Branding a Business starts in Your Parking Lot

I was reading a post online today on "Branding a Business" and wanted to share the #1 tip of five for achieving this goal. The blog post I read walks you step by step through the eyes of your customer. But stop now to read Tip #1.

"Parking Lot: When your customer drives into your parking lot what does he or she see? Is there litter and debris leftover from lawn mowing or spring or fall foliage from trees? Do you have dead or near dead plants that need replaced? Is your grass green? Is the concrete clean? Is the sidewalk full of cracks with weeds in the cracks? Do you have a trash can or cigarette butt can that is overflowing? Is there a dead bird in the parking lot? I had a client tell me she would not go to a restaurant because there was a dead bird lying in the parking lot and when she mentioned it to the restaurant owner the owner shrugged and commented 'they didn’t pick that up?' It is imperative that the first view of your business is favorable and invites the customer to stop and get out of his or her vehicle."

And this is only tip #1. If any of the above questions created a knot in your stomach, then your lot is not being maintained as it should be. The good news is - that it is not too late. Now is the time to focus on curb appeal. Many of the tips outlined in the blog at http://coachjaynine.com/blog/?p=590 are very low cost to implement. Painting, pressure washing and replacing furnishings may require being added to your budget, but well worth it.

Curb appeal is the first and most important step in branding your business. If your business does not look inviting people will not stop. When people do not stop you do not have customers. When you do not have customers you do not have a business.

Let us help you brand your business.

Call us today at 215-245-8940.

Potholes are no replacement for Speed Bumps

I read recently that an area in Essex UK was thinking about not repairing potholes as a way to "slow down passing motorists."

Are you kidding me? Try speed bumps!

Potholes can have serious implications for the safety of all road users, not just to motorists but also as a tripping hazard for pedestrians. Let's think about the increased risk of suffering a personal injury either as a result of a road traffic accident or by tripping over in a pothole. By seeking not to repair the potholes, the UK council may be leaving themselves open to many more accident claims made by people injured in some way by the potholes. And the costs to fill these holes will escalate when they are not repaired on their onset.

No one wants to deal with injured pedestrians caused by a poorly maintained parking lot or pavement. Not to mention dealing with the magnified costs of repairing these potholes well after they have become ditches in the lot or roadway.