First impressions are important. Before a customer even steps into a shop, the storefront and signage have already given them cues as to what can expect. Once they are in the door, every aspect of the interior design will shape their expectations about the service they can expect and the kinds of products they are likely to find.
Designing a space that is in keeping with the kind of experience you want to offer your customers is essential if you want to attract the right clientele. Whether you run a fast-food restaurant, a barbershop, or you specialize in haute cuisine, you need to collaborate with a contractor who can help you create a space that will communicate your values to the customer.
If you are opening a new shop or redesigning an existing space and want to know how to choose a commercial contractor can bring your dream to life, here are three things you should look for.
1. Full Licensing
The first step you should always take when considering commercial contractors is simply to look at their licensing. Most states and provinces issue licenses to contractors who want to do work in their jurisdiction.
While licensing body may change depending on where you live, making sure that your contractor is fully licensed by the appropriate body to do the work you are asking of them is a great way to weed out firms that may not deliver work that is up to parr.
2. An In-House Building Team
One of the biggest challenges involved in finding a capable contractor is that it has become common practice for contractors to sub-contract aspects of the work to third parties. This means that you don’t just need to trust your contractor to do good work, you also need to trust that they are discerning about who they subcontract with.
A company like BUILD IT general contractors has their own in-house team to handle dry wall, woodworking, and other essential aspects of production, which reduces the number of variables and provides a guarantee that the finished work will meet your high standards, and come in on time and on budget.
3. A History of Good Work
The easiest way to figure out what you can expect from a commercial contractor is simply to look at the work they’ve done in the past. An established contractor should be proud of their projects and happy to share them with you.
Most contractors will have a section on their website where they display completed projects and customer reviews, but you should also do independent research into how satisfied their previous clients have been with the finished product.
It’s an unfortunate reality that in the retail and restaurant industries, as in private life, many business owners can tell you horror stories about builds that took far too long, or went way over budget, or simply didn’t deliver quality work.
Making sure the contractor you are considering hiring really can deliver on their promises may take a little work, but it will be well worth it when you step into a new interior that doesn’t just meet your expectations, but exceeds them.