Studies show that small businesses make up nearly 99.9% of American businesses. With so many businesses active in the United States – over 33 million by some estimates, understanding property maintenance is critical.
One factor that most business owners may overlook is the maintenance patch. Commercial maintenance and property management are critical parts of owning a business, but how can you keep your commercial endeavor maintained?
If you’re curious to learn more about commercial property management, we’re here to offer guidance. Read on to learn more about properly maintaining your business and how maintenance can help your performance.
What Is Commercial Maintenance?
To start, what is commercial maintenance?
Commercial maintenance is any maintenance that you perform on your commercial or professional endeavor. Most often, this comes in the form of renovations and upkeep.
For example, repainting property that you’re using for business is a common exercise. Some may also use paint or maintenance to cover up damage or other issues. These are often referred to as a maintenance patch.
Commercial maintenance can range from renovations and fixes to minor touch-ups.
Benefits of Commercial Maintenance
What’s the purpose of commercial maintenance? Some may prefer to skip out on maintenance to save funds. Other companies may struggle to find the money to hire professionals.
The benefits of maintenance far outweigh the cons. If you’re uncertain about how to budget your maintenance, contact us at W.T. Kenney Co. We’re experts at high-quality work without breaking your wallet.
Attract and Impress Customers
One of the main reasons you might seek maintenance is to attract customers.
If your business has visible issues, customers are generally unimpressed. Studies show that the aesthetics of a business can impact a customer’s experience.
As such, if your building has chipped paint, cracked drywall, or exposed framing, many customers may take issue. These problems often come as a result of poor funding or improper maintenance. But to customers, it may seem as if they’re not in a safe establishment.
A maintenance patch can help cover up or resolve these issues. As a result, your business will impress existing customers and attract new ones. Best of all, it won’t scare off anyone interested in your business.
Preparing for the Future
How can you make sure your business is still standing at the end of the financial year? One of the best ways is with proper maintenance.
Some business owners try to cut corners at every turn to save funds. While this is sensible, maintenance is not a place to cut corners.
With maintenance issues, if you continue to neglect your business, the issues may worsen. A crack in your drywall becomes a gaping hole, or chipped paint peels away completely.
Fixing these larger issues is a more expensive and severe problem than their minor versions. Consider having your building inspected to make sure that no maintenance issues are lurking where you can’t see them.
Following Safety Regulations
Speaking of inspections, your business has dozens of codes and laws to abide by. But did you know that some of these codes relate to maintenance?
The specifics depend on what state or territory your business is in. Some cities may have different codes as well. Generally speaking, these codes relate to safety rather than aesthetics.
Performing regular maintenance can help ensure your building stays up to code. Consider looking into your local ordinances and codes to see where your commercial property needs improvement.
When to Handle Maintenance
If you’re thinking of repainting property or performing maintenance, how do you know when the time is right? Here are some areas you may want to consider for maintenance.
Annual Property Maintenance
No matter what condition your building is in, you should consider annual property maintenance.
Annual property maintenance is a yearly exercise in inspecting and maintaining the building. You may do this by deep cleaning the property, having an inspection, or more.
A full year is often enough for problems to manifest. If you spend several years without maintenance, you can expect aspects of the property to begin failing.
By staying proactive, you can often void the worst issues. Do your best to keep an annual upkeep schedule at the minimum.
Renovations and Changes
If you have renovations planned for your property, it’s an excellent time to look into maintenance.
Renovations may include changing the interior design, expanding rooms, and more. You may also decide to renovate to change the aesthetic or color scheme of the building.
During this process, you have the perfect opportunity to perform maintenance. The aesthetics of construction can help mask your work, letting you take out two birds with one stone.
Expansion
Along with renovations, you may be looking at expanding your building. Maybe you’ve purchased an extra plot of land or are absorbing a neighboring store that’s gone out of business.
When you’re expanding, you should have both properties inspected and checked for any necessary maintenance. During this process, you should tackle any repainting or maintenance that you need. It’s easier to do so now than to wait until your expansion is complete.
Shifting Priorities
Finally, you may choose to work in your commercial maintenance when your priorities are shifting.
A good example of this is if your business is shifting focus. For example, you may choose to focus more on the customer experience than your profit.
One of the best ways to do so is to renovate and improve your business. Repainting property can give your business a fresh and “new” feeling. It also will improve the aesthetics and make your business seem more professional.
Making the Most of the Maintenance Patch
Whether you’re putting in a small maintenance patch or completing annual inspections, commercial maintenance is critical to your business’s success. Make a list of what aspects of your business need the most frequent attention. Afterward, prioritize your property maintenance in order of what’s the most important.
Curious about how we can help you complete your commercial property management? Contact us at W.T. Kenney to see how we can bring a new shine to your commercial endeavor.
