How to Start a Parking Lot & Storefront Appearance Business
Customers form an opinion about a business before they ever walk through the door. Trash, cigarette butts, dirty entrances and neglected storefront areas can make an otherwise good business look poorly managed. You solve that problem by helping local businesses keep their outside appearance clean, presentable and ready for customers.
What Problem Does This Business Solve?
Local businesses need their property to look presentable every day. Litter, leaves, cigarette butts, overflowing exterior trash cans and dirty entry areas can hurt the first impression customers receive. Many owners and managers simply do not have employees available to handle those tasks consistently.
Improve First Impressions
A cleaner parking area and entrance can make a business look more cared for before the customer even walks inside.
Remove a Daily Management Problem
Business owners no longer have to ask employees to walk the property picking up trash before or during operating hours.
Create Consistent Appearance
Scheduled service keeps the property from waiting until it looks bad before someone finally decides to clean it.
What Do You Need to Start?
This can be started with simple cleanup equipment. You do not necessarily need expensive machinery to offer basic litter removal, sweeping and storefront appearance services.
Cleanup Equipment
- Commercial broom
- Dustpan
- Litter grabber
- Trash bags
Basic Service Supplies
- Gloves
- Small debris container
- Window or spot-cleaning supplies
- Safety vest when appropriate
Business Essentials
- Reliable transportation
- Phone and scheduling system
- Simple written service agreement
- Payment or invoicing method
Parking Lot & Storefront Service Pricing Ideas
Commercial customers are buying consistency. Build simple packages around property size, frequency and the level of service required.
Basic Appearance Visit
Recurring Weekly Service
High-Frequency Property Service
How Do You Get Your First Commercial Customers?
The advantage of this business is that the problem is often visible from the street. You can identify potential customers before you ever talk to them.
Look for Visible Problems
Drive local shopping centers, restaurants, convenience stores and office properties and identify locations with visible litter or neglected entrance areas.
Speak With the Decision Maker
Ask for the business owner, store manager, property manager or person responsible for outside maintenance.
Offer a Simple Recurring Plan
Rather than selling one cleanup, show the owner how a scheduled service can keep the property consistently presentable.
The Real Opportunity: Build a Commercial Route
The strongest version of this business is not driving across town for occasional cleanups. It is servicing several commercial properties in the same part of town on a predictable weekly schedule.
Ready to Turn Storefront Cleanup Into a Real Business?
Luna, the Street Smart Business School AI assistant, can help you define your services, build your commercial pricing, identify local businesses to target and create a plan for landing recurring accounts.
- Build your commercial service packages
- Decide which businesses and properties to target
- Create a simple recurring monthly offer
- Build a plan for landing your first commercial account
Build Your Side Hustle Step by Step
Use the SSBS Fillable Side Hustle Workbook to turn this service idea into a defined offer, pricing structure, customer strategy and recurring-business plan.
- Define exactly what services you will provide
- Build your three pricing choices
- Identify your ideal commercial customers
- Create your customer acquisition strategy
- Build your sales and follow-up process
- Plan recurring commercial routes
- Create your step-by-step launch plan