5 Ways to Boost Your Company’s Outdoor Space This Winter

When winter hits we tend to pack away the outside furniture and move customers inside to the warmth. However this year we’ve had to do things differently. With Government restrictions still in place, businesses aren’t able to welcome customers inside their building or have had to reduce their indoor seating space in line with the restrictions. Utilising your outside space has never been more important. 

Our latest guide will show you the best ways to boost your business’s outdoor space and some practices that you can put into place to see you through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

Add Outdoor Heating

One of the main reasons that we head indoors in the winter is the warmth. Sitting outside in the cold is not really enjoyable for anyone and can deter customers. This can be easily fixed by adding some outdoor heaters. Outdoor heaters are relatively easy to install and allow you to provide consistently comfortable temperatures, whatever the weather.  

Increase Your Covering

The British weather is known for its unpredictability so you’ll want to ensure that your customers and guests are kept dry during showers too. A great way to increase your coverage is by installing a commercial awning. This allows you to maximise your usable floorspace and helps you avoid being forced to turn customers away when indoor space is limited. Awnings can be combined with integrated heaters to create a truly inviting space. 

An awning is an investment which provides benefits all year round. During the Summer your guests can still enjoy time outside in the comfort of the shade.

Outside Ambience

Improving your outside area also means improving the ambience. There are a few ways you can improve the atmosphere in your outside space: 

• Furniture: certain types of furniture can get cold in the weather such as leather so you’ll want to make sure that the furniture you have outside is warm, weatherproof and durable.

• Consider a fire pit: outdoor heaters are amazing at keeping customers and guests warm but nothing says cosy like a fire. You’ll need to make sure that you’re sticking to guidelines and that customers are staying safe around the fire. 
• Blankets: not always an option but if you have the ability to provide your customers with warm blankets whilst they sit outside. It helps customers stay warm and will encourage them to stay longer. 
• Speakers:  even though your customers are outside, they don’t want to compromise on the atmosphere that usually comes with sitting inside. This may mean extending your sound system to include some outdoor speakers.

Improve Lighting

You’ll want to use your outdoor space for as long as possible, making adequate lighting an essential consideration. If you don’t have the ability to add lighting to a roof or wall, consider adding portable lighting as you then can remove these come Summer when the nights are shorter and natural lighting comes into play. If you choose to install an awning, built-in LED lighting is also an option.

Add Some Greenery 

Adding some bushes can increase the privacy of your business whilst also influencing your customers mood. Additional green space may also encourage customers to walk through your door. Greenery can also protect your customers from the weather as it can provide side coverage. If your business is city based, this can improve the appearance of your business as greenery may be lacking in the city environment. 

 

In times where outdoor space is critical, customers will be choosing your business based on the exterior facilities you offer. You should consider carefully what you are aiming to portray with your exterior area so you can attract the right customers. Choosing elements which can be used throughout the year is beneficial and will build your business and reputation so customers know to come to you when the weather changes.