5 Ways Landscaping Impacts a Business

How important is landscaping to the success of your business? If you have an outdoor dining establishment, for example, the ambiance created by well-designed plantings and accessories can be critical. An office-based business, on the other hand, may not seem to need pleasant views and spaces, but you may be surprised to find otherwise. Discover five ways that landscaping impacts a business and decide whether commercial landscaping can help improve your profits.

1. First Impressions Send Subjective Messages

If you have a small business selling goods and services from a physical storefront, you know that first impressions are always important. Harmonious and visually pleasing combinations of plants and accessible, easily traveled pathways give first-time potential customers or clients a positive image. Formal landscapes may suit corporate businesses, while more casual garden surrounds can match a relaxed dining style.

The style of your landscaping and its upkeep impacts your business by telling customers with a swift glance whether the business appears to be thriving or struggling. A positive first impression is crucial for companies to attract customers and entice them into the establishment. Unfortunately, neglected plantings, half-dead pot plants, or damaged garden surrounds can all send subliminal messages to people that the business is struggling or doesn’t care about attention to detail. That’s not the impression any business should want to impart.

2. Landscaping That Doesn’t Match Your Business Needs

If you’ve ever walked past a storefront with a bland exterior, little window dressing, and some neglected pot plants, you’ve probably just kept on walking. Mismatches in storefront presentation and landscaping with the needs of your business can make a severe dent in profits. Customers are primarily fickle and will readily turn to nearby competitors who provide pleasing business-aligned shopping or dining experiences.

Customers are extremely sensitive to environmental surroundings, often assessing where to shop or dine based on access to shade or sunlight depending on the weather. Other landscaping benefits that business owners don’t capitalize on include failure to provide accessible pathways. Outdated décor, lack of green space, and no benches or seating to rest are all negatives in competitive markets.

Commercial landscaping can assist customers’ physical and psychological needs as they interact with businesses. Landscaping benefits include the transformation of the blandest outdoor sites into customer-enticing showpieces.

3. Attract Customers with Seasonal Design and Greenery

Taking a seasonal approach to beautifying your business is challenging but can be very worthwhile. Refreshing plantings occasionally with blooming annuals and perennials is an artful way to attract customers. Just make sure you time this to coincide with peak shopping periods. This type of green maintenance and upgrade to your business can be readily addressed by scheduling commercial landscaping ahead of time.

4. Your Business’s Landscaping Can Impact Customer Safety

Every year many injuries are sustained by business customers due to unsafe environments. Problems arising outdoors mainly focus on faulty footpaths and a lack of flat walking or wheelchair-suitable areas. Many businesses present a challenge to the infirm, disabled, or elderly through failure to meet accessibility standards.

Installing or upgrading hardscape features is the key to resolving many accessibility problems and improving mobility through the outdoor environment. If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘hardscaping,’ it refers to the hard, functional elements in business surroundings. These include ramps and steps, concrete, paved, or gravel walkways overhead shelter from the rain along paths and business frontages; and flexible overhead covers for dining areas.

5. The Positive Effect of Smart Landscape Architecture on Employees

As human beings, we crave being outdoors in gardens and other natural environments. This trend is reflected in contemporary housing, where large picture windows, sliding glass doors, and backyard patios all work to bring the outdoors in.

Employees working indoors for much of the day can find relaxation and respite from stressful environments in commercial landscaping. Benches set amongst the greenery, quiet private nooks set amongst trees and bushes, or corporate BBQ areas, are all outdoor elements that can enhance employee satisfaction with their workplace.

Outdoor breaks away from desks can enhance productivity by allowing staff time to reflect on issues and work through problems. The change in environment is refreshing to both mind and spirit, even in short breaks.

Need Commercial Landscaping in Northern Virginia?

If you need landscaping to improve the outdoor areas of your business, get in touch with us at State of the Art Landscape. We provide superior landscaping design, along with greening, hardscaping, lawn and turf maintenance, and numerous other outdoor enhancements. Our attention to detail is impeccable, and landscaping benefits for your business will be maximized.