A business’s exteriors are just as important as the interiors. Customers will already form assumptions about your business before they even step through the threshold, and if your exteriors are looking worse for wear, they will likely assume the same about your interiors, as well as the quality of your products or services.
Increase the number of your customers by improving your curb appeal. If you’re worried about shelling out a lot of money, don’t be. There are a lot of inexpensive ways to boost your business’ exteriors, such as the following:
1. Enhance metal fixtures
Are your gates, hand railings, and metal signs looking a little drab? Think twice before slabbing a layer of paint on your metal fixtures. Instead, have a powder coating professional touch them up for a smooth, professional-looking finish. Aside from improving metal fixtures’ appearance, powder coating also gives them a protective layer to increase their durability for years to come.
2. Clean up
Tidying up your exteriors is the cheapest and fastest way to boost your curb appeal, but it can make a big difference. Hire a few people (or pay a handful of your employees) to remove debris, trim overgrown shrubs, pick up trash, and power-wash the hardscape. If you have the time, doing this yourself is completely free.
3. Add planters
Planters with low-maintenance plants are inexpensive, and yet they add so much appeal to a business’ exterior. Doing this can make your establishment look fresher, more inviting, and more relaxing, as well as help it stand out from the surrounding competition.
4. Re-paint
Applying a fresh coat of paint to your establishment is a very affordable way to ‘rejuvenate’ your business and boost curb appeal. This is especially true if cleaning your exteriors just isn’t enough to remove deep-seated dirt and stains on the walls. If you want to give your business a new look, you can also opt to re-paint with a new color. However, keep the change of color to a minimum to avoid confusing regular customers.
5. Add lights
Install new light fixtures to your exteriors, particularly LED lights that are more energy-efficient and last longer than halogen or incandescent lights, to make your business more visible and visually appealing, especially at night. Try lighting up walkways with bollards or in-ground lights. Increasing the number of lights in the parking lot is also a good idea, both for the safety and convenience of customers and employees. If your business is open late at night or for 24 hours a day, investing in neon signage is a great way to provide illumination and promote your brand at the same time.
6. Trim the greenery
Commercial landscaping services can be out of your budget for now, but trees and plants on your business premises still need to be trimmed. A good alternative is to hire an affordable contractor to perform basic landscaping on your property. But if you have the skills and equipment to do the landscaping yourself, why not take some time out of your day to work your way through the overgrowth?
However, reserve the tree trimming for a professional arborist. Unless you are experienced in cutting off tree branches, it might be unsafe for you to do this yourself.
7. Clean your glass
Having dirty, smudged up glass won’t do your business any good. So make it a point to keep your glass clean at all times, especially your front doors (which are most susceptible to fingerprints). Your storefront’s glass is one of the first things people notice, so having dirty glass can make them think that the rest of your store is unkempt, too.
Invest in an efficient glass cleaner to make cleaning easy throughout the day.
8. Upgrade your door
If your door is made of any other material than glass, replacing it with a new one can do wonders for your curb appeal. But if this is too expensive for you, cleaning it up or applying a fresh layer of paint can make a big difference. Similarly, consider updating your door handles to make your door more appealing to entering customers.
9. Fix concrete problems
Cracked, uneven concrete is not only an eyesore; it’s also a safety hazard. Get damaged concrete fixed right away for nicer, safer, and more attractive exteriors, even if the damage is only small cracks. Small cracks can widen with enough time, and fixing them early on will help prevent repair bills from increasing.
Boosting your business’ curb appeal doesn’t have to be expensive. With these strategies, you can enhance the appearance of your exteriors, attract more customers, and increase your business’ reputation–all without spending a lot of money.
