It’s been a long hard couple of months for brick and mortar businesses. Dealing with the temporary closure of non-essential businesses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic left many small business owners struggling to survive. Many were forced to let go of their employees and file for financial assistance and/or unemployment to remain afloat as sales plummeted and bills piled up.
The good news, however, is that many parts of the country have been able to flatten the curve. As a result, governors and their staff have begun implementing phases to safely reopen. When it’s time for your business to reopen, your top priority will be to the health and safety of your staff and clients. Continue reading for advice.
Review State Health and Safety Guidelines
Before making any plans of your own, your first responsibility to safely reopen your business is to ensure that you’re following the guidelines set forth by the government. Review these guidelines and use them as a foundation for creating a reopening strategy.
Sanitize Your Entire Workspace
Sanitation is instrumental in keeping everyone safe during the pandemic. Before allowing customers or employees to reenter your facilities you should have the entire place cleaned and sanitized to remove any presence of the coronavirus that may have been left behind. All hard surfaces and shared spaces should be thoroughly cleaned. You should also consider steam cleaning from TheSteamPolice to ensure all germs, bacteria, dirt, and debris are removed from the carpets.
Sanitize Company Vehicles
Whether your company owns a fleet of vans or provides company cars to employees who need to travel, having them thoroughly cleaned and sanitized is a top priority. If the coronavirus is present in the vehicle, your employees risk exposure and it could put everyone at risk. Search for a service provider in your area that offers vehicle sanitation services.
Implement Social Distancing Guidelines
Social distancing has played a significant role in helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Most governors are requiring businesses to implement these guidelines at their brick and mortar locations. This may mean adding space between employee desks or workstations and using markers such as tape placed six feet apart to educate customers on how to remain safe.
Stock Up on Personal Protective Equipment
Your employees are most vulnerable during these times. This is essentially because they are interacting with clients/customers for several hours each day. Help to keep them safe by ensuring that you have enough personal protective equipment available. Place a bulk order for face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer for your staff. Also, enforce that they are worn during the workday.
Daily Employee Screenings
No one who is feeling sick should come in for work. If they do have the coronavirus it could spread and quickly become a problem for your employees, customers, and the entire community. Therefore, you should set protocols in place to screen your employees every day. This can include asking them if they have any symptoms and taking their temperature to see if they have a fever.
Reduce Building Capacity
Though reopening regulations vary by state, most governors have mandated that businesses reduce their building capacity sizes to minimize risks. To comply with these regulations you should only ask key personnel to return to the facilities while other employees continue to work remotely. You should also develop a system to monitor the number of customers allowed in your building at once. Many businesses are creating lines outside for customers to stand six feet apart and await their turn to enter.
Evaluate and Adjust
A pandemic is not something anyone is used to or prepared to deal with. Therefore, you should not let your guard down. Continue to evaluate the practices you have in place. If you notice problems or changes that need to be made, come up with a new plan and adjust immediately.
The reopening of states across the country is exciting news for business owners who have had to temporarily shut their doors and lay off their teams. Be that as it may, the coronavirus pandemic is still a very real threat meaning business owners have a responsibility to keep everyone safe. As you await the green light to reopen your doors for business, begin implementing strategies like these to ensure that your employees’ and customers’ health and safety are protected.
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