Parts of Scotland are expecting snow again later this week, which reminds us how snow is a bit of an enigma in Britain. For many UK regions, this type of weather doesn’t happen often, but it can cause chaos when it does. Unfortunately, the unpredictability of snow makes it hard to prepare for, and you may lose business because of it.
A heavy day of snow shouldn’t disrupt your business too much, especially if you know what to expect. However there are a few ways that heavy snowfall can affect your business.
Travel
One of the biggest concerns when it comes to snow is that it makes the roads dangerous. Car tyres are not designed to withstand the frictionless surface of ice and snow, which means that many drivers choose to take it slow or refuse to drive at all. This means that travel becomes an issue for both your customers and staff.
Some key travel services may be cancelled, which means that any employees that travel to work by bus may not make it in. Secondly, you can expect to receive a smaller flow of customers than usual. Therefore, you may not need to worry about being short-staffed during the snow.
Access
A good business will always provide its customers with ample access to its facilities. This means that they should have somewhere to park and a clear route into your facility. Sadly, a heavy bout of snow can block off the access that you provided, stopping customers from being able to buy from you.
That is why it is important to pay attention to when the weather is about to change. A good gritting service like Gritting Works could help you get more customers to your door. This gritter contractor will alert you as to when their vehicles are on the move. A gritting company such as this can spread enough grit on your access points so that your customers have a reduced risk of slipping when getting to your business, which can help improve your footfall. Gritting contractors are important when it comes to snow, so make sure that you are signed up and ready.
Injury
Snow is very rare in the UK, which is why the local councils are not always prepared to deal with the situation. When snow gathers in a place for too long and then melts, it will turn to slush or ice, two of the most slippery surfaces to walk across. What’s more, this slushy substance will be traipsed into your place of business by anyone who visits. If an injury occurs as a result of someone falling on your premises, you could face legal consequences.
Therefore, try to make sure that you have reduced the likelihood of your customers getting injured as much as possible. Try to keep the floor clean and put down wet floor signs where necessary. Again, a gritting service should help remove the snow outside your property, further reducing the risk of someone getting injured due to the heavy snowfall.
Summary
A business needs to prepare itself for every eventuality. Snow may not fall every year, but you will be glad that you had the right contingencies in place when it finally does arrive.