Due to the global pandemic, many businesses have had an extremely hard time keeping their doors open over the last year. Especially businesses whose commodity is the service that they offer to their clients or customers, it’s been a real challenge finding ways to continue working while also keeping up with all the changes to safety requirements.
If this is the situation that your business finds itself in, here are three safety tips for running your service business during the pandemic.
Follow All Health And Safety Guidelines
The very first thing that you need to do when opening your business for the service of your clients or customers is to ensure that you’re following all of the health and safety guidelines that you’ve been given for your area and for your specific type of business. Installing a temperature scanning system at the entrance of your business, having sanitation stations in and around the premises and enforcing social distancing are just some of the things you can do to promote the health and safety of your employees and clients.
Depending on where you live, the exact safety guidelines that you’ll need to follow will vary. But according to Kylie Ora Lobell, a contributor to SHRM.org, all businesses should try to follow the rules of wearing face masks and maintaining social distance as much as possible. For times when you have to work closely with other employees or with the public, like if you’re running a moving company that helps people relocate, you’ll want to make sure you’re keeping your practices as safe and hygienic as you can.
Make Long-Term Changes
While it can be tempting to just make changes that will help get your business into next week or next month, the effects of the pandemic will likely be felt for quite a while. Because of this, you’re going to want to try to make changes that will work for you in the long term as well as in the short term.
When making these changes, Emily Heaslip, a contributor to USChamber.com, advises that you think not only about your business but about how your business is going to interact with other vendors, supplies, or organizations that could impact how your business functions. The more you’re able to plan and prepare for long-term changes with your business, the better off you’ll be in the future.
Give Your Employees A Break
Working during the pandemic can be very stressful for people in service positions, especially those who work with the public. And although people may need to take time off if they get sick or exposed to someone who’s been sick, Lindsay Blakely, a contributor to Inc.com, shares that there’s still a need for employees to take a break from work or health-related time off.
Because of this, you should try to encourage your employees to take a break from work on a regular basis so that they can be ready to continue working as part of your service organization without negatively impacting their own physical and mental health.
If you’re trying to keep your service business afloat during the pandemic, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do so.