Owning a business is stressful in the best of times. But when the world is facing a global pandemic, and people everywhere are panicking, it can get overwhelming for a business owner to try and stay afloat. However, your business has made it through thus far. As COVID-19 cases increase, your business can continue to adapt and survive. Here are a few principles that you should adhere to that will help your business continue to function.
Find Ways to Adapt
One of the principles to remember is to find ways to adapt. This may include working from home (if possible) or wearing PPE (personal protection equipment) and maintaining social distancing. This may mean that your business switches to being an online business to offer your products. It may include doing Zoom meetings with your employees instead of having weekly face-to-face meetings. Whatever the circumstances are for your business, you can find ways to adapt so that your business keeps going despite the increase of COVID-19 cases.
Maintain Distance
As part of adapting, your business will also need to maintain proper distance. When keeping customers out of your business isn’t possible, floor signs can help indicate the proper distance to keep. This could be as simple as marking spots to stand with tape on the floor. Plexiglass separators can also help maintain distance between your employees and customers (especially if you have cashiers who interact with customers). Maintaining distance is crucial to helping flatten the curve as COVID-19 is transmitted by droplets from people’s mouths when they talk and cough. Staying 6 ft. away can help reduce the risk of transmission.
Be Diligent
Above all, don’t give up. It might seem tiring and exhausting to keep practicing social distancing measures and to learn this “new normal”. But if the curve is to be flattened, everyone must do their part, and that means be diligent. Even if you think the threat is over, keep social distancing measures in place. Don’t jump straight into operating like how you were before because you could accidentally spread the disease. Being diligent will help you and your employees weather the storm.
COVID-19 has hit the economy hard. It may have hit your business even harder. But if you can adapt to the unique circumstances, implementing social distancing, and sticking to it, your business will be able to keep going no matter how long the crisis might be.
For more great tips, read this next: How Are Small Businesses Coping With Social Distancing?