In a move that much of the nation has been waiting for, individuals and businesses alike, businesses have been able to reopen their doors from July, including restaurants, pubs, gyms, tattoo parlours and beauty services.
The 2m rule has now been reduced to 1m plus in areas where 2m isn’t possible, allowing those with smaller premises to reopen with mitigations in place.
This highly anticipated move has been hugely welcomed by the hospitality, food, retail, fitness and beauty industries although many businesses are choosing to remain closed for safety and operational reasons.
In other great news for the arts and performance industry, it was announced on July 9 live outdoor performances will be allowed from July 11 if performances are outdoors and socially distanced. At the moment, indoor performances are still not yet allowed.
Britain’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has warned that these steps were “reversible” if the number of infections begin to rise again.
Is your business looking to reopen soon? We’ve compiled some useful resources to guide you on preparing your business for a safe reopening.
Food establishments, pubs and bars
While some cafes and restaurants have been continuing to operate through lockdown with delivery and takeaway services, food and drink establishments can now accommodate customers in-house. This is under the proviso that sufficient social distancing and hygiene measures can be adhered to. To help you get prepared in advance, The Food Standards Agency has provided a reopening checklist to enable food businesses to open safely.
Beauty Industry
Over the past few months, we’ve become a nation of box-dyers and tentative trimmers but now the time has finally come where we can visit hairdressers and other beauty services once again. This move has sparked a whole host of new rules and regulations, including the use of visors to ensure public and staff safety.
As well as preparing your premises, those in the beauty industry will also need to consider how best to manage the surge of appointments that come in during the first few weeks and even months, in order to maintain these strict safety measures.
Here’s what to consider:
- Create a waiting list and manage expectations realistically
- Keep engaged with your clients on social media
- Consider opening more days a week to accommodate more customers without overcrowding
- Upgrade your technology to enable online bookings
- Make your hygiene procedures publicly available
- Ensure your customers are aware of what to expect before their appointment
- Consider allocating specific days/times for clients with gift vouchers to ensure you can continue to generate consistent cash flow.
Hairdressers Journal International has provided a set of guidelines to give hairdressers a starting point to consider when considering safety in their salon.
Accommodation
Now that self-catering accommodation, hotels and B&Bs can reopen their doors to the public, but there’s a lot to consider before you do.
In the latter end of March, the WHO published guidance for the accommodation sector on operational considerations for COVID-19 which continues to contain relevant advice and considerations for management.
Access the WHO guidelines here
You can also find guidance on hotel security measures, while incorporating COVID-19 considerations, in the checklist below.
Is your Business Insurance due a refresh?
It’s likely that your business has made some changes since the start of lockdown and you may have even made amends to your insurance already. If you are reopening your business in the near future, it’s essential to make sure your insurance meets your current requirements.
To get your insurance back to where it needs to be, just get in touch with Aldium Insurance on 0151 353 3878
