Parking Business and Charity Fundraising
By Lance Winslow

In the parking business we are all aware of the need to fill up as many parking stalls as possible for the maximum price point. There are many ways to do this. One of the most inexpensive ways is through free publicity. A car wash fundraiser on or in your garage during a slow time of the week may just be that opportunity.

If Sunday is your facility's slowest day, a car wash for a church or youth group might be an idea. The radio station will play the spots five times a day for a week. Free airtime and all you have to do is be a Good Samaritan. If Saturday is a slow day, you can have a local high school group hold a fundraiser. High school bands often have annual budgets in excess of $40,000. They usually have 100+ kids in the band and that means 1.5 parents per kid, who are all your potential customers. Sound good so far? It gets better. Sometimes for a big event you can get the radio station to do an on-site remote and give away T-Shirts and prizes, thus promoting themselves on your parking lot.

Great for you-the more people who know about your lot the better. Once a person is familiar with your parking lot they are more likely to feel safe pulling into your lot instead of a nearby lot. The price point between competitors may also not be an issue anymore. After all, you are the community-oriented business; the other guy is just a parking lot.

High schools are not the only groups holding fund raisers. There's every kind of organization imaginable, from the Boys and Girls Club to the Boy Scouts, soccer teams to Little League, cheerleaders to Young Miss Pageants. There are so many groups in need of funds and just as many thankful parents and fund-raiser car wash customers, who would gladly become your loyal patrons.