Running a business is a heavy responsibility. You have to worry about more than your products and services. You must also utilize proper building maintenance tips to protect your commercial property investment. Otherwise, you may have fines and shutdowns due to compliance issues, safety concerns, or a lack of morale and staff. Here are some ways you can protect and maintain your commercial property going forward.
Make Sure You Have the Funds
Before you start worrying about conferences and your budget for Pizza Friday, you should focus on an ongoing budget for your building maintenance. Building maintenance tips include consulting with accounting consultants, who can always ensure there’s room in the budget for repairs, maintenance, and inspections. Your accountant understands where your financial priorities are. They may even set aside a separate account just for your building maintenance. These professionals can help you see patterns in your overall maintenance spending that you should be mindful of. For example, if you are constantly repairing your roof, it may be a sign your business is spending so much that it would be a better investment to go ahead and replace it.
You may be interested in utilizing business bonds. Corporate bonds are securities issued by corporations to raise capital. You sell them to investors, and the company agrees to pay pre-established interest payments at a fixed or variable rate. These business bonds can help you find different operations. In other words, whoever invests in these bonds is lending money to your business, and you can use funding to help with ongoing maintenance. They can improve its value. Bear in mind, that issuing corporate bond is riskier than US government bonds because of the higher interest rates.
If you own your commercial property outright, you may have enough equity in its value to apply for a loan against the property. Just like you can take out an equity loan on your residential property, you should consider doing so on your business property. After all, that equity loan will be reinvested back into the space.
Take Care of Pest Problems
Important business maintenance tips include focusing on pest control. After all, pests can be a nuisance that can make people feel anxious when they see them. Imagine how your staff would feel if bed bugs were found in the upholstery or other areas of the site. Most people would worry about tracking bedbugs at home. These bugs don’t cause health problems but are still a nuisance nobody wants to deal with, as they bite people during sleep and can multiply quickly. Plus, you don’t want to be the one to bring bedbugs over to your friend’s homes.
When dealing with rodents, termites, bedbugs, or too many mosquitoes, you should consider organic insecticide services. That way, you don’t worry about contaminating the area with poisonous gases and sprays that might affect the people working there. You could always ask about the product chemistry used in any materials that handle pest control. After all, the extermination techniques can affect your building downtime. There may be something exterminators will leave behind for ongoing maintenance against pests. If there are traps or other substances that prevent infestation, you want to ensure the substance won’t contaminate people working there.
Building maintenance tips regarding pest control include sealing off as many entry points as possible. Pests can get in from outside through various cracks and crevices. Therefore, you should consider replacing your commercial windows that are old and have cracks. Not only can vermin get into these cracks, but they also crawl through vulnerabilities in window caulking. It’s never been a better time to install double and triple-pane windows. They can protect your business from theft and an invasion of unwelcome vermin.
Not dealing with a pest infestation or preventing it can have other financial consequences on your business. Certain pests like rodents and termites could be very destructive. You may end up having to spend more funds on repairing your business because of insects like termites that destroy your foundation. Termites feast on wood and your commercial properties. The building foundation is made from that material. According to the CDC, termites can destroy a property in about three years. Don’t forget about how much rodents can destroy things. When people think of rats and mice, they may automatically think about how they can contaminate the food supply, which is a major concern even in a commercial space. Rodents are equally destructive because of their teeth. Their sharp teeth cut through various materials, like wood, drywall, and even electrical wiring. Therefore, your commercial wiring may develop problems, such as short circuits, or even become a fire hazard because of frayed wire resulting from a rodent infestation. That’s why building maintenance tips will always focus on keeping these destructive animals and insects away.
Ensure the Roof Is Up to Snuff
Roof replacement is one of the best building maintenance tips to consider. After all, a roof protects your business from the elements. If a roof has problems, they can be the source of leaks that damage your business foundation. When your business foundation has structural concerns, it can cave in, which could hurt people and damage equipment. That’s why it’s essential to keep up with your regular roofing inspections. According to Bob Vila, a residential roof should be inspected at least once a year. However, for commercial property, you may need even more frequent inspections, especially if there is foot traffic on your roof during events or meetings.
Replacing your roof with a viable material like metal can be one of the best investments you’ll make. After all, building maintenance tips involve using the best materials in which you get a good bang for your buck. With metal, it’s more expensive upfront compared to asphalt shingles, but you get your money’s worth when you consider all the advantages. A metal roof can resist winds up to 140 mph. That’s something to consider if your business property is in an area prone to hurricanes or frequent storms. It also has a class A fire rating, which means it won’t burn quickly, especially after a lightning strike, or if it’s near an area where there may be brush fires. Metal is also beautiful, just as it would be in any other form, like jewelry, cars, or art. You can choose a metal roofing that goes with your property aesthetic, as it can come in tin, steel, copper, and other metal materials.
Once you have a solid installation in place, make sure you budget for regular maintenance and possible repairs from roofing contractors. However, if you follow the above building maintenance tips by having more durable roofing like metal, you won’t need as many repairs, if any at all. As a result, you can cut down on the roofing expenses aspect of your budget when you don’t have to constantly deal with leaks and other issues. If your business is in an arid climate, having a metal roof can help as it makes your business more energy-efficient. Metal has natural reflective properties that reflect heat away from the building, making the interior cooler, and you can cut down on HVAC costs. Therefore, you can reduce your company’s overhead heating and cooling costs with one metal roof installation. You also add to your building’s aesthetic look and curb appeal.
Keep the Sewer Lines Clean
Don’t forget that proper sanitation is a must for your business. That’s why business maintenance tips always include a sewer line inspection. It would be disgusting, uncomfortable, and embarrassing if your business had a backup because of a full septic tank or a damaged sewer line. People must use the bathroom throughout the day, so you have several toilets and sinks that need proper waste management and a sewer line inspection. Plumbers can ensure those lines are clean and keep your toilets running after you flush them. If you have a small commercial space, bathroom issues can create smells that link you throughout your work area. That can create a problem that creates an uncomfortable work environment. Plus, your building will have compliance issues if you don’t get that bathroom situation fixed.
Poor sewer line maintenance is another way that you may attract pests. Some pests can come up through pipes and drains. Pests like rodents and cockroaches are equally attracted to water just as they are to get food. By having your sewer and regular water lines clean and free from leaks, you can keep your area sanitized and block entryways for outside pests to get inside.
Make Sure All Services Operate
Effectively running a business means keeping up with all the services necessary to make it easy to work there. It may be something as simple as ensuring ice machines are running, especially when employees are working on a hot summer day. Simply having ice water or lemonade could help keep them hydrated, so they could be as productive as possible. In addition, you should ensure that venting and coffee machines are regularly full and functional. Doing so can ensure people always have a hot caffeinated beverage to perk them up in the morning. That can help employees save money from always going to Starbucks or other outside coffee places. Plus, it’s an opportunity for colleagues and friends to catch up on a bit of chit-chat or have a quick break where they can have a cup of coffee or tea together. Don’t forget about water delivery. Maintaining water delivery can ensure people stay hydrated and healthy. After all, dehydration can quickly set in during the summer months.
IT services are a must when maintaining a responsible business. Your IT services can ensure that your business avoids data breaches. They ensure both staff and client information is protected. They’re the ones available to put out technical fires if the website or other online sites go down. Having an effective IT team can ensure you have a team of professionals available to put out those fires that affect production and security. Don’t forget about keeping your office space clean. It’s unlikely you’re keeping the entire space clean on your own with a broom and mop. Most businesses rely on outside janitorial help, which is essential to maintaining a sanitary and clean space. After COVID-19, more people are extra cautious about sanitation in the workplace. After all, people don’t want to get sick and bring germs home to their families. Professional office cleaning services can keep carpets free from dirt and debris. You can ensure there’s no flu, cold, or Covid-19 bacteria lingering on surfaces. Plus, keeping your business clean also prevents attracting rodents and other vermin looking for food crumbs or signs of filth.
Keep the Building Safe
The last thing you want is to leave for the day only to come back and realize that someone has broken into your business. If you operate a business and handle transactions, such as a store or a restaurant, it can be a target for thieves looking for money or items they can later sell. Even a commercial office space can be a target for computer equipment. That’s why it’s essential to focus on commercial door installation. Building maintenance tips include finding the best materials, such as custom iron doors. Don’t forget about additional security with a modern alarm system that can give you alerts no matter where you’re at. Of course, you want to keep your staff and equipment safe from the dangers of fire or smoke. Keep your building safe with updated alarm systems that you regularly test.
As you can see, there are several building maintenance tips a professional business owner or stakeholder should be aware of. Being aware of these tips can help keep your business safe and thriving for years to come. If you put a lot into your company, the last thing you want is to see it falter because of a few mistakes that could have been handled earlier. Good luck building, maintaining, and growing your business in 2024.