by Dr. R. Kay Green
As the shelter-in-place laws begin to easy, many business owners are looking toward their future. But nothing is going to be the same, and opening up business will not be as simple as going back to business as usual. No matter the industry, changes are going to have to be made, and care will have to be taken when reopening business.
Here are five things to consider while creating your reopen plan.
Know the laws in your state.
The first step to any reopening plan is to make sure you are compliant with any laws in your state. Make sure you stay up-to-date on any shelter in place laws, but also keep an eye on things like recommended building capacity. You may not be able to fill a restaurant to full occupancy, for example. This may affect your time table.
Of course, for many, these laws are changing every day. Make sure you keep your finger on the pulse and be prepared to change and update your plan as new information becomes available.
Consider any logistical challenges.
Some businesses will have more difficulties than others operating in this post-COVID environment. Will your prices have to go up to compensate for the lowered occupancy? Is it feasible for you to test temperatures at the door? These are the questions you should be asking yourself to ensure the smoothest transition.
Some “best practices” might simply not be possible or beneficial for your business. Take the time to consider these carefully and make sure you have the best possible plan for you.
Get serious about cleaning.
As day-to-day work resumes, it is important not to let safety measures go lax. It is incredibly important for all of your employees to understand that regular cleaning is imperative. You should be purchasing masks for them, and consider investing in additional safety measures such as barriers in front of registers to ensure both their safety and the safety of your clientele, for example.
Ultimately, though, it will be the responsibility of your employees to keep things clean and safe, even when work life starts to pick up again. Make sure they understand that this is in their best interest as well as the best interest of your clients.
Consider the little things.
While talking about reopening seems easy in theory, in practice there could be things you had not accounted for. For example, consider the size of your bathrooms and the space between stalls. Can people easily move around while safely social distancing? Or what about your parking lot? How filled does it get, and what does foot traffic look like.
These are things that are easy to overlook, but can create challenges in the long run. Think of your business from a very analytical perspective and try to catch these things before they actually become problems.
Be prepared to take it slow.
As difficult as it might be to hear, these past few months have marked a dramatic shift for everyone, and we will not be able to return to normal overnight. Even as you open your business, consider taking it in phases—for example, having employees come into office in “shifts” and have them work remote on off days.
But even while you are taking it slow, there are things you can do to take advantage of time. If your employees are not going to be working the same number of hours, for example, now is a good time to invest in training, to empower them to make the most of their time.ournal, College View, Business New Hampshire Magazine, Bay State Banner, Reader’s Circle, North Dallas Gazette, Harlem News, Top News Today, One News Page, NE Informer, Women in Business PR News, Consumer News Today, Women PR News, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Daily Herald, The Miami Herald, and Book News Articles.
Dr. R. Kay Green is the CEO/President of RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. With over 190,000+ Twitter followers, 35,000+ Facebook Likes, and the Top 1% LinkedIn profile designation, Dr. Kay, a self-motivated trailblazer, is the Quintessential “New-Age” Professional Woman, and PhD Marketing Pro. She earned a Doctorate of Business Administration in Marketing, and has completed PhD coursework in Leadership and Organization Change. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Management, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, and an Associate of Arts in Marketing Management.
She is affiliated with several prestigious universities and has instructed over 350 courses online. A popular speaker on Marketing and Business topics, Dr. Green is currently featured on Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Black News, The Network Journal, Business Review USA, Digital Journal, College View, Business New Hampshire Magazine, Bay State Banner, Reader’s Circle, North Dallas Gazette, Harlem News, Top News Today, One News Page, NE Informer, Women in Business PR News, Consumer News Today, Women PR News, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Daily Herald, The Miami Herald, and Book News Articles.
