5 Ways to Prepare Your Business for a Full Reopening This Summer

As things slowly return back to a new normal, businesses are faced with the challenge of adapting to a post-pandemic reality while simultaneously gearing up for summer 2021. In New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut restrictions and capacity limits have now been lifted. In California, businesses can operate as usual (with mask wearing) by June 15, 2021 and in Massachusetts, mandates are slated to ease up in August.

For many struggling business owners, the warmer weather and lifting of restrictions couldn’t come at a better time. But with summer quickly approaching, companies need to act quickly to get ready. Here are 5 ways your business should prepare now to be ready for summer 2021:

Keep Your Customers Informed About Your Reopening Plans

It’s important to tell your customers what to expect and inform them about any changes that will take place this summer as a result of the pandemic. Provide them with specific details of revised opening hours, modifications to products or services, and any new health and safety protocols in email campaigns, social media posts, and with updates on your website.

Keep in mind that not every customer will have read your email or seen your update on social media. Therefore, make sure to have adequate signage displaying any new policies throughout your business.

Set Up Contactless or Cashless Payments

Contactless payments offer a ton of benefits to both you and your customers. Customers get convenience, improved security, and the peace of mind of minimizing their exposure to COVID-19. As a business owner, you can enjoy increased speed, allowing you to process transactions faster and minimize wait times and lines. On average, The Fintech Times found that a contactless payment takes around 15 seconds which is at least 2 times faster than normal payments.

Furthermore, according to a recent State of Retail Payments Study by the National Retail Federation, 67% of retailers surveyed now accept some form of no-touch payment including 58% who accept contactless cards that can be waved past a card reader or tapped on the reader. The post-pandemic consumer wants things to be easy and seamless, and contactless payments are here to stay. If you haven’t already, jump on the trend now before the start of the summer.

Hire and Train Additional Staff

Do you have enough staff members to keep up with the summer rush? If not, you should begin to secure your seasonal employees now before all of the top talent is scooped up by your competitors and you’re left scrambling to find quality candidates at the last minute.

Additionally, if you’ve made some significant changes, you may need to invest time into training staff on new safety protocols or business modifications like curbside pickup procedures. Ensuring everyone has a full understanding of these practices now will ensure that your business runs like a well-oiled machine when the summer begins.

Seize New Opportunities

Did the pandemic open up an opportunity for you to expand your product line or add a new service to your business? People’s buying habits have changed and people are now prioritizing convenience and safety over everything else. Consider if there are any ways your business can evolve to serve your customer base in a new way such as with an ecommerce site or by offering home delivery of your products.

Stock Up on Inventory

If your business is purely seasonal, or just experiences an increase in sales during the summer months, you should begin to do your inventory forecasting now. Figure out what you’ll need to keep up with demand and make sure to stock up adequately as soon as you can.

Need funding to help you prepare your business for the summer rush? We can help! Call us at 844-466-6394 or apply today.