Is Your Business Ready for Winter?
It’s getting cold. We’ve already had some scattered snow, though it hasn’t stuck around any lower than the tops of the mountains. It’s clear winter is on its way. If you’re running a business in Logan – or anywhere in Cache Valley – there are a few things you need to do to prepare for it. Let’s take a look.
1. Plan for Snow Removal and Ice
Snow and ice are a major problem in winter and it’s a bigger problem than just an inconvenience. If you’re running a business, you can be liable for any injury people suffer due to snow and ice on your property. It’s therefore in your best interest to have a plan to deal with it before it hits. If you do it in house, you need to have employees designated for the job and aware of it so that they can be watching the weather and ready to come in when it happens. Getting it cleared up before you open is critical.
More than just having it removed, you need to know where to remove it to. The snow doesn’t just disappear, after all. You want to find a spot in your parking lot that’s well out of the way and not often used to pile the snow up. That way, it won’t disrupt your parking. You should also make sure you have the tools (shovels, plows, sidewalk salt, etc.) ahead of time so you’re not rushing to try and buy some when the snow comes.
If you don’t have an in-house group, you can hire a local snow removal crew. In this case, you want to hire ahead of time so they can put you on their schedule and plan around your needs.
2. Cleaning and Maintenance
Winter also makes cleaning and maintenance of your building harder. Because it’s so wet, people will track more dirt. The cold can mess with equipment. Overall, it takes a lot more work keeping your business in good shape during the winter. You might want some help.
A professional cleaning service can take the stress of the mess away. With their help, you won’t have to worry about ordering cleaning supplies, because they’ll bring their own. By letting them take on the responsibilities, you can reduce the workload on your employees, letting the focus more on taking care of customers, stocking shelves, or any of the other jobs that need to be done. Focus on what you do best and let the cleaners do the rest.
Photo courtesy of Cache Valley Family Magazine
3. Air Quality
While Cache Valley has a lot of great things going for it, it does have its problems. In winter, one of the biggest is the inversion. When the air gets cold, it sinks, bringing all the pollution down with it. Since we’re a valley, there’s nowhere for it to go, so it lingers, turning our air into the most polluted air in the country, which makes flu, bronchitis and other breathing related illnesses worse. Air pollution can lead to serious illness and is a common cause of Sick Building Syndrome, in which just entering a building will make people who work there feel ill.
To help counter that, consider professional air duct cleaning as a start. The ducts transfer air around your building, so having them cleaned out can help keep fresh air circulating so both customers and employees feel better. You can also upgrade the filters on your ducts so that less bad air gets in.
4. Vehicle Maintenance
It’s just as important to take care of your company vehicles as it is to take care of your company building. There’s oil changes, fluid changes, tire checks, and so on. There’s a lot to do. For a business that keeps a lot of vehicles, that can be quite a hassle. For oil and fluid changes, there’s companies around Logan who specialize in oil changes for fleets of vehicles. If you’re in a rush to get a lot of vehicles up to standard, they can help you get it done quickly and conveniently.
5. Schedule Carpet Cleaning
Carpets need regular cleaning. As dirt builds up in the fibers, it hardens into sharp crystals that damage. This leaves carpets looking ratty and unclean. To prevent this and get the most out of your carpets, you need regular cleaning from professional commercial carpet cleaners. They have the specific tools and cleaners needed to break the dirt crystals up and keep your carpet looking new.
It’s especially important to do this before and after winter. All the chemicals used to keep the roads ice free can damage the carpets just as much as dirt and wet feet will bring in even more of than usual. You’ll want to schedule a cleaning before winter, so you can remove everything the rest of the year has built up and then again after winter is over so you can remove the nasty gunk that people track in. Depending on just how much foot traffic your business gets, you may want to schedule one in the middle of winter, too, just to keep everything in the best shape possible.
Get It Scheduled Now
Maybe you do most of this stuff in-house, but that’s not usually the most efficient way. Some of these items require professionals to do them. In either case, it’s something that has to be done and you should be planning for it now. Don’t wait until the snow starts falling to get on this. If we have a winter like last year, you’re probably going to need some extra help to stay on top of things. If you wait until the last minute, it’ll be a lot harder to find help that isn’t already busy with lots of other people. Scheduling with them ahead of time is the best way to make sure they’re on hand when you need them.
