How Can Graffiti Hurt Your Business
Graffiti often has a reputation as “street art” but the truth is that if you’re a business owner graffiti can decrease your sales and intimidate customers. Graffiti on a building sends a signal that nobody cares for your building, that it isn’t being maintained and that it may not be safe. Most graffiti isn’t art, it’s vandalism, and by allowing your business to be vandalized you are taking unnecessary chances with your bottom line.
There are obvious costs of your building being covered in graffiti. As a business owner you will be responsible for removing graffiti building, or reporting it to be removed by your landlord. This takes time and effort on your part, time and effort you could be better spending on maintaining and promoting your business.
Graffiti on your exterior signage is a separate issue. Not only is it an eyesore, but it directly impacts your ability to advertise to passing customers. Graffiti on signage could be the difference between making a positive impression and a negative one. Your business could be losing sales that you never even were aware of if your signage is impacted by graffiti.
Graffiti could be also affecting your bottom line as a business owner in unexpected ways. Studies have shown that the presence of graffiti in a neighborhood or at a business sends a subconscious signal to residents and patrons. Areas with large amounts of graffiti specifically make people fear large amounts of local gang activity. They feel less safe in the area, are less likely to visit after hours, and are more likely to commit minor crimes like littering and shoplifting. If the graffiti is severe enough, from some angles your business may look abandoned entirely. Especially after hours, you could be risking major vandalism or arson by allowing your business to become covered in graffiti.