Tips for Operating a Small Brick and Mortar Business During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has lead to financial strains in many brick and mortar businesses since they had to close in various states. They have a reason to be hopeful as governments seek to revive the economy. A lot of businesses look to reopen.

However, the challenge ahead of them is to comply with strict health regulations for their customers and still conduct business as usual. Here are the critical steps you need to take.

Observe Regular Hand Washing

General hygiene practices are central to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Just like the health ministry has stressed many times, your hands are the most vulnerable due to the sense of touch. You need to come up with a hand washing area for all clients and workers before accessing the building.

It would be wise to schedule a handwashing area for your employees after some hours. Provide sufficient soap and water to help eliminate germs. You can use Hibiclens Soap, which is antibacterial and works for up to 24 hours.

Clean Surfaces Frequently

Disinfection is one of the essential procedures in the fight against the coronavirus. You, therefore, will have to train employees on how to clean all high-touch areas while serving customers. It will include door handles, light switches, keyboards, points of sales devices, check out locations, and shopping carts.

In case some items have to be assessed by clients, you need to sanitize them each time. You need to purchase adequate amounts of cleaning supplies like disinfectants, gloves, and sanitizers. In case an employee or a shopper contracts the virus, close the building for 24-48 hours for ventilation and disinfection.

Wear Protective Gear

Your workers are at a higher risk since they have to interact with all shoppers who walk into the store. Therefore, ensure that all employees have proper protective gear such as gloves and masks. They are the frontline workers in a brick and mortar business. Their health should be a priority.

Protecting your employees will help keep your customers safe since you limit the instances of transmissions.

Create a Health Monitoring Schedule

Since COVID-19 can easily get transmitted from person to person, you need to schedule tests for your workers. Before reopening, conduct tests on all employees and have a plan on how to do regular checkups in accordance to the health directive.

Also, take employees temperatures before the start of the shifts daily. In case one of your workers has any signs of infection, let them get tested and issued with a clearance certificate. You can also have a flexible leave allowance for any employee who gets infected in the line of duty to encourage them to take tests.

Reassure Customers

Your clients need to feel safe as they come to shop at your venture. It would help if you took up necessary measures to show them that you are taking all safety measures for their sake. Cleaning crews should be active throughout the day, especially on the areas that customers regularly access.

Share your plan on actions that you intend to undertake with all employees before reopening. When shoppers see such visible signs from your store, their confidence to buy at your store gets boosted. You can also send an email to clients to let them know the measures your taking for safety.

Serve Customers at a Safe Distance

To enforce social distancing between clients and workers, you can install physical barriers to separate them. In case there is too much foot traffic, come up with alternative check out options. You devise a new operating layout such as repositioning desks, workstations, demonstration areas, and displays.

If customers need to line up, use some markings to indicate where to stand. Utilize strips or aisles to show designated one-way traffic routes. Also, make post signs throughout the workplace to act as a reminder on the importance of keeping a safe distance. Alternatively, you can use a curbside pick-up where workers can bring out what clients want instead of crowding in the store.

As other businesses prepare to resume work, you may be anxious about getting your brick and mortar business up and running. Your customers are the core of your venture, and planning on how best to protect them will see your revenue flowing again. The tips shown above aim to help you align your enterprise with the stringent hygiene measure for your shoppers and workers’ sake.