Parking spaces are an important asset for any business operating in a major city. Despite the availability of public transportation and the rising cost of gasoline, many workers still prefer the convenience of driving their own cars to work. Most statistics from large cities would support an 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? Regardless of the type of operation of the company, it is always necessary to have an assigned place for the vehicle. Therefore, every business owner has two factors that need to be considered about the parking space: an area for customers and an area for employees.

• Employees – The main issue workers are considering is whether or not to drive their personal car to work, and most aren’t looking at where to put their vehicle, but the traffic congestion they’ll face driving that commute every day. For any employer, this reality could mean an increased need for parking and the likely existence of a shortage.
• Customers – On the other hand, customers will certainly prefer driving 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 business 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 he should be able to leave his car at a nearby secure location without worrying about police tickets to get to a business destination.

Options to consider

Commercial establishments at places of business typically have parking spaces on or near the building premises. The size of that space varies depending on the size of the company. In many cases, unfortunately, the number of available parking spaces is limited, resulting in congestion of car parking stalls during peak or business hours.

Locating a business or office within a building with limited car parking can be a real problem, especially if most customers use private vehicles. Unavailability of parking spaces could potentially drive customers away.

research needed

To avoid such problem; When choosing a location for a business, finding a business building with enough parking space for customers is imperative. Survey the area surrounding the business site as thoroughly for enough assigned vehicle spaces as you would for other essential building amenities. Do it during business hours to see the real status of the parking lot, whether it’s generally full or somewhat open during the business day.

Some businesses require larger physical parking spaces than others. To get a good understanding of the required area within a given location of all the businesses operating there, conduct research on all the businesses within the area being considered. Such research should provide a clear picture of the number of customers traveling within an area and their 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 customers spend inside the business premises. 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 larger. for a restaurant. When renting or buying office space, always use these factors to get the full picture.

Available options

For established businesses with a limited parking space issue where moving to a different location is not an option, the best way to resolve this dilemma is to provide customers with alternative vehicle spots nearby, perhaps in commercial car parks provided by the owner of the company. . Unfortunately, this may not help with the similar issue 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 for lease. A good example of this arrangement would be a restaurant located downtown that primarily serves dinner; That business and its customers could share a parking area with a business that operates during normal daytime business hours.

The best way to handle this problem is to think it through carefully when selecting a specific building to lease. Many commercial buildings may offer restricted car stalls for tenants, even if it is an additional charge. This may need to be something that is included in the office space lease in order for assigned vehicle spaces to be provided to the customer and employee.

The bottom line is to ensure that adequate customer and employee car parking spaces are provided with any office space lease being considered. Location is important; however, parking is also important for any business, so find a workplace that provides adequate facilities for clients and employers, and you’ll both be satisfied!