The focus on getting a commercial space ready to facilitate a functional company can make it easy to forget a few key considerations. A and H Insurance explains that making sure your business is safe, secure, and accessible will make your clientele feel comfortable utilizing your services and keep you out of potential legal trouble.
Keeping Your Staff and Clientele Safe
Safety should be held to a high standard and prioritized over anything else, including productivity or profit. Making sure your employees and customers aren’t being exposed to precarious situations or hazardous materials is essential for the protection of their well-being as well as the continuation of your livelihood. If you’re not sure where to start, professional inspectors can be hired to verify your site is compliant with local and federal safety regulations.
Special care should be taken when planning for fire safety. An unexpected inferno in a busy commercial space can be disastrous. Make sure there are multiple exits from the venue that are left unlocked and unblocked during operational hours. No efficient workflow or cost-cutting measure is worth the loss of human life. All smoke detectors on site should be tested regularly, and staff should have a specific plan in the event of a catastrophe.
Making Your Space Accessible
Excluding groups of customers, whether intentionally or inadvertently, will guarantee declining sales and can even invite legal ramifications. Take steps to ensure your space is accessible to people with physical and mental disabilities. If your shop contains multiple levels, ramps, or elevators will need to be installed to facilitate access for those unable to use stairs or escalators. Other such considerations, such as aisles wide enough for wheelchair travel and multilingual staff, will help you attract the largest congregation of potential customers.
A particularly accessible store will show that you’re a welcoming organization, encouraging like-minded customers to shop there. Beyond that, most places have laws regarding minimum accommodations for people with disabilities, and failure to meet them can invite fines and restrictions on your business. Accessibility is important for humanitarian reasons as well as financial.
Stepping Up Security
Another way to keep your staff and patrons safe is by deterring criminal activity and dangerous situations. Visible security cameras can discourage potential shoplifters and harassers from breaking the law in your space. They also obviously record evidence to provide police in the event a crime occurs anyway.
If deterrence isn’t enough, it’s advisable to hire staff specifically for security. CHRON points out that bouncers and security guards can be hired to keep the peace in commercial spaces, rather than waiting for police to arrive after an incident has already occurred. Consider your experiences and talk to other local business owners to determine what measures need to be taken in your area.
Safety and Security Through Lighting
To keep your business safer at night, make sure to invest in a reliable lighting system. Large parking lots and shared plazas need to be well-lit for the safety and security of your guests, so outdoor lighting should be pleasing to look at while also being durable. Along with other options for elevated lighting, lampposts and tall poles ideal for mounting lamps are typically made of aluminum or steel. Be sure to choose the materials that suit your needs and budget.
Keeping your business space safe and secure – from making your space accessible to having adequate lighting – is important to people’s well-being as well as your company’s reputation. Entrepreneurs owe it to their clientele to create accessible, protected, and securely lit spaces.
A and H Insurance offers risk management and consulting expertise to large industries and niche businesses alike. Reach out today to learn more! (775) 829-2600
