What To Do When Your Business Has To Battle The Elements

Brick-and-mortar Shop

If you find yourself a business leader in an industry sector where you constantly find yourself battling the elements, you are not alone. The lure of a business based outdoors was the primary factor that pulled you away from the boredom and monotony of your office. You no longer wanted to spend eight hours a day trapped in a chair staring at a screen. You escaped to run your own business based in the great outdoors. Whether you lead guided walks through a national park, set up paintballing experiences or have an outdoor wedding venue, you will quickly realize that the sun doesn’t shine every day and you will find yourself battling the elements. Take a look at this guide to ensure that your business is protected, and find out how you can overcome the challenge of the weather.

Insurances and Legalities

If you own premises or a building that has been hit by the forces of the weather, whether this is a storm or a tornado, your insurance company should ease you through the necessary reparations. The process can be arduous and take time, but you will be covered meaning that you won’t be out of pocket.

If you provide a service such as cycling vacations or guided tours of an area, and the vicinity in which you are based is hit by a freak downpour with hail stones the size of golf balls, you’ll need to call upon your professional indemnity insurance. If not, it will fall on you to reimburse and compensate your clients which could see you develop a poor reputation as well as in dire straits financially. Scenarios like this, without insurance, can be difficult to come back from and your beloved business may end up faltering.

Practicalities

Once the insurance process is cleared up, it’s vital to get the repairs done and see your business up and running once again as quickly as possible. The most effective way to do this is to call upon highly regarded professionals to fix the problems in the most appropriate way. If you run a gas station and the latest hurricane has swept through your site, the chances are that you’ll need to replace your gas station canopy. Secure a specialist contractor with industry knowledge to erect a more weather resistant roof to ensure more resilience to hurricanes in the future.

The Customer Is Always Right

If you provide a service outdoors and you have had to cancel an experience because of appalling weather, it’s important that you communicate this to your customers effectively. Cancellations due to weather often happen at short notice so it’s easy to see why your customers would be so disappointed. Explain the reasons and let them know that it is their safety and well-being that is of paramount importance to you, hence the need for cancellation. Offer them an incentive by way of an apology. If you offer guided walks or painting holidays, this could be a half day deviation to sample some wine tasting, or it could simply be the offer of a free meal or discount.

With your office being outdoors, you can enjoy the freedom this offers but you’ll also have to contend with the elements. Ensure you are as prepared as possible should the worst happen and sure you have contingencies in place post event so that you can quickly see your business back up on its feet.

 

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