— By Jaron Srain — How to tell if your parking lot meets commercial standards. The first thing a client sees when they pull up to your business is not your sign, your landscaping or even your building. It’s your parking lot. You don’t want your new client driving over a bumpy, faded driveway only to step in a giant pothole full of water when they park the car. Believe it or not, the quality of your parking lot makes a lasting impression on your business. That’s why …
Industry Voices
— By Trent Limban — The right products for cost-efficient landscape curb appeal. Maintaining your landscaping is an important factor in keeping your customers coming back as well as attracting new customers. The best and easiest way to maintain the landscaping for each of your stores is to pick products, such as mulch, plants and fertilizer, that are low maintenance and that work best in the climate where the store is located. This will ensure cost-effective solutions that are long term and low maintenance. Having picture perfect landscaping …
— By Carmine J. Esposito — 10 waste management myths that cost you time and money — and how to choose the right company for your needs. Commercial waste management often bears a reputation for being costly, time consuming and complex to manage across multiple locations. While this can be true if you work with some companies, or try to handle the job yourself, not all waste management providers are the same. However, most facilities managers and purchasing directors don’t possess the in-depth waste industry experience to realize …
— By Bob Lester — Keep your outdoor walkways as safe as your interior floors: How to avoid parking lot slips and trips this winter. The weather has gotten colder, precipitation in many regions of the country has turned into snow, and the likelihood of accidents caused by slick conditions has increased. While most restaurant and retail workers know to keep their floors clean and free of fall risks, they may not think about their outdoor walking spaces quite the same way. To keep customers safe this winter, retail …
— By Mike Folk — Sign maintenance options: they’re out there. We’ve all seen them. Signs that have one or several letters burnt out. Even though we know what that sign says when properly lit, the appearance makes one wonder why that establishment hasn’t fixed it. They spent a lot of money to design, build and install it — only to leave a bad impression and perhaps even send an unintended message. Why Maintenance Matters Noticing what’s wrong with other companies’ signs is easy when you’re their customer. The …
— By Kendall Youngworth — Enhancing the retail customer experience with flooring. The discussion about the future of brick-and-mortar stores rages on, but most forecasters agree on one thing: They will not become obsolete any time soon, if ever. As with any type of business or industry, staying relevant and providing a great customer experience is key to retaining a customer base in retail. The idea is to create a customer experience that enhances loyalty, keeps customers in the store for longer periods, and keeps them coming back. …
— By Chris Scheppmann — A smart, simple solution to a holiday nightmare. Retail executives across the United States recently had to face their annual holiday parking nightmare. Holiday sales represent about 20% of annual sales each year (with some stores reaching as much as 30%), and this increased business results in a corresponding increase in auto traffic to and from shopping centers. For retail executives, particularly those managing busier complexes, this increased traffic can cause a nightmare scenario of dozens of cars circling parking areas looking for a …
— By Carol L. Carey — Why hiring a professional pressure washer is good for business. We no longer live in an age where negative remarks about service or cleanliness are written on a comment card and dropped in a box on the way out of a place of business. Now it’s as easy as snapping a picture and uploading it simultaneously to multiple social media platforms, all the while tagging your location and corporate office. Clicking a one-star and a quick negative, frustration-fueled comment on Yelp, Google Review …
— By Scott Benson — No longer an afterthought, food and beverage is taking up more space in the retail landscape than ever before. The ways in which consumers choose to spend their time and money are changing and so must the industries that serve them, and the food and beverage industry is no exception. Food and beverage is flourishing in a time when many traditional retailers seem to be treading water. People are dining out more than ever — the average American household spends approximately $3,365 per year …
— By Rick Sung — Leveraging the power of predictive analysis in facilities management. Renowned management consultant Peter Drucker once mused, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” For leaders seeking ways to advance their facilities management (FM), measuring progress is a complex and nuanced process requiring a sophisticated, data-driven approach. In this quest for improvement, however, gathering data is only half the battle. To make truly informed decisions, business leaders and facilities managers alike need analytics to better understand the staggering volume of data flowing through …