The big spring opener isn’t just for baseball. If you own a warm weather seasonal business, you’re in training for opening day, too. Take these steps to make sure your business is in great shape for the new season.
Steps to prepare your seasonal business for spring:
- Take inventory. Check to make sure no equipment or other assets have gone missing or have been damaged over the winter. Look for any signs of water damage from roof or pipe leaks. If you find anything concerning, have a roofer or plumber inspect the area and make necessary repairs. If any equipment or inventory is missing and you suspect a break-in has occurred, file a police report.
- Get your equipment up and running. They have been hibernating all winter, so they may need a wake-up call. Whether your essential business equipment includes computers, lawn mowers, deep fryers or pressure washers, clean and test all your equipment to make sure it’s working properly. If you have a service that maintains your equipment (for instance, your office printer/copier), now’s the time to call them in for a check-up.
- Bring your building back to life. Have your heating/cooling system serviced and test any security or fire prevention systems to make sure they’re working properly. If you shut off your water at the main valve when you closed for the winter, now’s the time to turn it back on. It may spit or jerk at first; run faucets until the water flows smoothly.
- Do your spring cleaning. After a year of COVID-19, this is more important than ever. Clean your place of business thoroughly with a disinfecting cleaner, paying special attention to frequently touched items (phones, door handles, computer keyboards, etc.). Open the windows to let in fresh air. If you don’t have enough staff to do a rigorous cleaning, consider hiring a professional cleaning service. Once you have the place thoroughly cleaned, establish a regular cleaning and disinfecting schedule and post it for your employees.
- Review last year’s results. Before you reopen for this year, look at last year’s successes and failures. When were your peak times? Your lows? How can you take advantage of peak times with marketing and special promotions? Taking time to learn from each season can help your business grow every year.
- Review your insurance coverage. Is your coverage still adequate for the size of your business, or have you grown since you first got your policy? Have you added any new equipment or services that require additional coverage? Contact your local, independent agent for advice.
Once your seasonal business is open, it’s never too early to start thinking about the future. File away this bonus read for the winter season: How to prepare your seasonal business for winter.