The costs of both running and maintaining the bathroom at a business that services the general public can be pretty pricey, so I ask is it worth it?

There is the cost of running multiple facilities; the men's room and ladies room and sometimes the "Family Rest Room". Sturdy hardware must be purchased and installed by professionals, extra utilities are needed for these respites such as water and electricity for lighting and HVAC. The bathroom supplies of toilet paper, paper towels and garbage bags can be purchased inexpensively in bulk especially if you use the industrial one-ply type of toilet paper. If you have a higher-end business you may offer cloth hand towels which need to be laundered and in some cases a bathroom attendant is present.

There is also the cost for maintenance of these rooms. Cleaning supplies specific to the job at hand must be purchased and some specialized tools such as a toilet brush or two. There has to be an hourly employee that is used to clean these rooms. Plus every once in a while there will be the cost for a plumber to come in and fix a leaky sink or snake out a clogged drain. Having a dirty or poorly maintained bathroom reflects badly on your business and will without a doubt lose you customers. So the cost of regular maintenance is a must!

Those costs add up quickly but business of all types wisely spend that money and why? That investment is made because that particular amenity is expected to be there. Your customers prefer to spend their hard earned money with businesses that offer them amenities they want and need over those that do not. It's a fact. WiFi is the modern amenity that your tech-savvy and increasingly mobile customers want and are coming to expect.

With the explosive growth of WiFi enabled devices customers have come to expect the amenity of ubiquitous WiFi. They expect to be able to use their iPhone, iPod, laptop and Palm Pre while at your business to do business or to Tweet or to update their Facebook page. At the turn of the century restaurants and other businesses had big signs in their windows to advertise the fact that they offered Air conditioning. Now Air conditioning is everywhere your customers are.

Think of WiFi as the modern day equivalent of what it meant for a business to offer potential customers air conditioning back then. What new amenities are you offering your customers to attract them in your door? For far less than $2.00 per day it is a wise investment to offer modern day amenities such as Free WiFi to keep those customers happy and coming back for more.