You can improve business curb appeal without breaking the bank. The landscaping and curb appeal of your business sells the story of your brand, offering the first impression of your business. “Curb appeal” is a term often used to describe residential homes, but it’s equally important in the commercial sphere. After all, people have a choice where they spend their money and the exterior of your business is the first thing they see when making the decision of where they’ll go.
Want to improve curb appeal, but don’t have a huge budget to work with? Then check out the following affordable ways to improve business curb appeal.
#1. Tidy Up
The easiest and most affordable way to spruce up curb appeal is to tidy it up. Hire a team to clean up rogue bushes, remove debris, and so forth. A simple clean up can have a huge impact on the appearance of your landscaping. Adding sod, planters, and pretty foliage is an affordable way to add color and beauty.
#2. Add LED Lighting Fixtures
LED lighting is considered among the most cost-effective solutions to improving curb appeal. Adding new lighting elements offers two benefits: one, it makes your business more visible (and pretty) at night. And two, the lighting fixtures themselves create a stylish touch during the day. For instance, line walkways with decorative lampposts—we offer several different styles, all of which are made in the USA using sustainable methods and materials. Our lighting fixtures are built to last, while resisting everything from moisture to dog urine, and graffiti too.
#3. Add Planters
Limited on space? Let’s say your storefront ‘curb appeal’ is a tiny slice of sidewalk, planters make an excellent option to dress your storefront up and help it stand out. Mix higher plants with lower plants to create height and dimension. Consider adding your logo, mission statement, or key phrase to planters for extra impact.
Customize planters to your business—any color, logo, or graphic! Learn more
#4. Add a Sign
Show off your name and offer some information about who you are and what you offer with signage that greets anyone who walks or drives by. Anyone who passes by your business is a potential customer, so take advantage of the advertising space. Signs also make it easier for people to locate your business, adding to overall customer experience. Businesses that are difficult to find because they lack the appropriate signage can be frustrating and even go overlooked.
According to the Small Business Association, electronic message centers can draw in upwards of 15% more customers. Adding a small to medium-sized billboard to your storefront could offer lucrative potential.
#5. Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint
Bust out some paint cans and give your storefront a fresh coat of paint. This is a super affordable way to spruce up your storefront and make it look more professional.
#6. Add Site Furnishings
Welcome visitors with a comfortable bench surrounded by foliage. Site furnishings can make your storefront more approachable, they can also add style and charm. In our social-media crazy world, people will stop and take pictures anywhere inviting enough, which means the right storefront bench could end up starring in a lot of Instagram pictures. A portion of these Insta-gramers will likely hashtag or geo-tag the location of the photo—aka, your business. This offers a free form of advertising for your business.
Last Minute Tips for Commercial Landscaping:
- Make sure all landscaping features are ADA compliant, as well as in compliance with other regulations and laws enforced in your jurisdiction.
- Native plants are natural to a certain region. That means they thrive naturally, and require little watering or additional resources from humans. As a result, native plants are low maintenance, use fewer materials, and have better survival rates.
- Stick with non-porous fixtures to avoid issues with graffiti. Learn why our unique resin-blend products do not stain from graffiti!
Cost Recovery for Updating Landscaping
Updating landscaping offers so many benefits that it virtually pays for itself over time. The National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals found that one of the best (and most affordable) ways to add value to a property is to upgrade the overall look of landscaping—cleaning up, adding sod, etc., as well as installing or upgrading a patio or wood deck.
They also report the highest cost recovery comes from adding a seed lawn or a sod lawn, and keeping up with regular lawn care. This is followed by adding a wood deck or patio, or other softscape elements.
Improve Curb Appeal with TerraCast Products!
We offer a variety of site furnishings, planters, weather-proof lighting fixtures, and more! Our long-lasting products can help your landscaping stand out for many years to come.