Winter is here, and if you’re a small business owner, you likely want to find out how you can keep running it successfully. Have a look at five tips below that you can use to prepare your business for the winter and run it well enough to keep it successful.
Get Insurance
The most important preparation to do for your small business in the winter is to get insurance. One thing that the approximately 400 million entrepreneurs spread throughout the world will tell you is that insurance is a must-have for a successful business. Because you don’t know how severe things will get, it’s best to be prepared for anything rather than risk being caught unprepared. Work with your insurance provider to find out what you need to do in order to keep your business running well in winter and beyond. You will be more at ease when you know that a reliable insurance company has your back.
Winterize Your Business
A proactive step you can take to prepare your business for winter is to make sure you’ve winterized everything in your business. This includes draining hose pipes, turning the water in external systems off, cleaning your gutters, and replacing any old, drafty windows, as well as checking to make sure there are no cracks and gaps between them. Write down a checklist and work your way through it to make sure you don’t leave anything out, and you will have less likelihood of an emergency at your business in the middle of winter.
Set Up a Contingency Plan
Your contingency plan can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, as long as you have one. It should cover things like what you can do in case of a disaster, where you will operate from in case your business area is closed due to extreme weather, what your employees should do in case they’re unable to come into the office/workspace, and more. You also need to have a backup for your electrical needs, as appliances use electricity even when they’re switched off, making a continuous supply of power important. Generally, a desktop idles at 80 watts and a laptop at 20 watts. These details should let you know what electrical backup measures you need, depending on the type of business you run.
Watch the Weather Forecasts
During winter, the weather forecast should be your first source of information at all times. It’s important for you to stay informed about the weather so that you can be prepared when a storm is reported to be approaching your business. When you know this in advance, you will be able to take the necessary measures to avoid issues from extreme weather.
Run Emergency Drills
Even if you’ve never experienced extreme weather at your business, it’s important to run a drill about what to do when the weather is at its worst. The chaos that would strike your business if a storm strikes while you’re unprepared may end up costing you a lot of money that you would not have had to spend if you all knew what to do in advance. About 18 million meetings and events are organized annually in the U.S., leading to about $280 billion in expenditure, and this is an investment that needs to be protected.
These five tips should help you get ready for the winter and stay secure in the knowledge that whatever happens, your business is going to be safe.
