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For growing companies, maximizing space isn’t just a trendy topic. Many small businesses must make do with smaller than optimal office spaces. While small offices and storefront are often cheaper, they can be less productive because of the sacrifices tenants and customers must make. Even if your facility space isn’t small, poorly chosen design elements can limit the flow of foot traffic unintentionally. 

If you’re struggling to make a small office space or retail location work, here’s what you can do to improve its design:

Provide clear paths.

Space your interior elements geometrically, like streets on a grid instead of placing things haphazardly. The more space tenants and visitors have to walk, the more comfortable they will be while working or visiting. 

Implement office workspace “zoning.”

In a small office, it can be difficult to maintain a certain amount of privacy, especially if different employees have different working styles. Some employees will be more productive if they are given a closed office space that is quiet and free of distraction. Others thrive on collaborative opportunities and prefer open spaces. By zoning your facility into different workspaces for different needs, you can give everyone the environment they need to be productive. 

Prioritize your investments. 

If you’re a small business that’s growing rapidly, every investment should be thought out carefully. When designing your office space, invest in pieces of furniture and appliances that will last you and your employees for years to come. It is essential to prioritize your employees’ and visitors’ comfort over aesthetic appeal. Quality desks, long-lasting displays for retailers, and other essential items should take precedence over signage, branded design elements, and other ancillary elements of your facility. 

Upgrade equipment.

Some equipment upgrades can help maximize space. For example, having employees work on laptops instead of desktops can maximize space and provide mobility. Upgrading equipment may also give you the option to purchase smaller, more space-efficient equipment.  Many high-efficiency appliances are also smaller, which can help make your facility feel more spacious. 

If you’re moving into a new facility or are planning to upgrade your existing space, call MaintenX for help. We offer affordable installation services and can help you maintain a clean, efficient office to better your business. 

Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) is one of many strategies that facilities can use to maximize operational efficiency. RCM strategies focus on maintaining equipment in a way that reduces both downtime and costs. Rather than following a checklist of tasks, RCM offers custom solutions for all equipment to reduce unnecessary maintenance services while predicting and preventing reactive maintenance. 

MaintenX utilizes reliability-centered maintenance for large operations that require frequent services. By tailoring our solutions to the specific needs and demands of the space, we can better serve our clients while putting their maintenance dollars to good use. Before you implement an RCM strategy with MaintenX, we ask the following questions to ascertain your needs and expectations for the future: 

• What is the desired performance of each piece of equipment onsite?
• In what ways can your vital assets fail or produce less-than-optimal results?
• What are the most common signs of equipment failure? 
• What are the consequences of these failures?
• What does your team do to predict and prevent equipment failures onsite? 

Once we have talked with the facility manager about these concerns, we can develop a comprehensive RCM strategy for your business. At MaintenX, we follow these principles when it comes to designing and implementing reliability centered maintenance plans:

We accept failures. 

Not all equipment failures can be predicted or prevented. Unexpected or previous not experienced failures are learning opportunities for better facility design and preventative maintenance service. While we try to mitigate all foreseeable equipment failures, we accept and learn from those that catch us off guard. 

We prioritize failures. 

Your time and resources are valuable, and therefore should be spent wisely. When deciding to perform or not perform maintenance tasks, the risks of not performing them should be weighed against the potential benefits of preventing a failure. Therefore, not all preventative maintenance tasks are created equal. Maintenance tasks that prevent downtime and prolong equipment lifespan should be a greater priority than those that simply improve efficiency or have little risk of failure. 

We look for hidden failures. 

Hidden failures are the most dangerous to facilities because they do not pose risks until they happen. You find hidden failures either when you need equipment to function properly, or when you perform failure finding tests. Failure finding tests are critical to effective RCM. These tests prevent failures on equipment or fail stops that are not used daily. They can save your facility from an equipment failure resulting in disaster. 

We think before we act. 

MaintenX believes in quality service, and part of that is knowing when to act and when to leave equipment as is. Maintenance cannot improve a machine’s inherent performance, and too much service can expose your equipment to environmental risks. We provide service when needed to maximize output, but we never perform unnecessary services. And, if a piece of equipment is nearing the end of its lifecycle, we recommend replacements over extended repairs. Sometimes the best decision in RCM is to not act or to change course. 

We never stop improving. 

The most effective RCM strategies change. When RCM is effective, your facility should see performance and efficiency improvements, and require less maintenance over time. At MaintenX we strive to improve our programs to require fewer services over time, and to learn from each task performed so we can prevent you from spending unnecessary maintenance dollars. With each service, we strive to perform better so you can run a tight ship that rarely requires reactive maintenance services. 

By following these five principles, we make your facility easier and more affordable to manage. For more information about RCM or our preventative maintenance services, contact MaintenX today!

When you’re operating a 24-hour facility like a restaurant, hospital, nursing home facility, or other round-the-clock services, you need to prioritize maintenance over other commercial facilities. Equipment ages faster, and your employees don’t have downtime after closing to catch up on maintenance tasks. You’ve got more on the line, and will likely need a specialized maintenance team to help. 

While maintenance for 24-hour facilities is vital to smooth operations, it is something facility managers dread. Maintenance tasks often equal downtime, which you can’t afford when the doors never close. However, there are several steps you can take to optimize performance on your equipment and reduce downtime. 

Maintenance should be performed at the slowest hours of the day. That could be between midnight and 5am, or between 6am and 2 pm depending on your facility’s services and needs. While emergency maintenance needs cannot be put on hold, a 24-hour facility must prioritize preventative maintenance during slow hours to provide the best service to clients, patients, or tenants. 

You should also work with your maintenance team to reduce unnecessary preventative maintenance services and extend the life and performance of vital equipment. In your preventative maintenance plan, your team should guarantee:

• The frequency of the tasks performed is appropriate to the traffic
• The time to perform tasks is sufficient.
• Thoroughness is not sacrificed for time efficiency when performing maintenance. 
• State-of-the-art equipment is used to reduce downtime.

Auditing your facility and adjusting your preventative maintenance plan is the best way to achieve these results. There is no better way to improve efficiencies than to invest in maintenance and equipment upgrades. When you choose MaintenX you are guaranteed fast and efficient service at all hours of the day. 

MaintenX provides comprehensive preventative maintenance plans for 24-hour facilities. We also offer 24-hour emergency services to ensure that no matter when an issue occurs, you are covered. We take our clients’ needs seriously. When you call your MaintenX technician, you are guaranteed someone on the phone who will treat you as their number one priority. 

To learn more about our preventative and emergency services, contact us. 

Nothing makes a potential customer or tenant’s skin crawl like the sight of pests at your facility. Whether its a roach, rat, termite, or other unsightly critters, these little nuisances can cost you revenue immediately. While pest control services are a necessity, they often cost facilities hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the severity of the issue and the square footage of the building. 

Pest control is expensive, but you can reduce the number of pest control visits to your facility by following these preventative maintenance tips:

Seal your windows

Improperly sealed windows can not only cause damage to your facility, but offer an easy gateway for pests to enter your facility. Plus, the water that comes into your facility from an unsealed window will attract pests that enter from other areas. This is especially problematic if you own a facility in a humid environment. To prevent water damage and pest invasions, call MaintenX to properly seal your windows. 

Landscaping

Any pest that enters your facility found a home outside of it first. In order to keep them out of the building, you’ll want to start at the front lines with proper landscaping care. Look for ditches in the ground, or other areas where water can collect, as this will attract pests. You should also consider using eco-friendly pesticides or pest-resistant plants in your landscaping to deter critters from making a home near your storefront. 

Look for cracks and other damages to exterior structures

Small cracks and crevices in the walls and ceilings of your building are the easiest places for pests to enter. By identifying small damages throughout your facility and sealing them off, you are much more likely to keep pests out. Your MaintenX team can perform this affordable service during their preventative maintenance checks. 

Don’t lag on regular maintenance

Maintaining a clean facility will make it an unwelcoming place for pests. Not only will regular cleaning and maintenance to remove traces of past critters, but it will remove attractors like water, scrap food, and hiding places that keep pests coming back for more. MaintenX urges all clients to make preventative maintenance a priority, whether they currently have a pest problem or want to avoid one in the future. 

MaintenX can help you implement these simple maintenance solutions to fight pests now and in the future. Contact us today for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Schools are the backbone of our country, offering great opportunities for the next generation. However, our schools’ infrastructure is often neglected. The American Society of Engineers recently gave U.S. schools a D+ rating in the Infrastructure Report Card in the country. This comprehensive architectural report suggested that 24 percent of public school buildings are in poor or fair condition, and that nearly 40 percent don’t have long-term maintenance plans to improve on infrastructure for the future.

The American Society of Engineers stated in their report, “Facing tight budgets, school districts’ ability to fund maintenance has been constricted, contributing to the accelerating deterioration of heating, cooling and lighting systems… Deferred maintenance and decisions to choose less expensive temporary fixes are ultimately costing school districts in the long term.”

School campus maintenance is more important than ever. If you want to make real improvements on your school campus this next semester, follow these guidelines: 

Plan a campus inspection before the start of fall semester.

School maintenance should be planned at least a year in advance. As the fall semester ends, now is the time to plan for the upcoming spring and fall semesters and improve upon existing maintenance policies. Prepare a maintenance checklist that covers:

• Structure
• Roofing
• Building exterior
• Building interior
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Grounds
• Furniture and equipment

Predict repairs. 

During your inspection for the upcoming year, make a list of immediate and potential repairs that you need to budget for. Your maintenance team should be involved in identifying current and future issues your facility may face. This will help you better set aside funds for facility maintenance at your campus. 

Invest in landscaping. 

Landscaping will do wonders on the aesthetic appeal of your campus. This can not only improve the overall quality of campus life, but will also attract potential new students when recruitment starts. Planting trees and providing clear walkways for your students will make their spring semester much better. 

Hire a full-time maintenance staff.

Planning before the school year isn’t enough. You need routine preventative maintenance to ensure equipment failures and emergency maintenance issues don’t occur. That is where your MaintenX team can help. We provide affordable preventative maintenance services for school campuses in 13 states. If you’re interested in learning more about school maintenance, contact us today. 

“What is a storm surge?” 

This is a question we often hear from clients who have recently relocated to a coastal location, or from clients who are looking into insurance and emergency preparedness solutions for their business. In Florida, where MaintenX is headquartered, storm surge is a real threat during hurricane season. However, not every facility manager knows if or how it will affect their business. 

Storm surges occur when hurricanes or tropical storms approach the coastline. The wind forces water from the ocean above the naturally occurring tide line. This results in flooding close to shore, sometimes 20 feet or more above sea level. In coastal areas like Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, elevation in waterfront neighborhoods is often no higher than 10 to 15 feet. Thus, storm surge has the capability to destroy homes and commercial buildings in many coastal areas of the U.S. 

Unlike flooding from other causes, the destruction of storm surge is amplified by the force of the ocean waves. Ocean water weighs approximately 1,700 pounds per cubic yard, meaning that same force is exerted on buildings as the storm surge rises. Within a few hours during a hurricane, storm surge can demolish entire buildings. 

Will storm surge affect my facility?

Even with local business owners, we receive many questions at MaintenX about the risk of storm surge for Tampa area facilities. The answer, however, is complicated. Storm surge may affect your facility, depending on how high above sea level it is, as well as how close to the coastline you are. Coastal flooding can reach far inland, tens of miles from the shoreline. However, if your facility is high above sea level, you are at a lower risk for damages. 

If you are at a lower elevation and close to the shoreline, it is important to prepare for storm surge. You may not be affected, but it is always better to prepare for the worst than simply hope for the best. At MaintenX we take storm surge very seriously and want to keep your facility and tenants safe.  

What To Do About Storm Surge

If there is a hurricane headed towards your city, it is recommended to close down your business and allow employees several days to evacuate. As you close down, contact MaintenX for emergency solutions like sandbags and emergency power delivery before and after the storm. You can also talk to our team about developing a preventative maintenance plan to bolster your facility against storm damage. 

If your facility is in a hurricane-prone area, talk to Maintenx. We are the area’s leading disaster response team and will ensure you are up and running as quickly as possible after a natural disaster. 

Facility emergencies come in many forms. They could be due to natural causes, equipment failures, employee situations, or corporate crises. However, the aptitude of your facility manager plays a crucial role in how these emergencies affect your staff. 

At MaintenX, we deal with many maintenance emergencies that could have been prevented by more careful management. While most natural and corporate disasters cannot be prevented, many of the damages incurred could have been with more diligent preventative maintenance or a more thorough emergency preparation plan. 

In order to prevent maintenance emergencies at your facility, here is what your maintenance manager should be doing: 

Invest in employee training. 

Your employees’ competence plays an important role in the prevention of equipment emergencies at your facility. Start by monitoring your employees’ proficiency in certain tasks to ascertain their collective strengths and weaknesses. When you can identify areas in which your team struggles, you can provide more targeted training programs to bolster their skills. 

Budgeting for equipment replacement in advance. 

In order to fund necessary equipment replacements, your maintenance manager should communicate to your facility manager what will need to be replaced in advance. Ideally, your facility manager should start saving three to five years in advance for replacements of aging equipment. When you are proactive with your maintenance budget, you can afford better equipment upgrades rather than settling for less.

Take into account equipment life-cycle when planning maintenance. 

Preventative maintenance should be agile and built around your facility’s specific needs. For example, a brand new HVAC system won’t require the same preventative maintenance as a unit that is 10 years old. Though the HVAC system (perhaps a split system) would still be critical to facility operations, you can still use life-cycles to better refine your maintenance plan. When you’re working with your maintenance manager, find a preventative maintenance checklist that prevents emergencies but doesn’t include unnecessary service. 

Work with a disaster response team to plan for natural disasters.

There are some things we simply can’t plan for. In Tampa, Florida, where MaintenX is headquartered, we are at risk for hurricanes during the summer months. Having a hurricane preparedness plan is a part of your maintenance manager’s responsibility, to ensure minimal downtime and maximum tenant safety. Your MaintenX team should be a part of that plan so you can restore power and open your doors as quickly as possible after a natural disaster. 

Your facility and maintenance managers should have these bases covered for sustainability of operations after an emergency. Talk to the MaintenX team in your area to learn about our emergency response and preventative maintenance services. 

For some businesses, including boat, car, and RV dealerships, an outdoor showroom can offer more options and a better experience to customers. However, you want to ensure that your outdoor aesthetic appeal is on par with your indoor showroom and inventory. No one wants to buy an expensive vehicle at a business that looks rundown, unkempt, or otherwise cheap. 

In order to provide an exceptional customer experience in an outdoor showroom, you must invest in proper maintenance and landscaping. These elements will immediately upgrade your business to first-class for customers, and encourage sales more than ever before. Follow these simple tips from MaintenX for outdoor showroom style:

Include shade trees for customer comfort. 

During the summer months, your customers will want plenty of shade while they’re walking through the lot. Providing ample shade with intentional tree cover is one of the easiest and affordable ways to offer that comfort to visitors. However, this will require more outdoor maintenance, as the increase of falling leaves and tree-living animals will require more inventory cleaning and protection. 

Focus on the area near your storefront. 

When customers first arrive, they will likely look inside for a salesperson before browsing the lot. Because of this, your storefront’s appearance matters a lot. Your storefront is the place to focus on flowers, water features, and other aesthetic landscape elements. These will make a great first impression for anyone looking to buy. 

Choose grass wisely. 

While natural grass might be cheaper upfront, if you’re not willing to maintain it, it will look poor later on. Artificial turf does require maintenance to prevent pests, but it will look evergreen and doesn’t require watering. Depending on your landscaping budget, artificial turf may be a good option for you. However, with proper landscaping services there is no reason you can’t have natural grass if you prefer the look. 

Shop for native plants. 

Choosing native plants will make it easier to maintain your landscaping yourself. While the help from a professional landscaping service is often required for small businesses, choosing plants that will naturally thrive in your area will make it easier to keep your storefront looking lush. Ask your landscaping service for recommendations

Choose bug and bee-resistant flowers. 

Bugs are an immediate turn-off to potential buyers. And, if too many bees are present, they can pose risks to your clients and staff. One of the easiest ways to prevent pests is by choosing plants that deter them from your lot. Sansevieria, bromeliads, and Dracaena are pest-resistant and look great in outdoor landscapes. Red dianthus, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and fuscia do not attract bees. 

There is no reason your outdoor storefront can’t be the talk of the town with some smart landscaping and maintenance services. MaintenX specializes in outdoor maintenance and landscaping services for business in 13 different states. If you’re interested in what MaintenX has to offer, contact us today. 

Facility Directors are some of the busiest people in the workforce. Their time quickly gets consumed by putting out fires, dealing with employee issues and overseeing important repairs. However, protecting your investments is essential if you want to maintain the health and appearance of your facility. 

Your tile flooring is one of those essential investments you need to protect. Tile flooring is more expensive than other options like concrete and linoleum, but it’s also more pleasing to visitors. While tile is an ideal option for office spaces and some retail or showroom spaces, it must be meticulously maintained. In order to keep up with your tile, follow these simple tips for making it last:

Know your tile. 

Not all tile is made the same. You will need to customize your maintenance routine depending on the glazing, material, size, and space between the tiles and grout. If you haven’t researched your tile, then your regular maintenance staff won’t know how to care for it. While MaintenX technicians are diligent about tile care, your everyday staff may not know how to properly care for spills or scratches. Having this knowledge as the facility manager will help you be better prepared for regular maintenance. 

Sweep or vacuum regularly, mop once a week. 

If you have tile at your facility, you should not sweep, vacuum, and mop on the same schedule. Sweeping and vacuuming will prevent dust and dirt from accumulating while mopping will help to get the smallest particles out from the grout. However, mopping too frequently may cause issues with the glazing or cause bacteria to spread, resulting in an unpleasant odor and poor looking tiles. Be diligent with your cleaning, but also be smart.  

Pay attention to the grout.

The grout between tiles will often degrade faster than the tiles themselves. It will often chip, break, or discolor over time if not properly maintained. Be sure to clean grout with a gentle cleaner whenever you mop. And, if you notice cracks in the grout call your maintenance technician immediately. 

Avoid wax- and oil-based cleaners.

When choosing cleaning supplies for the office, be careful of the ingredients for your tile cleaner or polish. Products that are oil- or wax-based will degrade the sealant on your tile much more quickly than water-based cleaners. You should also avoid bleach and acidic cleaners to prevent corrosion. 

Follow aftercare instructions from your maintenance team.

Your MaintenX technicians are experts in tile cleaning and repair. We strive to provide the best experience possible, which includes care instructions after a tile cleaning service. We use industry-standard products and equipment to produce a beautiful finish. However, aftercare is just as important to maintain the look and health of your tile.

Tile flooring can be a great long-lasting option for your facility with proper care. If you have any questions about tile flooring, call MaintenX today!

MaintenX is headquartered in the beautiful Sunshine State. While Tampa, Florida is a great place to live and work, our coastline location puts us and our clients at risk during Hurricane season. In 2018 and 2019, two major hurricanes battered our shores and our neighbors to the east. Hurricane Michael, which devastated the Florida panhandle, caused over $25 billion in total damages. Hurricane Dorian, which hit the Bahamas, put thousands in danger as most Dorian victims were unable to evacuate. 

MaintenX’s Disaster Recovery and Rapid Response Team has seen many storms similar to the ones in 2018 and 2019. We have been serving the Florida coast for over 40 years, providing life- and business-saving advice and resources to facility managers who need it. When in trouble, it’s important to have a hurricane safety plan in place.

Bill Schaphorst, our Vice President of Development, gives advice to business owners and facility managers who are in hurricane-prone areas of the coast: “As soon as a hurricane forms, the clock starts ticking down the amount of time remaining to prepare a facility for hurricane landfall and allow time for our personnel to travel back to a safe location. Don’t wait to start making arrangements for your facility or to create your hurricane safety plan.”

Days before any major hurricane, MaintenX workers prepare and deliver sandbags to at-risk coastal areas. Flooding due to storm surge is often the most damaging impact of hurricanes after treefall. MaintenX also has strong relationships with home improvement retailers across the country to provide plywood for board-up requests as a hurricane approaches.  

To help our local business, MaintenX has also invested over $1 million in emergency response and maintenance equipment to quickly restore power after a storm. Power outages lead to millions of lost revenue in a municipality. We try to reduce this economic impact by providing local businesses with generators as quickly as possible when they are ready to open. 

MaintenX does all we can to minimize hurricane damage to local businesses. However, preventative maintenance is the best investment you can make against hurricane damage in Florida. A leaking roof could turn into a major source of water damage, or an out-of-date window could easily shatter and allow an entire building to confront rain and wind damage. By keeping your facility in top-notch condition, you’re preparing your business for hurricane season. 

To learn more about MaintenX’s emergency response services, contact us.