If you have a brick and mortar business or even just a piece of property that you conduct your business out of, you’ll likely have to do some kind of maintenance or renovations at one point or another. While some of these might be things brought on by you, like wanting to update the look and feel of your space, others may be forced upon you, like if you need a pump replaced. But if you’re having to spend some of your business’s money on repairs or maintenance, the last thing you want is to reduce the amount of money your business is able to make by having to close your doors for a period of time. So to help you keep things moving with your company despite the work going on, here are three tips for staying open for business while doing major maintenance in your store or office.
Avoid Doing It Yourself
While you may think that you can handle doing the project on your own, it’s actually going to be best for your business if you leave maintenance work to a professional. According to Chris Shepherd, a contributor to SmallBusiness.co.uk, spending your time working on maintenance projects takes you away from working on your business, which is where you’ll be most beneficial. Additionally, if you don’t finish the project in a timely manner or you don’t do it correctly, this can cost you a lot more money in the long-run.
Strategically Plan Your Maintenance
When maintenance is needing to be done, hopefully the work won’t be so urgent that it has to get done immediately. If there’s any flexibility in the timing of the work, Geoff Williams, a contributor to American Express Open Forum, recommends that you try to plan the maintenance around a convenient time for your business. This means that if you are usually very busy in the evenings, try to get all the work done during the day. This will help to minimize disruptions to your workflow and keep your customers coming in.
Try To Isolate The Area
If you do have to work in and around the maintenance taking place, the staff of Angie’s List suggests that you do what you can to isolate the area from your work, customers, or clients. To do this, you may need to drape the area in plastic sheeting to keep as much of the mess away from the eye as possible. Not only will this keep the mess from spreading, but it will help your business appear more functional as well.
If you have maintenance you need done at your place of business, consider using the tips mentioned above to keep your company running smoothly during this trying time.
