Safety Standards for the Future

Safety has always been a concern for small businesses, but things have changed. 

Business as usual means something very different these days, and that will likely continue to evolve. Many people are referring to what comes next as the new normal and some are calling it the next normal. I prefer the latter, as I think normal will be a moving target for quite some time.

As businesses focus on creating a safe environment, they will need to be able to evolve along with everything else happening in the industry. Is your business as safe as it could be? Listed below are a few things you may want to consider as we move into the next way of managing safety:

• With in-store pickup and carryout services seeing huge increases in activity, businesses need to be aware of the safety hazards outside their building. Things like uneven sidewalks, potholes in the parking lot, and unpainted curbs and ramps must be monitored regularly and addressed as needed.
• Many businesses are working with revised hours of operation, so additional steps may be needed to properly secure the business when closed. Automatic exterior lighting may need to be adjusted to account for the altered schedule. Bank deposits and other accounting practices may need to be altered to maximize safety. Opening and closing procedures may need to be adjusted to reduce the risk for those coming in early or staying late.
• Employees need to be educated on your new safety procedures and well versed in anything that impacts customers and their overall experience. Safety processes have become very important to customers and many will ask what your business is doing to be safe. All employees must be able to have an informative conversation to help customers become comfortable with your business.
• Any business offering food for pickup, carryout, delivery, or in-house dining, should revisit food safety protocols to ensure all applicable government processes are being properly followed. Due to high demand for limited-contact dining, many businesses have made significant changes with the way these things are being done, and it’s important to revisit them to ensure compliance.
• Stay informed and be prepared to adapt to any changes that occur. The saying “The only constant in life is change” really applies to our current environment. Safety recommendations and guidelines are updated often, and consumer confidence is connected to their comfort level with how quickly businesses respond to these changes. Safety has become as important to customers as receiving great customer service or having a hassle-free checkout experience.

We will continue to see changes in the small business industry, and the safety environment will continue to change along with it. The customer focus on safety, however, is something that shows no sign of changing any time soon. Business owners must continue to make customer and employee safety a priority. Customer loyalty is something that every small business looks to achieve, and I believe that consumer confidence in a business’s safety procedures has become a key factor in attaining that loyalty.