5 Overlooked Winter Risks That Can Freeze Your Business

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If you live in a climate where winter is not only a season, but a character in your life, you want to ensure you know what it can do to your business operations.

We know the AA feels it, but it can be an eye-opener to an entrepreneur or new business operator who never thought about a blustery day before. Snow is more than an interrupted commute to work; it can strike down your productivity, increase liabilities, and affect the bottom line.

You need to be aware of and prepared for what may be the first weather challenge your business will face. If you are fully prepared, you will have a competitive edge over your competitors.

Below, please find five frequently overlooked risks winter can bring to your business and some fixes that might help.

1.  Storm Anxiety

Talking about the weather can occupy the minds of everyone when a big storm is predicted.

Your employees might need to make arrangements for child care or pick up their children, due to the daycare closing in anticipation of losing power, and parents will be panicking. Pre-storm anxiety is a real thing and can plummet your productivity even before it happens. You may have employees who do not drive and rely on public transport, or live a long distance from the office. You will need to be prepared to offer taxi rides, accommodation, or let them leave so they can prepare for the impending storm.

You’ll also need a plan for the day of the storm, but also on the days following a storm and the aftermath it will impose on transport, attendance, and people who need to stay at home to battle their broken pipes or power outages. Remember, everyone has had different experiences throughout the storm, and the severity in their areas might be different.

Snowfall may have blocked them in, and they will need to dig out and shovel access routes, which could take quite some time.

Game Plan

Embrace flexible work policies. This means that we have to clearly communicate our work-from-home protocols before there’s a need to set these in place. It is a good time to embrace this work format for all your employees so you can maintain an unbroken productivity plan.

• Ensure everyone is set up to do their job from home
• Plan effectively
• Set Goals

A work-from-home policy will help during a storm, but what if it could alleviate days off with sick kids, trains out of action, or lessen the stress of a long commute?

As noted by the Harvard Business Review, companies with agile remote-work policies often see a higher retention of employees who are more satisfied with their jobs and feel less stressed when there is a disruption to the norm.

2.  The Domino Effect

A major event the winter has in store is how it impacts key hubs in places like Chicago or Memphis.

When a major distribution line is unable to make shipments or deliveries, it has a domino effect on your stock and shipments. You might need the raw materials to put your product together, or you may not get your shipments to customers on time. You may have experienced the storm of a lifetime, but your clients in Florida cannot relate, and they want their order asap.

There’s a danger here of violating SLAs and damaging your reputation.

Game Plan

Review your supply chain practice and have a plan:

• Find other suppliers in cases of drastic weather.
• Alternative suppliers in case of weather interruptions.
• Look for alternatives if there are shortfalls during busy months, always have backup material or product at the ready.
• Keep an open mind to alternate routes and methods of shipping.

If you anticipate an issue, contact your customer as soon as possible and discuss options they find acceptable. Proactive communications and transparency build trust.

3.  Infrastructure Failures

It will serve you well if you plan for possible structural failures like a collapsing roof from the weight of snow, a burst pipe flooding your computer room, or the loss of inventory to rodent damage.

These things are less common, and your insurance has some specific details for these kinds of coverage, but be sure to do the preparatory work to protect your insurance coverage and your inventory and staff.

Game Plan

Schedule a pre-winter inspection of your facility:

• Check roof integrity.
• Insulating pipes in vulnerable areas.
• Ensure backup heating systems are functional.
• Ensure all critical assets are off the floor and away from potential water lines.

As Ben Franklin said,’ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’.

4.  Liability Risks

As a business owner or property manager, you have a ‘duty of care’ to keep your premises safe for employees, customers, and visitors.

Lawsuits for slipping and falling on an icy patch could be devastating.

Each municipality has its own ordinances regarding sidewalk clearing timelines, acceptable de-icing materials, and liability standards.

The same applies to snow.

Game Plan

• Know your local laws inside and out.
• Take advantage of professional property management companies that know local codes.
• Find a reliable commercial snow removal company in your local area that can guarantee compliance and assumes liability.

Don’t ignore these simple things, as a failure to comply could mean fines and/or a lawsuit.

5.  Your Reputation

In the age of instant gratification, your customers do not have a high tolerance for inconvenience.

If they have driven a few miles to collect something they want from your store, only to find your parking lot unplowed and your entrance treacherous, you’ve not only lost a sale, you have damaged the perception of your brand. A consumer will be aggravated, frustrated, and annoyed, and they may let that momentary moodiness affect the review they leave online.

Most of us are guilty of this.

Game Plan

Use your website, social media, and Google Business Profile to communicate with your customers:

• Post weather-related hours of operation.
• Set employees up to work from home to answer inquiries by email or phone.
• If there are specific delays to a sale item or a delivery, give customers transparent details and make promises you can keep to placate them.

Work through the chaos with them, informing them about things honestly, and they mightn’t like it, but they’ll understand better when you communicate with them and keep them updated.

Conclusion

As you well know, weather doesn’t come to the meeting and tell you it’s plans so take advantage of innovative technologies such as Weather AQPI apps and be in contact with local professionals and supply companies who can assist your suring inclement climate challenges If you audit your infrastructure, know your risks and set up alternatives to supply chains, you can make it through any storm.

Integrity, understanding, and honesty will take you and your brand a long way with the appreciation of your customers.