That time of the year has come again. The time when we all must start thinking about snow.
Snow can be a lot of fun- building snowmen and snow forts, and if you have a dog I recommend throwing snowballs up in the air so they can jump to try and eat them, it’s pretty hilarious.
But snow also means preparation. Now is the time to make sure the pipes in your house are ready for winter, your heater is working, you have a snow scraper in your car, and you always have at least half a tank of gas.
Preparing for the winter is just as important for your business too. While we all would love to be able to hibernate through these cold, dark months, we have to keep our businesses up and running. So here are some ways to help you and your company be prepared for winter:
Working from home
Especially in the Washington DC Metro area, the idea that people will need to work from home more in the winter is not unlikely. We could have another snowpocalypse and people could be unable to get to work, or the schools could close and parents will need to stay home with their kids. Either way, it is important to make sure that your employees have the ability to work from home if they need to, so that your business doesn’t have to stop running. For more ideas on the different ways people can work from home, read this blog post.
Weather Notifications
What if your office is closed due to weather or road closures? How do you inform your staff and your clients? What if you wake up and decide you are giving people the option of working from home for the day? Make sure you have a system in place for notifying everyone about any changes to your normal routine. This could be through email, your website, phone calls, etc. Just make sure that there is a system and that everyone knows what it is. The last thing you want is an employee or client making their way to the office only to discover that it’s closed.
Backup Plans
And by this, of course, we mean your backups! If you haven’t yet taken the time to get your backup system in place, you want to do that immediately. The harsh and unexpected weather that can happen during the winter months can have a huge impact on your company if you are not prepared. Make sure your backups are running correctly and that everyone in the company knows how to access them if needed.
The weather over the next few months can be a giant pain in the neck if you let it. Remember a few years ago when there was that huge snowstorm and the federal government, and most other businesses, were closed for a week? A week is a long time in the business world, and can have a huge impact for your company. So, at the end of the day, it really all comes down to one question- if another snowpocalypse happened and you were stuck with no way in to your office, could your business keep running?
If you would like a free Winter Preparedness Assessment of your business, just contact us!