In June this year, many businesses started reopening following the strictest phase of the COVID-10 lockdowns. Maps of the types of businesses that began serving the public again differed greatly from state to state, with the industries most likely to open including those covering the areas of outdoor recreation, personal care, and food and drink. Businesses in the sectors of retail and entertainment, however, were (and continue to be) less likely to follow suit. If you are an entrepreneur and you have one or more businesses you have had to close, what considerations should you keep in mind once you are legally allowed to reopen?
Are Your Installations Regulation-Friendly?
Depending on the sector you specialize in, restrictions may be in place with respect to sanitation, minimum distances between desks or employees, and necessary separatory installations between staff and members of the public. It is important to crunch numbers at this stage if your premises will require renovations to comply with regulations, to ensure that any investment made will receive an optimal return. You may find, after looking at expenses, that your losses will be less by postponing reopening to a later time.
Is Your Staff Ready?
Before opening, analyzing if staff requirements can be met is key. Those who are vulnerable or who have preexisting conditions should always work remotely. Moreover, you should be able to satisfy customers’ needs while minimizing the people on your premises. There should also be enough staff to cover anyone who has symptoms, who will need to quarantine immediately.
Logistical Considerations
It should be possible to reduce viral loads in your office by following an assiduous cleaning routine. The latter may involve cleaning commonly touched surfaces and floors. It may also involve the use of special cleaning and filtration devices to keep air quality optimal. There may be many requirements for authentic social distancing and sanitation you will need to effect and these requirements may be more difficult to maintain in some industries. For instance, if your employees work in a lab, there should be facilities for them to wash equipment (including visors and goggles) so they don’t have to take dirty equipment home. You should also be able to provide separate exits and entrances for high-risk and non-high-risk staff members, to provide floor markings if people need to queue up, and the like.
Reducing Agglomerations
If possible, your business should be able to withstand the staggering of arrival and departure times of both staff and clients. The latter in particular should ideally be dealt with on an appointment-only basis, especially if you work in hospitality, tourism and leisure, close contact services (including hairdressers), libraries, community centers, and the like.
Maintaining Records
Ask yourself if you are equipped to keep tight records of who has visited your offices or installations. You should be able to assign staff to digitally indicate entrance and exits, to facilitate tracing if anyone should become ill. This is especially applicable to businesses that provide services on-site. Data that should be included in your list include the date and times employees are on-site, the name of at least one member in a group (if relevant) that visits you, their arrival and departure time, and the name of each person who attended to a client.
If you are in an industry that has been permitted to open in the COVID-19 age, then thorough planning prior to making a decision to open is key. You will need to review your installations as well as your staff to see if all precautionary measures can be taken. Prior to opening, vital changes may need to be made — including the addition of staff, hiring professional cleaning services, and physical renovations to your office space.
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