When a business struggles for years, the problems are often blamed on weak sales, poor management or strong competition. However, when a client took over a loss-making salon in October 2022, feng shui practitioner Alan Chong noticed another possible issue.
The business layout might have been working against it.
According to Alan, the outlet had been losing money for years despite the previous owner’s experience as a skilled hairstylist. The business also faced disharmony among its employees, with staff members struggling to work well together.
In feng shui, Alan explained that workplace disharmony may affect the overall energy of a business, gradually draining both motivation and performance.
The Previous Owner Had Tried To Save The Salon
The previous owner was not new to the industry. He was an experienced and skilled hairstylist who had spent years trying to turn the business around.
Despite his skills and efforts, the salon continued to struggle financially.
In October 2022, one of Alan’s clients decided to take over the business. The client had previously engaged Alan to assess another shop in Bangsar and believed the feng shui recommendations had helped transform its performance.
Determined to start the new business on stronger footing, the client contacted Alan before reopening it.
The Mall’s Feng Shui
When Alan arrived, he did not immediately recommend moving furniture or adding feng shui objects.
Instead, he began by examining the mall where the salon was located.
According to Alan, understanding the wider environment is an important part of a commercial feng shui assessment.
This includes studying the surrounding landform, the building’s structure and how chi, or energy, is believed to flow through the property.
“If you do not understand where the chi is coming from, you will not know where or how to tap into the right opportunities,” Alan explained.
Only after studying the mall’s overall layout did he move on to assessing the business premises.
The Cashier Counter Was In The Wrong Position
One of the first problems Alan identified was the position of the cashier counter.
According to him, the counter had been placed in an unsuitable area of the salon. There was also a small water fountain sitting on top of it.
Many people associate water with wealth in feng shui. However, Alan warned that simply placing a water feature inside a business does not automatically attract money.
“Many people believe that water equals wealth, but this is not always true,” he said.
“When water is placed incorrectly, it does not attract wealth. It can drain it away.”
The premises also had a waving fortune cat intended to attract customers. However, Alan said decorative objects alone would not be effective if they were not aligned with the flow of energy within the space.
One Important Change To The Salon Layout
After mapping what he identified as the chi flow, Alan recommended relocating the cashier counter to the opposite side of the premises.
He believed the new position would activate a more auspicious area inside the salon.
The new owner subsequently renovated the premises and rearranged several parts of its layout, including the cashier counter.
However, the business did not replace its entire workforce. It continued operating with the same employees inherited from the previous owner.
Same Staff And Same Salon, But A New Chapter
According to Alan, the salon began showing financial improvements within the first few months after reopening.
The business initially moved from making losses to breaking even. After maintaining that position for several months, it eventually became profitable.
Alan described the improvement as significant because the business continued operating with the same staff members. The major changes involved its ownership, renovation, management and physical layout.
By April 2026, more than three years after the takeover, Alan said the salon was still operating successfully.
While several business and operational factors may have contributed to the turnaround, Alan believes the feng shui changes helped create a more supportive environment for the business.
Feng Shui Is Not A Quick Fix
According to Alan, traditional feng shui should not be treated as a temporary solution or a collection of decorative objects that must be replaced every few months.
He described it as a flow that develops gradually over time.
“Feng shui needs time. But if it is done correctly, the longer it continues, the better it can become,” he said.
“It does not work for only two or three months before you need to buy something new. That is not traditional feng shui.”
For a salon operating inside a mall, failure can be especially costly due to high rental expenses, employee salaries, renovation costs and other financial commitments.
Alan estimated that the business could have accumulated hundreds of thousands of ringgit in losses if its performance had not improved.
Is A Lack Of Effort Really The Problem?
The case raises an important question for struggling business owners.
If an entrepreneur is already working hard and has the necessary industry skills, could other factors still be affecting the company’s performance?
From Alan’s perspective, the physical environment and flow of energy within a workplace may play a role in supporting or disrupting a business.
“If your business is struggling, is your effort really the problem? Is it your skill, or could it be the energy that you are working against every single day?” he asked.
Although feng shui is a traditional practice and the salon transformation could also be influenced by factors such as management, service quality, customer demand and financial discipline, Alan considers it one of his successful commercial feng shui cases.
For more info on Alan Chong’s practice, visit Feng Shui Mechanics.
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