Though lockdown has been a big struggle for businesses of all sizes, opening up is going to be the true test of might, especially if you haven’t been open at least for delivery during this time.
New strategies will need to be taught, and extra measures will need to be implemented. There is so much to plan for and so much that you will need to get right if you want to reopen safely. If you don’t, you put yourself, your employees, and your customers at risk. Not going above and beyond to reopen safely could mean that your doors are shut for good, either because you break some new law or regulation, or because your customers don’t trust your business well enough to use it.
Stock Up on COVID-19 Supplies
There are a variety of things you will want to buy from medical supply stores that work equally well in all business situations, from medical-grade face masks to viricidal cleaners, hand sanitizers, and alcohol wipes. Even having a no-contact thermometer can help you keep an eye on your employees’ health so that you can all get a jump on a possible infection before it becomes a small outbreak.
You can order both medical equipment and supplies online, though you will want to place your order early, as healthcare workers will have priority over businesses.
Provide PPE for Out of Work
Your employees have a risky journey coming from their house to your workplace. During this time, they can catch the virus, and they might not even exhibit any symptoms. Despite not showing symptoms, they are still contagious.
To reduce this risk, you need to provide them with the PPE that they need to be safe on their commute to your workplace. If you cannot afford to buy their masks for them, buy in bulk together to enjoy discounts or faster delivery.
Train Yourself and Your Employees
There are a variety of courses available for free online that help you understand more about the coronavirus, and more importantly, how to improve your business’s safety and regulation to meet the standards necessary to reduce the spread of the virus.
You will need to find the right ones that apply best to your business, but once you do, send it to your employees to complete. If you want proof that they have completed it, then be willing to spend the money it takes to get them certified. Most courses, considering how important the information is, are entirely free, but being aware of the cost ahead of time and its importance to your reopening will help significantly.
Top Tip: There is a chance that the government will release its own course later on concerning the best practices and what UK businesses will need to do before they reopen. Keep an eye open for such documentation, so you have the most up-to-date information before you reopen.
Become Familiar with PPE and Your Medical Supplies
Be familiar with how to properly wear PPE, how you can potentially use the PPE as a way to market your business further, and, most importantly, how to adequately disinfect and keep your business clean.
Create a Standard for Your Employees to Follow
Knowing how to use the medical-grade disinfectant or cleaning solutions is only half of the battle. If you really want to keep your premises clean and virus-free, you will need to devise a way to properly clean the space and make those steps standard so that all of your employees can follow your steps.
Do this with the advice of professionals, based on what you have learned in your online courses. This includes wiping down all surfaces, ensuring that preparation areas are safe and as contact-free as possible, and so on.
It will be a change for your employees once they come back into work, but by having a standard that you can even print out and post throughout your store’s back rooms, you can all do your part to stay safe and stay healthy.
Strategize on Effective Ways to Enforce Social Distancing
Social distancing will need to be promoted even after all businesses are open again, so think of ways that you can facilitate this in your space. You might want to open up an outdoor order and pickup window, for example, or install plexiglass to reduce the spread of the virus.
Some measures are going to be token at best, and not worth the investment. Try to find ways that will really help both your employees and customers stay safe, as these investments will provide you the largest return.
Continue to Diversify Your Income
It is a fool’s choice to continue to rely on only one means of income. You need to actively think of ways that you can expand your offerings so that people are buying from you in-store and online.
Restaurants can start their own sauce line, for example. They can also put together a cooking book or host online paid cooking classes.
Fashion boutiques and tailors can host online repair classes, or offer a contact-free repair service on top of their usual business model.
There are so many different ways that you can offer more value to your customers and bring in additional money at the same time. Many of these secondary income streams are passive as well, meaning it doesn’t take additional effort once you have set it up, meaning everything from that point on is just additional money in your pocket.
Improve Working from Home
If your employees can work from home, they should work from home. That being said, working from home has become a real challenge for many people. This is because there is additional pressure, responsibilities, and a lack of routine at home.
You need to devise a smart strategy that will actually help your employees be productive working from home. It can be done. Freelancers do it all the time, but they have the right structures in place and have the power to choose when they work. Find a happy medium between pushing for deadlines and giving your employees the time they say they need to complete a task.
Opening up again is going to be a challenge, but rise up to it, and you can open safely and start to welcome visitors again in no time.
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