One thing is for sure – it's not been easy running a business during the pandemic. Therefore, "start as you clean to go on", and make sure you take the following steps towards COVID-proofing your business.
Inside businesses, there are multiple touchpoints that customers and employees cannot help but come into contact with. Whilst you can ask people to limit the things that they touch and pick up, this can be difficult to enforce.
To COVID-proof your business, make sure that key touchpoints are regularly cleaned and sanitized to limit the number of germs that the next person that comes along might pick up and spread.
One thing that the pandemic has taught us is that flexible working and the option to work from home is something that is here to stay. Whilst some employees might like to work from the office, others might like to continue to work from home, and others might like the option to change between the two.
Therefore, one way you can COVID-proof and future-proof your new business is by considering a flexible workspace. This has the capacity for anywhere between one to one thousand desks, with the option to easily scale up or scale down the number of desks you need, giving employees true flexibility in where they can work.
As this past year has shown us, the pandemic can increase and ease up with little to no warning, and so the government situation can change at any time.
Therefore, it is important to stay up to date and informed about the ever-changing government regulations, especially when it comes to industry-specific restrictions.
When it comes to health and safety, clear and open communication is key. After all, if someone doesn’t know the rules then how can they be expected to follow them?
Make sure that your employees are fully informed about the precautions you are taking to COVID-proof your business, and don’t be afraid to call them out if they fail to listen to your instructions.
If you are planning to enforce social distancing or other rules, these things might be difficult to achieve in an indoor space without a one-way system or other regulations.
Whatever you decide, make sure to put up clear signage, barricades, and tape on the floor and walls to make sure that everyone keeps their distance. The clearer your signs, the less you will have to stop your work in order to step in and correct people.
This might go without saying but hand washing and regular sanitization is essential. Make sure to supply your areas and team with the needed stations and materials.
Whether it is a government regulation at this time or not, the use of masks can help to protect both your employees and your customers. Therefore, encouraging the use of masks is one step towards COVID-proofing your business.
One study found that the use of simple masks can reduce the transmission of COVID-19 by 40%, and estimated that worldwide mask usage saved 815,600 lives over the course of 6 months of the pandemic.
No matter how many preventative measures you put in place, if you have too many people within your premises, people will have no choice but to get too close. Thus, it is important to limit the amount of people you allow into your business depending on the size.
Payments by card are much easier, quicker, and reduce the amount of physical contact between your employees and customers. Even better, consider contactless payments and be sure to accept payments online.
But remember, COVID-proofing your business doesn’t stop at closing time. Even once all customers have left, the building should be cleaned and sanitised for those who come in the next day.
With all this in mind, you can successfully begin to COVID-proof your new business for your employees and customers.
