How to Adapt Your Business to Government Restrictions and Public Fear

The last several months have been a roller coaster for businesses. Widespread government action has forced many businesses to adapt or close their doors. If you are fighting to stay open, you’re going to have to adjust your tactics to the current situation. You don’t want to get in trouble with the government for disregarding their regulations. Instead you need to make your business a safe place that customers aren’t afraid to visit.

Let People Know You’re Open
With so many places closing down, customers are likely unsure if your business is open. You need to reach out and let them know. At the bare minimum, you should send out an email to all past customers. On your signs outside, put a message saying that you’re open during coronavirus. Make sure that you are advertising the safety precautions you are taking. This will help customers feel more comfortable visiting your establishment. If you are respectful and don’t get greedy, you can end up winning over customers from your competitors that have shut their doors.

Change How You Offer Services
To avoid violating social distancing regulations, you’re going to need to change the way you operate. If you sell food or other goods, try offering pickup or delivery options. This will protect your employees from interacting with infected customers. It will also give your customers a sense of protection when doing business with you. Try moving your sales online. This will not only make your business easily accessible to current customers, but it will expand your market to customers in other locations.

When customers must come inside your business, you should take measures to limit the spread of illness. This includes limiting the number of customers in the building at a time. Maintaining a safe distance between customers and employees should be a priority. Regularly cleaning surfaces and wearing protective gear are also important steps.

Work from Home
If COVID-19 spreads through your workplace you could face serious complications. To prevent this, you should try to have as many employees as possible work from home. Some types of work, like manufacturing or shipping, require that employees be on site. Even then some of your employees, like accountants and salespeople, can conduct their business from home. For those that must work on-site, try to stagger shifts to limit the number of people that gather at a time.

Current circumstances are certainly inconvenient. Some businesses have responded by trying to continue as if nothing has happened. This attitude will not endear you to the community or the government. As you adapt to these changes, you’ll show the community that you are a business that cares about the good of others. This will be a powerful thing to have as you continue to grow your business after COVID-19 has passed.

To make the checkout process easier for your customers, it’s important to have a good point of sale system. Contact us to learn more about what we can offer you!