How to Prepare Your Business for Reopening

As curves begin to flatten and social distancing rules become looser, many stores and shops are taking the first steps in reopening their business. Even if it is still weeks or months away for your business, it’s a good idea to start prepping for a reopening that will keep your employees and customers safe. Here are some things to prepare for:

Maintaining Social Distancing

As reopening begins, businesses still need to be monitoring social distancing rules and paying close attention to how many customers they allow in their store at once. Think about your business’s space and the changes you will need to make to accommodate these new protocols. Whether it’s the placement of seating areas or how customer displays are set up, you should ensure that social distancing will be made easy for your customers and employees. Place social distancing stickers on the ground in areas where customers may congregate (such as checkout lines) so they can clearly identify the 6-foot distance. Discourage the use of reusable bags, consider emailing receipts instead of giving printouts, and implement a way to sanitize shopping carts/baskets after each use.

Updating Your Cleaning Protocols

You will also need to be extra cautious regarding the cleanliness of your business. Plan for extra measures to make sure everything is cleaned and sanitized regularly. In more highly trafficked areas like doors and elevators, you should be ensuring sanitation even more frequently. All surfaces that are touched often should also be disinfected regularly. Consider placing signs to remind workers and customers about the importance of hand-washing and proper etiquette for coughing and sneezing. Keep things like disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks readily available.

Spreading the Word

Communication is key! Make sure regular employee communication is a priority during this time, and keep your team informed on all company developments, updates, reopening plans and changes. In addition to keeping clear communication with your staff, you also need to make it clear to all your customers that your business is safe, clean, and taking the proper precautions to reopen safely and smoothly. To do so, place signs with all your new safety measures in and outside your store. (The UPS Store has pre-made poster templates in a variety of sizes to make this easier.) If your business has a newsletter or you’re implementing any sort of advertising or marketing, pivot your messaging to be about your new safety practices and what reopening will look like.

These tough times are testing small and large businesses worldwide. Start preparing now and help your business remain visible and resilient upon reopening. For information on all the ways The UPS Store can help you reopen, click here.