As states relax their restrictions and many businesses slowly begin reopening, there’s a host of new safety protocols and health guidelines that you’ll need to keep in mind as a business owner. Your prime concern should be prioritizing the health and safety of your staff and customers. If your small business is considering reopening soon, here’s what you should know in order to safely resume operations while keeping you, your staff and your customers safe.
Reinforce your security system
The virus isn’t the only thing you need to be protecting your business against. There are also plenty of people who will take advantage of these uncertain times to steal and break into physical stores, both attended and unattended. Make sure to keep your store secure by installing a dependable surveillance system, getting in touch with a fence contractor who can erect a durable security fence for you, and setting up an effective alarm system.
Introduce contactless payment methods
Rather than having your employees and customers circulate cash which has come into contact with plenty of other hands, opt for contactless payment methods whenever possible. If your employee must accept cash, provide cash trays where customers can drop their payment instead. Cashless payment methods include credit cards, debit cards, cash apps, and giving customers the option to pre-pay for items online before they pick it up from the store in person.
Require your employees and customers to wear face coverings
Personal protective equipment (PPE) and face coverings have been shown to be effective at inhibiting the spread of germs and bacteria. It’s important to supply your employees with masks, face shields, hand sanitizer, and gloves to use on the job and to require your customers to wear face coverings before they enter the store and throughout the duration of their shopping experience.
Enforce temperature checks at the entrance
Assign certain employees to man the entrance and provide them with contactless thermometers to check the temperature of anyone who wishes to enter the store. Any customer with a temperature that registers higher than 38 °C should not be allowed to enter the store. You can still offer to shop for the customer by requiring them to hand over the payment to you so you can fetch and purchase their items while they wait outside.
Intensify your cleaning and hygiene protocols
Your business should take extra steps to thoroughly disinfect and clean every surface of your store. This includes regularly sanitizing high-traffic surfaces such as doorknobs and floors throughout the day. You should also consider installing an air-filtration system as well as contactless hand sanitizer dispensers. Don’t forget to deep clean your store at the end of the day and before you open your doors.
Clarify your safety protocols with your employees and customers
Make sure that both your employees and customers are informed about your safety protocols so that they can strictly adhere to these requirements while in your store. Employees should receive comprehensive training and briefing before they can return to work. Don’t forget that you have the right to refuse service if a customer puts your employees and other customers in danger by refusing to follow safety regulations.
It’s understandable that not everyone can afford to keep their business closed as they wait for this global catastrophe to settle down. The best you can do if you decide to reopen your small business is to take extra precautions to keep you, your employees, and your customers as safe and healthy as possible.
