In today’s world, accessibility and inclusivity are becoming top priorities for businesses across all industries and sectors. While many older commercial spaces have some leeway with being “grandfathered in,” exempt from meeting current accessibility standards, choosing not to install a mobility solution may no longer be the best option.
By investing in an elevator for their commercial space, businesses can make their spaces more welcoming and inclusive, which helps bolster their appeal, audience, and more. With over 30 years of experience in commercial elevator installations, RAM can help guide you toward the best solution for your space. Let’s explore the potential risks and challenges of not retrofitting an elevator into your commercial space and help pick the right option for you to install in 2025.
1. Accessibility Regulations Are Increasingly Common: While an older building may not be legally required to undergo renovation to accommodate an elevator, opting out could soon place your business at a competitive and regulatory disadvantage. As building codes and accessibility laws are continually evolving, commercial spaces that lack mobility solutions could find themselves lagging behind their competitors.
Choosing to create an accessible business shows a commitment to inclusivity and compliance that gives most businesses a competitive edge. The social push toward universal accessibility continues to grow year over year, with new standards being implemented on a regular basis. Being proactive about mobility solutions like elevators not only helps future-proof your space but also ensures that it remains compliant and accessible for years to come.
2. Striving For Inclusivity is Always the Right Thing to Do: Beyond enforceable legal requirements with fines and penalties, opting to install an elevator proactively sends a powerful message about your company’s values and commitments to your customer base. It shows that you care about creating a welcoming space for everyone who walks through your doors, including those with mobility challenges, parents with young children, and older adults. This can elevate your brand’s image to help foster a positive reputation.
Customers and employees alike appreciate knowing they’re supporting a company that values inclusion and accessibility. By ensuring that everyone can access your business space, you’re aligning with the values of inclusivity and respect, which resonates strongly with today’s socially conscious clientele.
3. Creates New Opportunities to Appeal to a Broader Clientele: Businesses that opt out of accessibility options risk missing out on valuable demographics and clientele, as an elevator creates an inviting environment for all, removing invisible barriers and making everyone feel comfortable. Potential clients, customers, and partners who rely on mobility aids or have mobility restrictions may skip your business altogether if they find it inaccessible- or dangerous.
Retrofitting an elevator into your commercial space not only makes it more welcoming to a larger audience but also increases foot traffic, customer loyalty, and brand recognition- especially when word of mouth travels that your space welcomes all. In a competitive economic market, inclusive features like elevators can help give your business a significant edge.
4. Allows for Added Convenience and Comfort for Tenants: If your commercial property includes tenant spaces, adding an elevator can make a significant difference in tenant satisfaction. Many businesses seek locations that are easy for both employees and clients to navigate, and an elevator helps provide ease and convenience to anyone who visits your space. An elevator also increases the likelihood that tenants renew their leases, and it can help attract higher-quality tenants who prioritize accessibility and modernity.
Creating a space that’s accessible for all helps your tenants feel appreciated and supported in their own dealings and leaves less for them to worry about in terms of their own visitor flow. By creating a better experience for tenants, customers, and employees alike, you make the space more desirable and marketable. Additionally, businesses leasing the space can better support people with mobility needs, helping reflect positively on their own brand as well.
5. Helps to Increase Your Property Value and Marketability: An accessible commercial space holds greater rental and resale appeal, period. Installing an elevator not only enhances the functionality of your building but also increases its long-term value and creates desirability for a broader range of buyers and lessees. By prioritizing mobility solutions like elevators in your commercial space, you can make your property more appealing to a larger pool of potential buyers or renters
While the cost of a commercial elevator installation may seem prohibitive at first glance, adding accessible features like one of RAM’s commercial elevators or lifts can significantly increase your market value and profitability. As the demand for accessible buildings only continues to grow, spaces with an elevator already installed will stand out as a more attractive and valuable option.
Think Future-Forward, and Let RAM Open Up Your Commercial Space’s Inclusivity and Accessibility
Choosing not to install an elevator in your commercial space may seem like a convenient “cost savings” option, but the downsides of not doing so are hard to ignore. Accessibility is more than just a regulatory requirement; it’s a reflection of your business’s values and dedication to inclusivity and diversity.
RAM’s commercial elevator solutions are designed to be cost-effective, easy to install, and efficient for modern spaces, allowing you to provide an accessible experience for anyone who steps through your doors without the typical hassles of an elevator retrofit. In a market that increasingly values accessibility and inclusivity, can your commercial space afford not to invest in a mobility solution? With RAM’s innovative elevator options, the answer is clear- so visit our website or contact our team today to get started on making your space safer in 2025!