When you’re looking around to find a commercial awning manufacturer, there are many factors you should consider. Cost is always important for every business. You want to get the best deal, regardless the size of your budget. Here are some specific ways you can lower your awnings supplier costs.
Reducing awning supplier costs directly.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but you should avoid the temptation to just go for the cheapest price. Giving in to that now will ensure you pay more later. This includes off-the-shelf awnings from big box stores and one-size-fits-all online purchases. Mass-produced products have a place, but it’s not on the front of your business. Custom design is the only way to get something that’s truly yours.
The decisions you make at every step of the custom design process affect your awnings supplier costs. This applies to:
- Overall awning style, because strength and durability have to match your location’s requirements.
- Awning Fabrics – you will not reduce awning supplier costs by “saving” on cheap imported fabric.
- Graphics – the wrong fabric choice can affect your ability to achieve the graphics look you want.
- Production – quality workmanship may increase awning supplier costs up front, but you’ll be happier down the road.
- Installation – your quoted awning supplier costs should include this. You won’t save by doing it yourself, because it has to be done right.
All these factors affect up-front awning supplier costs, but to understand your true cost you’ll need to calculate total cost of ownership over your awning’s lifespan.
Profits come from many sources.
From a financial standpoint, profit is what’s left over after you pay your bills. Since purchasing an awning is an investment – and usually a fairly substantial one – how can awning supplier costs affect profits? By bringing you the lowest possible total cost of ownership, as noted above.
That means you have to think about indirect awning supplier costs:
- Lighting is a good example. Whether you choose a front lit or back lit awning style and the type of lights you use affect the initial cost of fabrication and installation. But lights use energy, so there’s an ongoing cost that is part of your overall awning supplier costs. LED lights – readily available these days – are far more affordable over time than older types of lights.
- Maintenance is another ongoing item you need to factor into awning supplier costs. Any awning that is properly designed for its intended purpose and location should be relatively maintenance-free. But you should specifically ask about this during your awning’s design process, because the more time you wind up spending on cleaning and other maintenance tasks, the less time you’ll have to spend schmoozing with customers and building your business.
Profit also means benefit. There are distinct benefits you will reap by working with the right commercial awning company. They come in the form of professional advice and recommendations regarding how to use awnings and canopies to maximum advantage. Your commercial awnings expert will probably suggest you use your awning to perform all these business “duties:”
- Appearance upgrade. An attractive, welcoming business generates more interest from potential customers.
- Identification. A well-designed awning distinguishes you from your neighbors. When it clearly displays your name, it makes it easier for patrons to find you.
- Branding and marketing. When you use custom colors, your logo or other images, you’re reinforcing your brand and promoting your business around the clock.
- Weather protection. Awnings can cover walkways and entrances, equipment and cars and indoor/outdoor work areas such as loading docks and hospital emergency entrances.
- Shade. Awnings cool your interior and help create outdoor dining or recreation areas that earn more revenue.
Put these recommendations to work, and you will boost long-term business growth and revenue generation. When you factor that into your total cost of ownership, you’ve reduced awning supplier costs.
