, halogen lights are the go-to, preferred for their white light and ability to add a bit of shine to merchandise. These advanced incandescent lamps can be suspended above prime areas as in-ceiling can lights, or placed adjacent to key shelves as wall sconces. Also consider layering accent lights inside cabinets or above shelves, so that products don’t become lost in dark recesses.

Daylight

Here comes the sun, again. Natural daylight should be harnessed not only for office situations, but retail outfits as well, since it creates a pleasing visual environment for the human eye and brain. If your business includes a clothing component, natural light is the most flattering, so should be channeled into fitting rooms using avenues such as skylights and glass bricks.

Sunshine can also boost your clients’ comfort level at a point of sale, where 90 percent of decisions are made (in fact, after conducting an experiment a few years ago, Walmart concluded that consumers purchased more and lingered longer in areas of the store that boasted daylight rather than artificial light). Lesson learned: place your registers and contract-negotiation corners alongside a bank of windows.

Window Lights

Invite customers in with light. Bright window displays form a lively welcome to your store, giving patrons a quick taste of your business’s personality. Available in an array of colors and formats (everything from ropes to rods), LED lights are ideal for creating artistic front displays to draw in passersby. And when left burning at night, lit window displays can act as a deterrent to potential thieves.

Do these insights spark an idea for your small business?

Turn customers into repeat customers by implementing the tips in “Deliver. Satisfy. Repeat.”

Jay Harris is a Home Depot sales associate in the Chicago suburbs and a writer on Home Depot’s blog. Jay’s interests in the home improvement arena include LED lightbulbs, alarm systems, and answering any other light bulb related questions.