I have wanted to open a combination coffee shop and bakery in my hometown for a very long time.
I spent years searching for the right location.
I was looking for a building with some charm that also provided enough space for my business and parking for my customers. Recognizing the importance of the actual building to my success, I was unwilling to settle. I finally came across the ideal property and the price was within my budget. Part of the reason I could afford the commercial building was because it was in terrible shape. The former owners did nothing with it, and there was a great deal of water damage and code violations. Vandals had broken windows and sprayed graffiti. The parking lot was crumbling and sprouting weeds. One of my biggest concerns was the HVAC unit. It was a huge, ancient piece of equipment taking up space and causing an eyesore in the parking lot. The system was dented, rused and obviously not capable of providing energy efficient and reliable heating and cooling. I contacted a local HVAC contractor and asked for an assessment and recommendation. He confirmed that the unit was not worth fixing and suggested that I upgrade to a rooftop packaged unit. Locating the heating/cooling system on the roof provides quite a few benefits. It frees up space and protects the equipment from damage and vandalism. It allows for service and repairs without disrupting the daily operation of my business. It keeps running noise at a minimum. I invested into a rooftop heating/cooling unit, made the necessary repairs to the rest of the building and have been steadily building my loyal clientele.