Coronavirus: The ultimate guide for restarting your business and keeping everyone safe!

Things have changed, we’ve all been hit hard, there’s no denying it, but that doesn’t mean we’re down and out! There are so many things that you can do to revitalise yourself, take care of those around you and even get things done in an element of normalcy. Keep reading this guide to find out just what these new challenges we face are and how to overcome them.

Stay sane, live healthy, become better

Staying motivated and if we’re being honest, even sane has proven difficult over the last few months. Back when this all started we put together a couple of ways to keep yourselves and others motivated. Mostly how to make use of your time if your business has been closed and to keep in contact with your colleagues. If you’re interested you can read it here

• Don’t let it put you down

One of the main things you need to do when working from home is to try and maintain a semblance of a “normal” life. You have to make the effort to not lose any positive habits you have developed, or the things that you have come to look forward to during the week. Whether this is working out, having Friday drinks with your friends/colleagues, or even just enjoying chatting during lunch. Luckily, there are several apps and websites that have developed over the period of the Corona outbreak to let you do this. You can use Google Hangouts and Zoom to well…. Hangout, or play some drinking games through sites like; House Party. 

• Mix-up your exercise routine

Or if it’s exercise you are missing, this is a great time to break up your regime, there are several courses available online, or maybe your gym has even been releasing some. You can even get your friends and family involved, by creating your own and doing them together. Nothing makes me work harder than my brother being better at something than me, and if I fail at push-ups I’ll never hear the end of it from Bryan. Also, you can take a look to see what facilities have been opening up near you, around me for example, the pool has opened up on a slot reservation system. What I’m trying to, and hopefully succeeding, to say is that even though it may seem strange, there are still lot’s that you can do for yourself, friends and family.

• Boost your productivity

Beyond just surviving the Coronavirus outbreak with your sanity intact and your normal weight, you can also use this time to improve yourself. With the commute gone and fewer social responsibilities, now is the time to take better care of yourself: get back into cooking; there are so many recipes online, there’s no way you can’t find one that is appetising, whether it’s something new, or just a new twist on an old favourite. Or maybe now is the time to get back into music; pick that guitar back up, check out that band your friend has been nagging you about for years.

So use this opportunity to boost that productivity. Some of the most reactive people even took this chance to make great things happen and have had a positive impact on society, inspiring us to become better people and help out those in need.

The 5 Corona Commandments:

We will start with the basics, and the basics start with you! Whatever that means. The most important rules of staying safe from the coronavirus are the following:

• Use proper sneezing or coughing etiquette

In order to limit the spread of germs and viruses as much as possible, cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. It is also recommended to use masks, especially in public areas such as public transportation in order to further limit transmission of the coronavirus. 

In case you are using tissues or single-use masks, you should dispose of them in a closed bin. And if you are using reusable masks such as fabric masks then make sure they are washed regularly and properly to their specifications, and if they do become contaminated or damaged, dispose of them immediately.

• Avoid touching your face

So simple yet so difficult. Especially when outside with the wind blowing your hair across your face and inside your mouth, it can be very difficult to resist the urge to touch your face. And don’t get me started on pollen! Your hands being a major container of germs and viruses, touching your face, especially your mouth, nose and eyes, can render you so much more susceptible to getting the virus. That is why the next rule is especially important. 

• Regular hand-washing

It might be the first thing you do when you get home but are you sure to do it as well as you should? To eliminate all traces of the virus on your hands it has to be more than a quick scrub and a rinse. To kill germs properly, you should always make sure that you use disinfecting soap or hydroalcoholic solution with more than 60% of alcohol. With the proper hand washing instructions, that you can easily display with a poster for example, you ensure everybody knows how to properly scrub and stay safe from the coronavirus.

• Practice social distancing 

Because wearing a mask is not enough if you’re not respecting safety distances. Even if your mouth and nose are covered, it is extremely important to keep practicing social distancing to slow the spread of the COVID-19. The lockdown might be getting looser, but we shouldn’t forget how we got here in the first place and respect the guidelines set out by the government.

• Avoid physical contact with any person showing signs of sickness

Such preventive measures are to be implemented in everyday life, with everybody. If you encounter a person presenting symptoms you should make sure to avoid all physical contact. Luckily, there are now countless ways to still have quality time while social distancing nowadays

And to start off, you can check out the 3 essential things you need to have in your bag during corona times.

Business how to’s:

However, it can be challenging to know what to do sometimes especially at a smaller scale: What can you do as a small business owner to make people feel safe?

As a business owner, you want things to be in order to ensure everyone’s safety but where to start and how to make sure you cover all the gaps and ensure the greatest level of workplace health and safety?

It is an undeniable fact that the ways a business operates is very different now compared to 3 months ago. Whether you are open and still functioning, opening back up soon, or still waiting to start operations, general practises have changed and must be taken into account. Hand sanitiser should be situated strategically throughout your store/building/office, especially at any entrances/exits. If your work involves and lining/queuing up, then the 2 metre rules must be enforced, which can be done through the use of posters to remind customers and employees of the rules and to keep their distance and floor stickers to provide an obvious place for those waiting to stand. Make sure your employees and customers know that you are taking their safety seriously and encourage those around you to wear masks for their and your own sake, you can even personalise them with your own brand/image. You can find our full range of personalised anti corona products here. We even made face masks with premade designs, just in time for the holiday season!

You cannot defeat the virus all by yourself, so you must count on your peers to participate in your efforts to keep everyone safe. You need a Robin to your Batman. Maybe you already have the perfect plan in mind and is ready to be communicated to all stakeholders, but maybe there could be some things you’ve overlooked? Maybe Daniel from accounting has an idea that would make the implementation one hundred times easier (and maybe with even cheaper options!).

Don’t be afraid to get others involved especially if it concerns them and their health, two heads are better than one and you never know what you could come up with, and you’d have come up with it together. So brainstorm ideas with your team, they know best what they need and what issues they could encounter on the job. Involving everyone will not only make sure you get all the ideas in the same pool, but also enhance team spirit and engagement.

You will definitely need some products such as hand sanitisers and masks… but there are now so many different varieties that it’s difficult to know which ones are the best, so you need to learn about the differences and which are better for you. Check out our useful articles about it:

• How to choose the best mask and what to be aware of?
• Know your hand sanitisers: Which one is the best?

Reopening can be especially challenging for businesses operating in the hospitality industry. Normally constantly filled with people, especially in the summer, bars and restaurants will need to provide a full-proof plan to ensure the safety of the patrons but also all the employees. We therefore concocted a guide to help such businesses reopen safely.

Attracting people to your campaign

So you’ve successfully laid out your entire plan to make your business safe and you are now ready to reopen your business after COVID-19. You can’t wait to see your colleagues again, after so many weeks apart but, eventually, you’re going to have to break the news: this new plan involves so much more cleaning and safety procedures. If you’re the type to let your dishes “soak” after dinner, only to wash them a couple of days later, then you already know it will be hard to motivate everybody to be hyped for more cleaning at work. Yet, fear not, for there is always a good way to make it fun. 

It is recommended that you wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds. Using hand sanitisers, containing at least 60% of alcohol may help you reduce that time to 20 seconds but you must still ensure hand full coverage. It can be surprising how slow those 20 seconds are when you’re only scrubbing your hands. That is why we would like to make things a little more entertaining. How about singing one the chorus of one of your favourite songs while doing so? It is sure to put a smile on your face on top of scaring the coronavirus away!

There are numerous great songs you can have fun washing your hands to. Here are our recommendations to turn routine cleaning into something fun!

Why leave it there? Thorough and routine cleaning has never been so important and let’s be honest, it isn’t anyone’s favourite job. Therefore, the only option is to turn it into something fun, make a ridiculous playlist, gear up the songs and go mental. Or make a game out of it; the first one to finish their bit gets a nice, cold beer. Take these necessary, but nevertheless annoying tasks and make them fun, bonding moments for colleagues.

It can be especially challenging for the younger ones to play along and respect all coronavirus safety measures. An easy way to do that can be through the use of creativity. 

Simply, you need to be an example and show that staying safe is not something bothersome and negative, but necessary and honestly, not such an inconvenient thing. A good way to get everyone involved and by extension, keep them safe, is to make it not just fun, but fashionable. Design the best face mask with your own brand or just an attractive design, create an interesting layout and design in your building. Who says you can’t stay safe and look good? It is very easy to learn how to make an original face mask design with the proper inspiration.

It can even be very easy to make your own face mask design and make sure that even kids get an extra motivation to wear their face mask. Check out our list of 10 cool face mask designs to get you inspired!

But hey, that’s just our advice. What do you think? Has this been helpful? Was it utter rubbish? Let us know in the comments below! As well as any ideas you have yourself!