A few days of preparing for winter gets your business through several weeks of a brutal winter. After a few months of preparation, you’re set for the entire season. Here are four ways to make sure that your business thrives this winter.
Prepare an Emergency Disaster Plan
Prepare a container full of emergency supplies, such as first aid kits, batteries, blankets and radios. Always have windshield scrapers in the car along with chargers for the battery. As part of the plan, schedule regular training for your employees so they know how to act in certain emergency situations.
Upgrade the Heater
Before the season begins, upgrade your heater by getting repairs done, if any are necessary. If the heater is more than 10 years old, install a brand-new system that is more energy efficient than the last one. A common problem occurs when the heater is very old but overused. Also, schedule yearly maintenance work to check for damages that may have formed from the previous season.
The building needs boilers to heat water for showering, cleaning and washing. The boiler also gets overused on cold days and requires regular maintenance. If the boiler is not maintained well, after some years, it may overheat or leak and cause water damage to the property.
Open Communication Lines
During a severe winter, it’s common for people to get stranded in remote areas. Other times, they are forced to stay at home when the roads are closed. Increase the number of methods that you use to communicate with employees and coworkers. Text them whenever you need to send urgent messages. Each year, update the list of emails and phone numbers that you have on file.
Prevent Icy Slips and Falls
Preventable accidents are the worst problems that affect businesses during the winter. Slips and falls may occur on icy sidewalks and parking lots leading up to your building. Pour salt onto the pavement to prevent ice from forming. If an accident and injury occurs on your property, you could face a lawsuit and be forced to open a liability insurance claim.
Winter comes around every year, but most business owners make the same mistakes over and over again. Many do not realize the full dangers they are facing until it’s too late. Others are prepared halfway, but still must pay for damages out of pocket. Before the next winter, prepare your business to the fullest extent that you can.
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