Commercial lots can be brimming with potential for long-term profit and scalability. That being said, the most successful plazas and commercial corners are maintained extremely well. Your lots play into the environment of the shopping center and in many ways can dictate the success of it. After all, would you want to visit a shopping center if the parking lot was a hazard to your new rims? In this article, we’re going to review 5 different tips for maintaining your commercial properties.
Keep up to code
First and foremost, you should always make sure that your lots and buildings are up to code. The city you’re in likely has a revised code for development that will tell you their exact preferences. In some cities, you can even request that an inspector review your plans. This can be everything from how wide entrances and exits to the parking lot need to be to how many exits the building needs to have to meet fire code. More importantly, you need to pay attention to when the laws or codes change. Your city council should keep you up to date, but it’s just as important that you react when new restrictions are put into place.
Be prepared for the elements
If you’re in the north of the United States, you’re no stranger to snow. Likewise, you know how dangerous ice can be. To keep traffic pulling in, make sure that your parking lots are cleared quickly when the snow comes in. Do what you can to make sure iced walkways don’t pose a hazard to customers visiting the shopping center.
This is especially true for shopping centers that focus on retailers. The holiday rush is a very real moneymaker for the majority of businesses. Make sure that everyone can maneuver your parking lot safely. The patrons and shops that have set up in your plaza will be grateful. Their stability is your stability. Strong shopping centers that have the same stores for many years stay strong despite the business climate, whereas plazas with a shop that’s “always something new” tend to suffer.
Plant flowers and offer landscaping to your stores
Make the entrance of your plazas appealing. A little bit of gardening and tree trimming can go a long way! In fact, partnering with landscapers can help you add a premium to a store’s rent. What store wouldn’t love their grounds maintained? Bracketing that cost into the rent makes your stores more likely to rent while opening another income stream for you. This type of service often attracts larger establishments such as national brands to take up residence in your plaza.
Replace the essentials as often as you can afford
In the event that you’re maintaining a single business location, you’ll benefit from learning how to fix it before it’s broken. Water heaters, plumbing pipes, and dishwashers all have a way of letting you know they’re on their way out. Instead of waiting for the equipment to break and cripple a part of your operations, look for equipment agreements that allow you to upgrade and replace machinery and structural pieces as needed. You’d be surprised how many companies would prefer to sell you a service rather than a product when it comes to structural pieces and machinery. Take advantage of that.
If you own the parking lot of your property, you need to make sure it’s taken care of. No one wants to go to the store with the terrible parking lot. They don’t want to risk damaging their cars to go shopping or get food. When you start to see cracks and potholes around the lot, it’s time to hire a paving company to fix the issues. A silky smooth parking lot might not seem that important, but it can make a difference for consumers.
Keep it secured
Security is an important element of protecting your property and your people. Whether you own the plaza or you have a singular building to maintain, you need to have security in place. For some this may be cameras, for others this may be security personnel, and in ideal situations: both.
No one is immune to crime. The best we can do is be prepared for it. Security footage or security officers can both contribute to lowering theft, property crime, and much more. The more security you have, the more peace of mind you have. Customers feel secure, employees feel secure, and the community knows your place is safe to be.
Final thoughts: Don’t let commercial properties become rundown
As you may have noticed, the majority of this article surrounds the idea of making your commercial property a place where people want to be. The reputation of a location is a powerful tool in business and in the eyes of the customers. If you really think about, I’m sure there is a place in your hometown you never visit because it’s the ‘plaza where… happened.’ By doing everything in your power to keep your commercial location a safe, clean, and efficient place, you’re ensuring the long-term growth of your business as a whole.
