Prepare your business to reopen after restrictions with our handy checklist of tasks to consider.
Services and technology
- Contact your bank to reactivate merchant terminals.
- Reactivate subscriptions and licences such as online booking systems and music licences
- Check your premises are ready to open. Inspect your physical space and make sure the power, heating, water, phone and internet are all connected. It is also advisable to undertake a deep clean, particularly if your business involves food.
- Make sure the layout of your furniture complies with the current social distancing requirements, this could include remove chairs in waiting areas to prevent crowding.
- Check your insurance, including workers’ compensation, to make sure it covers you if you have adjusted the way you do business or if your workers’ roles changed.
- Test your security system, if you have one, and double-check other gadgets and equipment like tablets, TVs, displays and sound systems to confirm they’re in working condition.
- Make sure your terms and conditions and other documents reflect your new arrangements – you may need to get legal advice. If you don’t already have someone to contact see our guide to choosing a lawyer.
- If you need to put in place a mandatory contact register, download the SafeWA app and print QR codes for your customers to sign, and ensure you have an alternative manual contact register available.
Marketing
- Set up your in-store and window displays with opening hours and any promotional deals.
- Update your website and social media accounts to let your customers know what you’re offering and how they can access it. This might include new opening hours, new product ranges, promotions and how to book. If you use email or SMS to communicate with your customers, send out a blast so you’re fresh in their mind.
- Consider running promotions as an extra push to encourage customers. This could mean spend and save deals or offers to move surplus stock.
- This relaunch could also be a good opportunity to refresh your digital marketing.
- Learn more about marketing and promotions with our Building your knowledge guide and marketing plan template.
Staffing
- With a heightened focus on health identify critical members of your team, and consider how you’ll manage if they become unwell.
- Engage your employees with a staff meeting to discuss your plan to re-open or scale up, and any training they need to complete. For more information on safety guidelines, certificates and requirements, read our COVID Safety Plans for business.
- Your legal obligations to staff may have changed under your new way of working so make sure you check with the appropriate organisation.
Supplies and stock
- Make sure your suppliers know that you are operating again and update them on your new order quantities. Check their delivery leadtimes as they could be longer than previously.
- Do a physical stock count to assess your inventory and work out what you might need.
- Ensure you have the necessary cleaning supplies needed to comply with your safety plan.
