Business interruption is a pain; such a pain, in fact, that business interruption insurance is popular for when it happens unexpectedly. It’s almost impossible to list all of the problems that can crop up as a result of business interruption. There’s the obvious loss of income; you can’t sell things when you’re closed. Then there’s the loss of reputation; when customers are expecting you to be open and you’re not, they can lose faith in your business. Then there’s sorting out what your employees will be doing while the business is closed; when it’s nothing productive, you’re losing money. Fortunately, when it comes to predictable renovations like commercial painting, there are a number of tools at your disposal to minimize disruptions.
Get 24/7 Contractors
The simplest solution for businesses that aren’t open 24/7 is to get contractors who are. Pinnacle Painting, a company way up north, in Winnipeg, has found that offering 24/7 services is important to accommodate everyone from customer service-based businesses to property managers.
There are a few things to keep in mind when asking contractors to come in late at night. The first is that they need to be able to access the building; that means they’ll need to be able to get through security, so you might want to have someone near the building to let them in. What’s more, if you’re in a commercial complex, you’ll want to be mindful of other tenants; let them know you plan on repainting your business.
Businesses who are open 24/7 can still take advantage of 24/7 contractors – simply ask your painters to come in when things are slowest. You’ll want to let your customers know that people are going to be painting while they’re visiting your business, which brings us to our next topic.
Constant Conversations
When you’re getting your business repainted, it’s important to keep all of your stakeholders updated, from employees to customers. With employees, this is relatively easy; have meetings in which you describe any ways the work might interrupt their regular work flow. When you expect painting will occur while employees are working, discuss any allergies and sensitivities your employees might have. You may need to arrange for extra ventilation in the space or you might ask for low to no VOC paints.
As for customers and clients, you’ll want to let them know as many ways as possible that you’re repainting. Send out email blasts, post on your blog, put a big sign up in front of your business. While this will dissuade some clients from visiting your business, you’d rather have clients informed than disappointed.
You can actually take advantage of these conversations by leveraging your renovation through social media. Post before pictures and then show the work in progress. Once you’re done, you’ll be able to do a big reveal – a before and after post, showing that all the hard work paid off. Social media is largely focused on images and making businesses seem real, so repainting is a great opportunity.
Safety First
While painting certainly isn’t the riskiest activity on the planet, it does bring about a number of hazards. We’ve already discussed the risk of paints causing distress to some individuals with sensitive respiratory systems.
There will be painters working high up, which carries a risk of dropped objects. There will also be protective material on areas that you don’t want painted, which can result in an increase of slip-and-trip hazards.
One of the best ways of keeping everyone safe is to create zones. Section off your business so one zone is being worked on at a time and arrange to have your operations shifted around so you can accommodate for the reduction in space. This might mean you may not be able to offer full service, but you may still be able to stay open.
Have a Plan
Everything we’ve discussed so far requires detailed planning before the painting even begins. You should talk with your contractors about the best ways to section off your business to achieve minimal disruption so you can come to a solution that allows you to offer as many services as possible while still getting your space painted in the most efficient way possible.
While planning, you should consider the social media posts you’re going to make, create signage to let people know about the disruption, and let your employees know what you’re planning. In other words, everything we’ve discussed so far should be planned well in advance of you actually having your business painted.
You’ll want to make sure any other business interruptions are part of the plan, too; you wouldn’t want your commercial heating contractor or the crew that sets up your commercial audio/visual system to come by while other contractors are painting.
Have a Sale!
One of the most disappointing facets of having your business repainted is that, even if you do stay open, you’ll probably get fewer customers than you would if you weren’t painting. In the end, this all pans out – you repaint your space, it looks nicer, and more people come to visit. When you’re not looking forward to the downturn in customers during the process, however, sell stuff at a discount!
You’ve already incorporated the repainting into your social media marketing strategy, and you’ve already let your clients know they might experience a bit of inconvenience. Turn the whole thing into a celebration! People love it when you put a positive spin on something that could be viewed negatively. Have a tent sale if it’s nice out, giving your San Antonio painters space to work while you keep selling things. For example, if your business is a chic clothing boutique, consider running a themed sale where you discount items that are the colors you’re painting. Do something exciting; you’re repainting your business, after all. Add some color to your marketing while you add some color to your space!
Call in the Experts
When you’re looking for a team to help with your San Antonio commercial painting project, be sure to call on an experienced commercial painter that will know how to work with your business to help you keep the doors open and your business running during the process. At Superior Painting and Remodeling, we’ve proudly been serving the painting needs of San Antonio for over thirty years, and we have experience in all types of painting projects. Give our team a call today to get a free commercial painting quote and let us show you why we’re the superior painters in San Antonio!
