Tag: brick and mortar location

5 Things To Do When Leasing a Business Space

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Whether it’s your first business premises or you’re moving to a new location, finding a suitable space will accelerate your business success. It pays to give the exercise enough time, and even when it feels overwhelming, don’t settle for any office you find. Make sure the office fits your business needs. Here are things to consider

Work With a Professional

It might seem like you’ll be spending extra money, but a professional such as a lawyer will make sure you get a good deal and the contract and lease agreements are favourable. 

Probably you don’t have the time or skills needed to go through every word in the lease agreement. The expert will ensure there are no terms that are potential loopholes affecting your finances, business health, and peace of mind in the future. A law firm like Accuro Maxwell will even help you negotiate good deals, protecting your interests.

Understand the Costs

Most people get into a lease agreement without knowing that there are other costs associated with the new space. This creates stress and affects the business’s health. Instead, talk to the landlord or property management company and let them state all the included costs. 

You have to pay maintenance fees, and when you have an NNN lease agreement, you’ll also take care of insurance and tax expenses because the landlord passes them on to the tenants. Other costs include utilities and modification costs. 

You might also incur the expense of new furniture, equipment, and fixtures. Additionally, you might have to pay marketing costs to make potential clients know about your new location, driving more traffic to the business space.

Stay Future Focused

You’d probably want to move into a business place you can afford but still look at your future needs and leave room for business growth. For instance, you might want to build out space in the future as the business grows. 

Understand the zoning laws and how they affect your expansion plans. Also, check whether the current setup is big enough to accommodate any future growth. You don’t want to start looking for a new space one or two years down the road because this might be costlier and might also affect your lease agreement.

Understand the Implications of Breaking Your Lease

Most commercial leases are 3 to 5 years, but anything can happen, making you leave the building sooner. Be aware of such implications and negotiate better or more favourable terms. Note that in some cases, you not only lose the security deposit but could even be sued for terminating the lease earlier. Have your lawyer look at the lease agreement and advise you or negotiate better terms on your behalf. 

Have a Written Down Agreement

Always have all the promises and agreements from the landlord written down and signed. This will ensure that the landlord fulfils their end of the deal protecting your interests. For instance, if you agree that the landlord will handle repairs and maintenance, have it written down in the lease contract and also ensure that the exercise doesn’t inconvenience your business.Take time to understand the implications of moving into the new space. You don’t want to find yourself in a lease agreement that doesn’t favour your interests, or worse, the environment is not conducive for your business operations.

Annual Maintenance Jobs To Keep Your Business Looking Its Best

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Your business undertakes a lot of annual tasks. From filing taxes to annual audits, there are some things you know you’ll need to do every year for your business.

But in addition to the things that happens behind the scenes, you need to think about the things that people can see. A well-maintained business premises leaves a positive impression, so it’s important that you keep on top of it.

Here are some annual maintenance jobs to keep your business looking its best.

Commission a deep clean

While regular cleaning is something that should be done daily, there are some cleaning tasks that are needed a little less frequently. Nonetheless, an annual spring-clean can leave your business gleaming, ensuring that those areas that are often neglected, such as gutters, ceiling lights, high up displays, etc. are kept in order. With attention paid to some of those trickier areas, you can make sure your business stays looking your best. 

Dress the front of your business

A refresh of the front of your business can create a more welcoming vibe, adding interest to your business that could encourage more passing trade. There are a lot of great ways to boost your business’ kerb appeal, including adding plants, displays and additional signage. Dressing your business for each season keeps things fresh, making an excellent impression on people walking past your door. If you want to attract new customers to your business, those first impressions will really count. 

Maintain your car park

Your car park can easily become neglected after a season of wintery weather, especially if there’s been a lot of rain. This can affect parking lines, signage on the ground and even the quality of the terrain if potholes or other signs of damage have appeared. Once a year, it’s a great idea to bring in CJJ Services to redo your line markers so that everything is clear to see for your customers. You should also ensure that all debris is cleared and that any other markers in your car park are in their proper place. 

Ensure your signs are all visible and up to date

From wind and rain to too much sun, signs can easily be become faded or ineligible. Not only that, but some people also find it funny to steal or destroy business signs, leaving businesses without adequate signage for customers. Carry out a signage audit to check that your signs are visible and feature up-to-date information. If anything is dated or missing, get it replaced to ensure your customers can stay fully informed. This could also be the perfect excuse for you to refresh your signage, and there are a lot of great signage ideas to give you some inspiration. 

Maintaining the appearance of your business is important. If things are looking run down or dated, it could be a major turn-off for your customers. Making a list of annual jobs for the outside of your business can help ensure it stays looking its best, while also creating a safe and welcoming environment for customers.

Striking Store Front Display Ideas

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you have finally got to the point of owning your very own shop premises – congratulations! Now you’ll have to answer one of the most important marketing questions you’ll face yet; what should you put in the shop window? Your storefront should entice customers whilst letting them know exactly what you provide. This could range from your best, key products, to something more artistic. If you’ve ever wandered down a main street at Christmas time, you’ll know that big brands pour millions of dollars into incredible festive displays… and yet you can also create something exciting all year round, for a fraction of the budget.

Simple and Effective

The simplest solution, as described above, is to place your most attractive products front and centre in the window. However, you’ll still want to decide how to present them. Do you use conventional shelving, or floating platforms? Do you want to create a sleek, minimalist vibe, or perhaps you could decorate the window to put a greater spotlight on your products? A bold move could be to fill the entire window with copies of a single item, creating a striking kaleidoscope to entice your customers in.

Add a Natural Element

People love nature, and being surrounded by it makes us happy. You could add a natural element to your window displays by incorporating flowers and plants to really bring your storefront to life. If you want to use cut flowers, you’ll need to consult with a floral cooler manufacturer – installing a cooler system will help the flowers stay looking fresh and vibrant for longer. This is a great, beautiful way to make your shop stand out amongst all the other, creating a natural, organic aesthetic that will make passersby long to enter your wonderful space.

Go Abstract

Now, flowers and products are all very well – but how about thinking even more out of the box? Commissioning an artist or graphic designer to come up with a display that represents you in a more abstract style might be an expense, but you could end up with something completely stylish and unique. There is no limit to the fun you can have with a store window display, from colorful scenes to intriguing sculptures, all designed to make people stop and stare – and then come in to see what it’s all about! You can find inspiration everywhere, from a quick search online to simply wandering around your local town and seeing what’s on display.

Kinetic and Fun

If you want to go that extra mile, there’s nothing better than adding movement to your shop window. A kinetic design, one that moves, can help grab onto peoples’ attention as they go about their day. A mechanical or wind-up structure could be fun. Depending on your business type, you could even create something interactive – this is particularly effective for toy shops or other stores aimed at children, as it will make them beg their parents to go inside so they can try operating it for themselves. Movement as part of your display is a fantastic idea, and well worth investigating.

Protecting Your Business Against Physical Damage

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

When you set up a brick and mortar store, you invest a whole lot of time, effort and money into the venture. You’re not going to want any harm to come to your store and you’re going to have to make a conscious effort to protect it. Here are a few steps that you can take to achieve this!

Install CCTV

The first step that you should take to protect your business from damage is to install CCTV. Unfortunately, much of the damage caused to physical businesses is caused by vandals or people acting recklessly after a night out. By installing CCTV outside your premises, you’re likely to reduce the number of instances like this, as people will be aware that there is going to be recorded evidence of them and will consequently be less likely to carry out the crime. After all, they won’t want to face the consequences of their actions! There are plenty of good systems available, so arrange a consultation with a provider who can recommend the right system for your business in particular.

Prepare for Local Problems

Depending on where your store is located, there may be local problems that occur on a regular basis that you need to prepare for. If you’re in an area that is prone to flooding, it’s essential to invest in sandbags and other preventative flood equipment. You may then need to use the services of Commercial Water Damage Restoration specialists. If you’re in a heavily wooded area, you will need to use the services of a tree surgeon to remove large branches that could fall and damage your commercial property, or to remove trees that pose a risk to your building, yourself and your customers. Analyze your local area and consider what problems you could potentially face. Then take preventative measures to protect your business!

Invest in Shutters

If your store has glass windows (which are desirable for a good quality window display), it’s highly recommended that you invest in shutters. These are generally made of metal and can be pulled down at night. They can then be locked and this prevents people from smashing the glass. It’s a great protective measure that proves really effective! Shutters also make it harder to break into your shop, which can further put off prospective thieves. You can get manual shutters that you pull down yourself, or, if you’re willing to spend a little more, you can get automatic shutters, which can go up or down at the press of a button.

If you’ve set up your own shop, it’s your responsibility to protect it. This will reduce your costs on repair work and free up more of your budget for other more progressive areas of your business’ development. Hopefully, the above advice has given you a few ideas as to what steps you can take to really protect your business from physical damage!

Making Your Employees’ Workspace Practical and Comfortable

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Your employees spend a lot of their time working for you in whatever commercial premises you provide for them. Often, this space is an office. Now, bearing in mind that the majority of your staff will spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week in this location, it’s a good idea to make sure that it’s practical and comfortable. It’s the least you can do as an employer. At the end of the day, these are the people who form the backbone of your company. They’re the individuals who keep things up and running. They generate the sales and interaction that boosts your profits. So, prioritize their needs and do your utmost to achieve top quality office goals. Here are a few steps you can take to achieve this.

Choosing the Right Office

If you’re in the process of choosing your first office or you’re planning on moving offices, take time to make the right decision. Ideally, you should opt for somewhere that has more than enough space (rather than being cramped), a building with plenty of natural light (which looks nicer and boosts your employees’ productivity) and preferably somewhere that’s either a central location or has good public transport links (this will improve your workers’ commute). It may take a little time to find the perfect spot at a reasonable price, but once you’ve settled in, your company could remain there for years. So, it’s worth making it the right fit the first time round.

Making Alterations to Your Office

If you’re not planning on moving but own your office space or can strike a deal with the owner in order to improve upon the office space, there are a number of changes and renovations you can carry out to help the space better meet your employees’ needs. You could have bigger windows fitted. You could have the space extended. You could have extra bathrooms added. You could alter potential hazards, such as unexpected steps or low ceilings. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure to use a high quality cleanup service like MC Janitorial to clear up any debris at the end of the work.

Invest in Ergonomic Furniture and Equipment

Sure, you’ll already be following health and safety rules. But immediate threats aren’t the only threats that your office can pose to your employees. You need to be aware of hazards that can worsen your employees’ health and wellbeing gradually, or day by day. This is where ergonomic furniture and equipment comes into play. Ergonomic furniture and equipment are specially designed to help your employees work in a safe and comfortable manner, reducing injuries like general sprains or strains and repetitive strain injury. There are plenty of options on the market, like ergonomic desks, chairs, keyboards, footrests and more.

These are just a few areas you can focus on. There are plenty more that can make all the difference to your employees’ happiness and wellbeing. So, don’t let the journey stop here. Always strive for the best for your staff!

Those Little Extras That Help Your Business Stand Out

Scott Asai1 Comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you are looking for ways to help your business stand out, then you have got to make sure you are paying attention to those little extras that other businesses are not. This way, you are going to show your customers that you have an eye for detail, where others are only focused on the bigger issues. In this article, we are going to be looking at what some of these are, and how you can make sure your business has them. Keep reading to find out more.

Your Curb Appeal

The first thing that you want to focus on is your curb appeal, and this is more geared towards attracting foot traffic. A lot of the time, business owners don’t think about the way that their business appears to those walking past, and this is a big mistake. If you see a building that is offering a product or service that you have been looking for, but the outside looks as though it is not looked after, then you are less likely to go inside. As such, you’ve got to make sure that the outside of your business looks appealing. Make sure that there isn’t rubbish littering up the sidewalk. Try decorating the outside with something pretty like flowers if you are in a location that allows you to do so. Even having a couple of big pots outside the front with some beautiful, colorful flowers could do the trick.

Business Cards

Something else that you can think about is having business cards. These are becoming less common these days, and we aren’t sure why because it gives people a way to contact your business without having to look it up. If you have someone in your office, and they are going to go away and think about whether they want to use you, handing them one of your black business cards is a sophisticated and yet simple way to entice them. It might sound silly, but if you think about it, when they are considering it, and they see your card sitting on the table, they are more likely to pick it up and call. This is preferable to having to go online and find a way to get in touch with you.

Little Touches

Think about adding little touches to your business office and website that makes people want to use you. In the office, it could be simple things like decoration that looks good. Appearances do matter, and you don’t want to forget about this. On your website, you could add something like a free promotion to get people interested. As you can see, this doesn’t have to be difficult, it just needs to grab their attention long enough for them to be interested.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know what some of those little extras are that can help your business stand out. Good luck, and we hope that you are seeing the results you are looking for very soon.

A Touch Of Class: What Does It Take To Run A Food Business With Finesse?

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

There is nothing quite so challenging in the entrepreneurial world than running a food-oriented business. Whether you are trying your hand at a restaurant, being a wholesale supplier, or even driving around with an ice cream van, running a food business isn’t a straightforward as it seems! It’s a fine art of providing customer service, but also knowing that one false move can sully your reputation forever. What does it take to run a food business with the right intentions, but also make it successful?

Keeping The Customer Satisfied

While this is such a diverse subject matter, from the perspective of a new restaurant, it’s all about making sure that their experience is second to none. We should never put the seed of doubt in a customer’s mind. When there are problems, either in terms of the food, or there are things beyond your control, such as drainage and hygiene problems, this can turn your customer off. It’s important that in these situations you focus on the customer before anyone else. You may have to call a restaurant plumber to get an issue fixed, and this may mean that the restaurant will have to shut for a day or so, which is not ideal, but in the long run, you’ve got to think about your reputation. The customer needs to be satisfied, so therefore the experience has to be fantastic, because when they inevitably talk about good food and good service, they are inextricably linked, and will result in more people coming to you.

Choosing Your Location Wisely

There are many restaurants off the beaten track that are hidden gems in big cities, but when you are starting out in the food business, it’s important to be as close to the thoroughfare as possible. This means that there can be issues specifically related to being in the middle of a city center, especially in terms of security, but a restaurant in the right location is all about drawing the crowds, accessibility, and providing that potential for growth. Researching if there are startup incubator spaces for restaurants can help, as this will keep your costs low at the outset. Perhaps finding a space that doubles up as accommodation can make it easier for you as you can live there but also cut down on your initial costs.

Testing The Menu

The food is the foundation. Asking trusted people for feedback, no matter how gruesome, will allow you to fine-tune the choices of food. Even if it turns out to be a small menu, if the customers like it you are going in the right direction. It’s not just about the taste, it’s also about the price! Do market research and look for similar eateries in your area and industry that provide appropriate pricing.

Running a food business might be a dream career for many, but there’s a lot of hard graft associated, and it’s not just about the food! Yes, the food is the foundation, but to run a successful food business, you have to ensure that the customer service, the structure, and the intentions are as original as the food.

Ideas Small Business Can Use To Up Their Black Friday Sales

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you’re a small business looking to amp up black Friday sales, one of the best things you can do is begin your preparations now. Below, you’ll find a few ideas that will help you. Just don’t leave it too late! 

Begin A Countdown

Start a countdown so that your audience knows exactly how long it is before the sales begin. This will build momentum and help them to get as excited as you are about it. 

Start Your Sales Early

Why not start your sales a day or two early? This will make people take notice and you’ll likely make more money this way. 

Host An Event

If you have a physical store, why not host an event? Create a buzz around the event with your marketing and make everybody want to show up. Freebies always go down well! 

Create A Gift Guide 

A gift guide will make people start thinking about Christmas. By creating a gift guide using your own products, you’ll encourage people to prepare for the festive period. 

Make Sure You’re Mobile Ready 

Being mobile ready is imperative – get this in place well before the sales begin. As you’ll see on the Infographic below, many of the sales made during these sales are on mobile. If your business isn’t mobile ready, then you’re definitely missing out. Carefully go through the infographic and you’ll likely find other things you need to have in place to make the most of the sales.

 


credit to Skup

Protecting Your Brick And Mortar Store From A Storm

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Although online businesses have major advantages over real-world businesses, they still don’t have the charm of a retail store. A brick and mortar store is something you can touch, see and smell. It’s a bit of an experience for customers as they walk in and absorb your business for the first time. However there are inherent weaknesses to a real-world store also because it has to stand tall against the elements. That’s one of the biggest worries that small business owners have. How they will fair in a situation like Hurricane Katrina is always in the back of their minds. Thankfully however many things have changed and we are seeing new ways of protecting your business from such an event. Bear in mind that sometimes you just cannot avoid some damages as mother nature is all-powerful. But here’s how you can make a start.

Tying up loose ends

The number one way storms hurt businesses in the real world is through projectile damage. This is when the storm winds are so violent that they pick up lightweight objects and hurl them at your storefront. Things like sign stands, loose objects like trash cans and products that you showcase outside can turn dangerous. So avoid any of these sorts of happenings you can move everything inside quickly. Store the racks and signs in your storage space or just leave them closer to the exit so they’re easier to get back out again. Another thing you can do is to fit storm shutters so they can quickly be deployed and protect the entirety of your storefront.

Gutter and fold

Awnings are especially vulnerable to storms as they are essentially sails in the wind that get picked up or blown flat off their hinges. However the sudden increase in rain is also a concern because the build up is not usually taken into account. Awnings are not really designed to take many liters of rainwater and still be left standing. If you do suffer such damage you can contact a professional awnings repair company and keep the same awning you have but just have it fixed up. Obviously, it’s far cheaper than replacing it by buying a brand new one. They can also reinforce the awning with storm resistant measures such as bolstering the joint supports and using better materials. You can have a word with them to get your desired style as well.

Regular sweeping

Wet carpets during storm season are a pain to walk on. They also bring inside the store a bad smell as grit and dirt are sunk deeper into the weaves. Therefore the simple way to manage the incoming water is to just send an employee to regularly sweep the water away from the front of the store. This will also limit the chances of a customer slipping and being injured from water inside your store.

Any real world store has to make sure it is protected against storms. The wind damages windows and entrances of stores by hurling loose objects at them. Bringing signs and products indoors until after the storm can avoid this altogether.

Product Displays In Retail Stores

Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

No matter what type of retail store you have, the importance of having attractive and effective displays cannot be stressed enough. If you want to turn as many browsers into customers as possible, then you really need to pay attention to this aspect of your business.

If you take a look online you will see that you have an unbelievable number of options to choose from when it comes to display stands and cases. You need to give a lot of thought and consideration when choosing the right ones for you. A lot of people rush this purchase and they live to regret it, as they have not considered what is going to be right for showing off their products, the size of their store and more.

Have you considered acrylic displays? One of the key advantages associated with acrylic display stands is strength. This is not something you may initially expect. However, acrylic display cases and stands can hold a considerable amount of weight. This is, of course, beneficial if you are going to display products that are relatively heavy. Moreover, it also makes acrylic stands extremely durable, which means you will get a lot of use out of them. You don’t need to worry about repairing or replacing your acrylic displays in the near future. This is great in terms of cost efficiency. In fact, once you start browsing online you will notice that acrylic stands and displays aren’t very expensive to purchase in the first place. You can keep your costs to a minimum whilst still benefitting from an exceptional display.

In addition to this, one of the main reasons why acrylic display cases are the best choice for any retail store is because of their transparency, so you can easily see the stand up pouches and other branded packaging you have invested in. This gives your customers the opportunity to view products more easily. They will be able to see the item from all angles. This is especially important for items such as shoes, ornaments, crafts and other goods that need to be shown off to full effect. Another material that is transparent is obviously glass and this is another popular choice for display materials. However, acrylic is a lot lighter than glass, which is why it is often preferred. You will find it much easier to transport and move your acrylic display stand around.

As acrylic stands are so popular and the material is so flexible, you will find an unbelievable number of design options to choose from if you go for an acrylic stand. You can choose from a vast assortment of shapes – such as cubes, hexagons, rectangles and such like. You can opt for rounded edges, square corners… the choice is yours. Not only is this good in terms of visual attractiveness, but you can make sure you select a design that fits in with your brand image. This is pivotal because everything in your store needs to be consistent and represent your company. You can be certain that this will be the case with this type of display. It does not matter what type of store you have or what goods you sell, you can be certain that an acrylic stand will not look out of place. The possibilities are huge.