What comes to mind when you hear the term pandemic?
It usually invokes images of widespread illness, fatalities, and fear.
They can be very dangerous for businesses.
Luckily, you don’t have to worry.
Here are 5 ways your business can survive a pandemic:
#1 Create a pandemic plan for employees
Make sure your employees know what to do if they become sick, or if you are forced to close the business.
Additionally, you should determine how payment will be handled if your employees are too sick to work.
Discussing these plans with everyone who works for you is vital.
#2 Make sure you have plenty of supplies on hand in case of an emergency.
Stock up on items like water, food, medicine (ibuprofen, Tylenol), and batteries as necessary.
You want to make sure you have enough supplies at each location, as well as emergency supplies in your main office if needed.
The CDC provides additional information about what items can be essential during a pandemic.
#3 Build relationships with other businesses to share resources if necessary.
“If a pandemic becomes serious, you might need to rely on other businesses for certain supplies”, says Maxim Gorin.
Go into your community and get to know the owners of local pharmacies, grocery stores, and gas stations so that you can easily continue business should your usual suppliers not be able to do business.
You will also need to know how to contact them in a time of crisis, as well as share information about your own business.
#4 Use social media as a way to communicate with customers and clients during an emergency
In the event that you are forced to close your business, use social media as a way to communicate with your customers and clients.
This is an easy way to get a mass message out to everyone at once, and you can use it for updates or changes.
Some things you may want to share on social media during a pandemic include:
- You will not be able to fill or ship orders.
- You will not be able to process credit cards.
- The business may close early, or you will go on short hours.
If you are forced to close your business for more than several days, don’t share any details about when the business is expected to reopen.
You can also use social media to keep up-to-date on information from the CDC website so you know what’s going on in your area and how it will affect your business.
#5 Keep up-to-date on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website
Visit the CDC website to see what’s going on in your area and how it will affect your business.
You can also use their pandemic plan checklist for businesses as a guideline for creating a pandemic plan for your employees.
The CDC provides additional information about what items can be essential during a pandemic, as well as guidance for communicating with customers and clients in the event of a pandemic.
Conclusion:
Pandemics can wreak havoc on businesses, but there are ways to survive. The tips shared in this article are a good starting point for creating a plan to help you weather the storm.
For more information about pandemics visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
