Under construction? Remember to include the magic!

I’ve walked passed, and even entered a few shops lately that were having a makeover. Refurbishing the buying room whilst staying open. One such shop was stripped back to the plasterboard and had a bundle of wires hanging from the ceiling. Its guts on display revealing the place for what it was, undressed, a box with stuff in it. One of the staff said that the improvements would take 2 weeks and the builders were working at night. Another shop I saw partially boarded up but showing the innards of the shop filled with debris and workmen with  fluorescent jackets tramping in and out.

Seeing this work in process for me is like watching someone put their makeup on, in the car on the way to work. Revealing the facade for what it is, a mask, removes the mystique.

Would you rather have short-term cash flow and no magic in your business OR have your customers arrive on your doorstep ready to marvel at your place of business as it is unwrapped and explored in its new and magical shininess, as if it appeared overnight?