Building Maintenance Projects That Provide a Major Value with Minimal Investment

Consumers are a fickle bunch as no matter how wonderful or unique your products or services are, if the exterior of your business doesn’t project a polished image, you are losing out on sales. From concrete cracks needing repair to chipped paint and dirty windows, your business could inadvertently send clients the wrong message.

The curb appeal of your commercial building can dramatically affect customer experience and, ultimately, your sales. According to the Brick and Mortar Retail Report, aside from unclean washrooms and poorly stocked shelves, customers have cited issues with parking lots and a store’s exterior appearance as two of the most important factors shaping their experience the same report shows that more than 50% of customers would avoid a shop that was unkempt or poorly maintained.

Fortunately, enhancing the exterior of your retail or commercial space doesn’t have to be a costly endeavour. There are simple ways to give your building a facelift that is as effective as they are affordable.

Address Parking Lot Concerns

Your business’s curb appeal starts at the curb. Before potential consumers make it to your front door, they must navigate your parking lot. Problems like poorly visible lines, potholes, and concrete cracks are all minor repair issues that could negatively impact your business.

Concrete cracks begin small, and the earlier they are fixed, the less complicated – and costly – the repairs are likely to be. Left unchecked, minor concrete cracks will eventually lead to other problems, like potholes, which are a more significant concern for you and your customers. If your parking lot has seen better days, enlist the help of a concrete contractor. The concrete crack repair can take care of the damage while adding a new coat of sealer and some freshly painted lines can make your parking lot look new again (and help protect it from future damage).

Keep Your Grounds and Building Maintained

Not only do parking lots and curbs get damaged, but they also get dirty. Help make your commercial building an inviting space for customers and employees by keeping the exterior parking lot, walkways, and green areas clean and free of garbage and debris. Chores in this category can be broken by those that need to be performed weekly, monthly, and annually.

• Weekly: At least once per week (daily if your space tends to attract more dust and debris), sweep around the perimeter of your entranceway, clean windows, dust displays, and water plants, and ensure your signage is clear and visible. Quickly scan your parking lot to remove any significant debris or garbage.

• Monthly: Each month, get into the habit of switching up your store display (if you have one) and checking that things like outdoor lightbulbs are functioning correctly.

• Annually: Routine building maintenance should be done every year. This is the time to address larger issues like fixing concrete cracks and potholes or having the exterior of your building repainted. Other types of annual building maintenance might include pressure washing, leaf removal, and general inspection of the roof, parking lot, and landscaping.

If this isn’t a task you can manage on your own, plenty of maintenance companies will take care of it for you.

Inside Interest

Once you have worked on sprucing the exterior of your retail or commercial space, carry that attention inside, prioritizing the client-facing spaces. Similar to caring for the outside of your building, the inside needs to be regularly cleaned. High-touch areas like washrooms, counters, change rooms, floors, and doors should be cleaned daily, while shelves, displays, interior windows, and mirrors need to be washed at least once per month.

As part of your annual clean-up, you can have a professional company come in and take care of major systems like your HVAC or exhaust fans.