This year is about the new normal. Although the coronavirus pandemic is manageable in Canada, it is still present. For businesses to resume operations, it needs to be ready, following health protocols and keeping everybody safe at all times.
To help your store prep and embrace the massive changes, remember these tips:
1. Bring Your Business Outside
If you’re a restaurant, call commercial mowers ASAP. It would help if you extended your dining area outdoors. Al-fresco dining is a better option because of two reasons: ventilation and social distancing.
Initial studies show that the virus might remain suspended in the air for a considerable time. When you’re indoors, the HVAC system can inadvertently spread it around the area. Outside, the air forces the droplets to settle down fast.
Further, indoor space encourages people to huddle, especially now that winter is fast approaching. Bringing the business outdoors helps maintain the WHO-recommended distance of at least a meter apart.
2. Protect Your Employees
Anyone can catch the virus, but some people are deemed high-risk because of their level of exposure. These include employees who have to report to work. These individuals will encounter a variety of men, women, and children. A number might already be silent or asymptomatic carriers.
However, an ounce of protection can go a long way in keeping them safe while doing their jobs:
- Encourage everyone, including your customers, to wear a mask. If you need proof if this works, read this story in Korea.
- Place sanitizers, such as alcohol gels, in various places. Teach your staff to use them every time they touch a surface.
- Limit the interaction between the customers and your staff. Improve cashless payment options.
- Promote takeouts, pick-ups, and deliveries.
- Enhance ventilation inside the shop using better air filtration systems.
- Consider using UVC light that can help kill the virus.
3. Encourage Transparency
The saying “Honest is the best policy” has never been more vital than today. Transparency and accountability can help save lives. However, some employees might be afraid to open up about exposure risks or even their illnesses because they don’t want to lose their jobs or continue earning money.
As a business, you can stir your team to follow contact-tracing protocols and avoid exposing others to sick people with these ideas:
- Let your workers download the COVID Alert app. For now, it’s available in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Discourage sick employees from reporting to work. Allow them to maximize their leaves or design a process that will let them work from home.
- Consider undergoing swab tests every two weeks.
- Create a fund or talk to your health insurer in case of emergencies.
- Take advantage of government assistance programs, cash grants, and other projects that support small-based businesses. This way, you can build cash flow fast, rehire more workers, and improve the financial stability of your team.
Nobody knows for sure when the COVID-19 pandemic will end. One thing is clear: your business needs to stay open. These three ideas will help you thrive and stay safe amid the health crisis.
