Keeping your business running is key to being successful in business. While those words might conjure up images in your mind of happy employees and cashflow, we’re being quite literal. You need to keep your business running, as in the business premises. If it’s not up to scratch, well maintained or well supplied, you could have a lot of problems being successful in business. We could all certainly do a lot more to take charge of the maintenance of our workplace or another.

Maintenance in the place of business is important for many reasons. Firstly, it’s going to ensure that no issues result with customers and the workplace – it could be a legal disaster if a customer is hurt because of any negligence with maintenance.

Secondly, it will help make your employees a bit more motivated, after all, who would want to work in a filthy business that is falling apart.

Thirdly, it’s true that many businesses are rented from commercial landlords and property owners. This means that if you allow your lease on the building to expire and hand it back to the landlord in a condition that is either less than suitable or worse than the condition that the site was in when it was rented to your business, you could face huge charges. If the site degrades on your watch, it’s your responsibility and you’ll foot the bill.

The key foundation of building maintenance is being proactive. If you’ve got issues then you need to work to either solve those issues, fix those issues, replace the issue or prevent the issue. If you spot issues that could have been prevented you’re going to waste both time and money. Both of which are invaluable to your business. Be proactive; it’s a rule that applies to every aspect of building maintenance.

A great example of how you can be proactive in regards to the maintenance of your business site lies in the sprinkler system. Most commercial buildings should come fitted with a sprinkler system linked to a fire alarm that will douse the building with water when a fire activates it to do so. However, these sprinkler systems can encounter issues like dry pipe and corrosion. What you’d need to do is research one of the issues on sites like this www.ECSCorrosion.com/dry-pipe-faq, learn how to prevent the issue and then work to solve the issue by either ensuring it is prevented or the damage system is replaced. This is a great example of being proactive.

Where do you start with maintaining your business, though? Well – with a thorough site inspection. You need to ask and question your business site and find out if there is anything that needs to be fixed, anything that could be replaced, or something that might develop into an issue.

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If you do discover problems, then great! That is what the site inspection is for! It’s part of being proactive. It is of urgency, however, that you react to the findings of your site inspection, especially if the answers of the inspection are going to have an impact on anything customer facing.

It is best that site inspections are carried out by a third-party or professional body that excels in site inspections. Otherwise, you might miss something that could be obvious to a third-party investigator.

Before any work is carried out by you, a landlord or a repair agency, it’s of huge importance that personal safety is considered and respected. Working tasks are difficult and dangerous and any flaws that require power tools to fix also require responsible hands to be managed safely. You won’t have to worry about this if professionals are employed, but if you do take on any work yourself – put safety first.

In terms of maintenance, the best issues to fix first are the ones that showed up the most urgency or danger following your site inspection. However, there’s a lot you can do even without an inspection to ensure your business looks good and runs well.

So, where are some areas that need maintenance often?

Consider the external storefront as a big responsibility. It’s the very first impression that your business is likely to make! Take responsibility for any greenery outside your building and make sure it looks good. Of course, focus on keeping a well-lit building as well with exterior lighting. If there are any cracks in the pavement, speak to your local council about the hazards it could bring and work on getting it fixed.

One huge area of business that doesn’t get a lot of attention are the W.C’s. Disgusting toilets are enough to ruin business, customer satisfaction and employee morale. Hire a bunch of great janitors who can keep your restrooms clean around the clock. Make sure they are laid out well with plenty of facilities for those with additional needs. Also, they need to be supplied so ensure regular deliveries of toiletries are ordered to meet the needs of the restrooms.

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Of course, ensure that the storefront is also clean. The storefront or even lobby of your business is going to see a lot of action thanks to the heavy amount of foot traffic it will endure. Keep it looking good with plenty of artwork, products, and plants. Of course, make sure your janitorial team are on the ball as carpets and seats are likely to get dirty quicker nearer the entrance and exits.

On a final note ‘s also worth mentioning that your business could be targeted at any time by criminals. This risk rises if your business is poorly maintained as criminals are more likely to break into properties that are showing clear signs of aging, wear and tear. Make sure your property looks good to deter the risk, but also ensure the site is locked down and rigged with alarms so that it is protected even when vacant.

Keep your business well maintained to ensure it is safe and your employees are happy! It’s not worth the consequences!

 


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