Parking spaces are an important asset for any business operating in a major city. Despite the availability of public transportation and the ever-increasing cost of gasoline, many workers still prefer the convenience of driving their own cars to work. Most of the big city statistics would support the increase in registered cars on the road and this number is projected to even double in the next ten years.

Business owner considerations

What does this mean for the business owner? No matter what type of business operation, an assigned vehicle location is always a must. Therefore, every business owner has two factors to consider about parking space: an area for customers and an area for employees.

• Employees – The main issue workers are considering is whether or not they should drive their personal car to work, and most are not looking at where to put their vehicle, but rather the traffic congestion they will face driving that round trip every day . For any employer, this reality could mean a greater need for parking spaces and the likely existence of a shortage.
• Customers – On the other hand, customers will certainly prefer to drive a private car over public transportation due to the convenience factor, and they certainly expect the same consideration once they get out of their vehicles. Whether the company is located in an office building or a fancy restaurant in a business center, it is the owner’s responsibility to provide customers with the necessary parking spaces. Any customer anticipates that they should be able to leave their car in a safe place nearby without worrying about police fines to reach a business destination.

Options to consider

Commercial establishments in commercial locations generally have parking spaces on or near the building premises. The size of that space varies depending on the size of the business. In many cases, the number of available parking spaces is unfortunately limited, causing congestion at the parking spaces during peak or office hours.

Locating a business or office within a building with limited car seats can be a real problem, especially if the majority of clients use private vehicles. The unavailability of parking spaces could potentially turn customers away.

Research needed

To avoid such problem; When choosing a location for a business, it is imperative to find a commercial building with enough parking space for customers. Inspect the area surrounding the business site as meticulously for enough allocated vehicle spaces as you would other essential building amenities. Do this during business hours to see the actual status of the parking area, whether it is generally full or somewhat open during the business day.

Some companies require larger physical parking spaces than others. To get a good understanding of the required area within a given location from all businesses operating there, conduct a research of all businesses within the area being considered. Such research should provide a clear picture of the number of customers traveling within an area and the preferred mode of transportation.

The size of a parking area is influenced by factors such as the company’s target market, as well as the hours that customers spend within the commercial facility. For example, a restaurant may require a larger area compared to a convenience store simply because restaurant customers tend to stay longer than convenience store customers, so the total number of parking spaces would be higher. for a restaurant. When renting or buying office space, always use these factors to get the complete picture.

Available options

For established businesses with a limited parking space problem where moving to a different location is not an option, the best way to solve this dilemma is to provide customers with assigned alternate vehicle spots nearby, perhaps in the parking lots of commercial automobiles provided by the business owner. . Unfortunately, this may not help with a similar problem for employees.

If business growth has caused this new concern, consider asking nearby businesses and establishments if they have parking areas that they can share or even make available through lease. A good example of this arrangement would be a centrally located restaurant serving primarily dinner; that business and its customers could share a parking area with a business that operates during normal business hours during the day.

The best way to handle this problem is to watch it carefully when selecting a specific building to rent. Many commercial buildings may offer restricted car seats for leasing tenants, even if it comes with an additional fee. This may need to be something that is included in the office space lease for the customer and employee assigned vehicle slots to be provided.

The bottom line is to make sure that adequate parking spots for customers ‘and employees’ cars are provided with any office space rentals being considered. The location is important; however, parking is also important to any business, so find a workplace that provides adequate facilities for clients and employers, and you will both be satisfied!