Retail Projects

The Pace of Business is On the Rise

change

Business challenges we all face when responding to change.

Research by Progress Software/Economist Intelligence research showed some interesting statistics regarding the shifting business landscape around us.  The statistics show that the pace of business is the on the rise, and the top three factors causing this change over the past five years are the volatile economic environment, increased competition and a fast-changing regulatory environment. Unfortunately, businesses have barriers to overcome to react to the fast pace, including lack of resources, lack of coordination and inaccurate or incomplete data. Take a look at their infographic.

Most importantly, an overwhelming 53% of people believe leadership is ineffective in making the right decisions about how or when to respond to change.  Fortunately, we can all overcome these challenges by incorporating strong leadership, effective flow of information and keeping accurate and up-to-date data.

Historic South End, Silos and Rail Trail

Historic South End Silos During Restoration

On October 21, 1852, the first railroad train arrived in Charlotte, which may have been the most important event in the city’s history.  Innovative funding by the business community and townsfolk made the line possible and the railroad train’s arrival spawned an imaginative leadership and innovative movement that contributed to making South End what it is today.
The city is dedicated to maintaining South End’s history, and A&K Painting Company is honored to be a part of that dedication.  We are proud to have completed the restoration project on the Silos that are such a famous landmark in the revitalized South End area. And while the landmarks of the South End are important to maintain and restore, the community also believes it’s imperative to beautify and transform the community into a welcoming place that intertwines nature with design.
The community is trying to accomplish this nature and design collaboration by transforming the existing rail trail, which runs parallel to Lynx Blue Line, into a vibrant public park that allows people to explore all that South End has to offer. There was a meeting held on April 23rd to share this rail trail vision with the community and it had a terrific turnout.  This vision is easy to see, because South End is filled with galleries, restaurants, bars and cafés that will be easily accessible by the rail trail, and if something is a little too far for you to walk, you can check out a wider range of exciting places via the Blue Line.  If you’re more interested in the design aspect of the community, you’re in luck; South End is a hot spot for design.  It is home to 200 design businesses, including showrooms and offices for architects, builders, interior and landscape designers, and graphic and web designers.  So matter what you’re interested in, there’s something for everyone in South End.

Americans with Disabilities Act and Restriping Parking Lots

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Americans with Disabilities don’t need any more hurdles to overcome than they already face, especially in their everyday lives and this includes attempting to visit a place of business.  The Americans with Disabilities Act takes this into consideration and has set requirements for businesses that are restriping their parking lots.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, from the ADA Business Brief, “when a business restripes a parking lot, it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.  Accessible parking spaces for cars have at least a 60-inch-wide access aisle located adjacent to the designated parking space.  The access aisle is just wide enough to permit a person using a wheelchair to enter or exit the car.  These parking spaces are identified with a sign and located on level ground”.  The ADA also has requirements for van-accessible parking, which include “a wider access aisle (96”) to accommodate a wheelchair lift, vertical clearance to accommodate van height, and an additional sign that identifies the parking spaces as ‘van accessible’”.  The ADA also has requirements on how many accessible parking spaces to provide when parking lots are restriped, which is based on a percentage of the total number of parking spaces provided per lot.  Also, according to the ADA, “the accessible parking space must be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible facility entrance”. 

A&K Painting Company understands how important accessibility is for people with disabilities and provides  solutions to meet ADA requirements when striping parking lots.  Our expertise and attention to detail can provide property owners and managers with the peace of mind that their parking lots have been designed with safety as the top priority and that all ADA requirements have been met.  Providing great value to CRE professionals and property managers, keep the bottom line in mind. It all starts with the use of proper preparation techniques which provide longevity and a better value overall.

Learn more about A&K Painting Company’s Striping for Safety and Maintenance Solutions.  Contact us if you have any questions and when we can be of service to you.

Indoor GPS- How it Will Benefit Users and Business

indoorGPSIn recent years, companies have been developing something called IPS, or indoor positioning service, which would allow your phone, tablet or any other wireless enabled device to be constantly tracking certain signals in your location by using Wi-Fi signals that already exist in the building.   Some companies, such as Google, already offer mobile maps of locations like shopping malls and airports, and according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, analysts believe that further advanced indoor mapping and tracking could be used to “direct users to their gate at the airport, provide audio tours in museums or push offers to consumers based on where they are standing inside a store”.  Also, Opus Research analyst Greg Sterling “believes that data about consumers’ indoor whereabouts could be extraordinarily valuable for retailers studying foot traffic and making merchandising decisions”.

Another extremely large market that could benefit from an indoor GPS application would be the medical field; especially medical centers that have massive offices or campuses.  Time is sometimes of an essence when it comes to hospitals and people would probably rather not spend that time trying to find where their loved one’s room is located or even what building their appointment is in.  An indoor GPS would allow people to quickly find their destination and probably reduce stress levels dramatically.  This could also apply to college campuses, where students are notoriously late on their first day because they can’t find their classroom.

One possible drawback to an indoor GPS would be privacy; however, it is highly unlikely a company would market a service unless there are definitive guarantees that your data is safe and your location won’t fall into undesirable hands.  There also wouldn’t be such a large number of companies interested in the indoor GPS market if they thought it would have serious privacy risks.  Overall, despite the privacy concerns, the indoor GPS will probably be highly beneficial for consumers in the near future, but more so, very profitable for the retail, hospitality, entertainment and medical industries.

 

CREW’s 7th Annual Casino Night Supports Scholarships

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It’s that time of year again!  The time for April showers, spring cleaning and CREW’s 7th Annual Casino Night!  This year, the Commercial Real Estate Women’s event is being held on April 25th at The Big Chill located in uptown Charlotte.  According to A&K’s Whitney Bauman, the co-chair of the event, there is an expected record turn-out with over 300 attendees, so this event is a great real estate networking opportunity.  It’s also an excellent way to support the future of the commercial real estate industry, because all the proceeds from the event support scholarship programs for students in fields of commercial real estate through the CREW Foundation and the Belk College of Business and UNC Charlotte.  Plus, it should be a lot of fun!  There will be a silent auction, casino games with funny money, and there will even be a photo booth.  Of course, there will also be hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and valet parking will be included in the ticket.  So all-in-all, if you want to have some fun, network with other real estate professionals, and support a good cause, this is the perfect event for you!

For more information or to register to attend, please visit the CREW Charlotte website.