Without making people mad!
Photo by Berlin, Maryland, Downtown District
One common small town parking complaint is business staff taking up customer parking. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this brought up in discussing downtown businesses.
Sometimes business owners or business employees park right in front of their business or along the Main Street. They might park out front for any number of reasons. Maybe they don’t have much room to park around back, or they’re just running into their business for a minute, or they need to carry some things in the front.
The problem is that this takes space away from customers. If all the business owners park in front, customers have to park further away, and some might use that as an excuse not to shop downtown.
A thrift shop storefront in downtown Berlin, Maryland. Photo CC by Philip N Young
I just heard the best idea for addressing this from Ivy Wells, Director of Economic and Community Development for Berlin, Maryland. It’s a solution that values the businesses and their people while keeping space open for customers and visitors.
The town reached out to a church near downtown to share their parking lot during the week for business owners and staff.
Each person working at downtown businesses received a numbered permit to display in their vehicle. The town sends someone to the designated church lot regularly to check the cars and record the permits they see, in essence collecting a list of who is using the lot. Then they enter those people for drawings for great local gifts. That’s a big secret: the gifts are things people really, really want to win.
Ivy said they may add valet service to make it even easier for owners and staff!
It’s a simple way to appreciate your business people and make room for more customers to come on in.
Header photo: Berlin, MD, downtown during the golden evening hour. Photo by Berlin MD Downtown district.
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
