As winter is now upon us in many areas of the world, it’s now a good time to reassess how your business changes as the seasons change. If you work solely online, you likely have a lot less to prepare for as the temperature drops. But if you own a brick and mortar store and are located in an area where you can get extreme winter weather, it’s definitely worth your while to be prepared for what the winter season could bring your way. To help those business owners, here are three tips for prepping your brick and mortar store for winter weather.
Be Prepared for An Emergency
Although meteorologists can give a guess as to what type of winter weather they think an area will receive, no one truly knows until the storm is actually upon them. For this reason, it’s crucial for businesses to be prepared for any type of winter weather emergency in order to prevent any damage or profit loss.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, businesses can and should prepare for a wintertime emergency by determining where the greatest risk is, figuring out the financial impact if they have to shut down for a while, having a plan for communicating with employees and customers and more. By knowing how you’ll react if an emergency does arise, you can be much better prepared for anything the winter has to throw at you.
Keep Snow Accumulation To a Minimum
If you live in an area that gets a lot of snowfall, you need to have a plan for how to keep your parking lot and walkways cleared of snow as to avoid any problems with unsafe conditions for your employees or customers. Depending on how much snow you generally receive, your equipment could vary from needing a snow blower to a simple shovel. However, the Forum of Private Business reminds business owners that when removing snow from your premises, it’s important to remember to get it done early in the day and to use sand or salt to help clear it away—never water. The point is to avoid having anyone get hurt, not to encourage dangerous conditions.
Make Sure Your Building’s Warm Enough
While you may want to save on energy costs by keeping your building cooler even during the winter months, Shane Jones, a contributor to Business2Community.com, shares that customers are much more eager and willing to make purchases when temperatures are higher while they shop. This means that although it may be cold outside, if you’re able to create an atmosphere of warmth and welcoming for your customers when they walk through your doors, you could avoid having a drop in sales even during the months where people are more likely to stay in their homes than venture out into the frozen world.
Facing winter can be a challenge for many businesses. But if you’re properly prepared and know how to use the cold weather to your advantage, you can maintain a successful business throughout each month of the year, even the winter ones.
Originally posted on December 7, 2015 @ 2:50 pm
