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Managing a small retail workplace can take a lot of organisation and skill. There’s a lot for you to consider, ranging from organising rotas for staff to keeping the shelves stocked with the products your customers desire.
Another key factor, but one which is easy for busy retail store managers to overlook, is safety for both your team members and your customers.
Safety is a particularly important factor right now for any retailer and workplace, as retailers are reopening after the pandemic and need to work to make up for lost time.
With a small retail space, safety can be even harder to manage, as you have less room for clearing space away from hazards and fewer team members to deal with issues.
If you’re wondering how to bolster safety in your small retail business, then here are some practical tips.
Keep A Stock Of Warning Labels
Bright and bold warning labels are useful for informing customers and team members about everything from hot surfaces to potential hazards. When buying warning labels, you need to make sure that your provider offers a range of options, so you don’t have to buy each label from a different provider. Label Source offers a wide range of bright yellow warning labels, so they can meet all of your warning label needs. From electrical warnings to corrosive substances, hot surfaces to loading bay warnings, whatever your retail business needs, you can stock up. When a roll of warning labels gets low, make sure you reorder to ensure that you always have enough.
Create A Robust Safety Protocol For Staff
When you’re running a small retail space, particularly one that’s not part of a larger chain or franchise, it’s easy to overlook safety training and protocols. However, this could lead to potentially difficult situations in the future when health and safety issues arise. So, you should make sure that you put together a complete safety protocol for your team and that you offer them regular training. Don’t just do the legally-required minimum: focus on providing as much health and safety support to your staff as possible, to ensure that they are prepared for any eventuality and can handle it in a professional and appropriate manner.
Focus On Cleaning
Over recent years, thanks mostly to the Coronavirus pandemic, hygiene and cleanliness have been put in the spotlight. Customers and staff alike both expect a high standard of hygiene, so you need to make sure that your business adapts to this. Consider increasing the day-to-day cleaning of your store and making sure that team members conduct thorough hygiene practices, especially when handling food or toxic materials. Again, if you go above and beyond the bare legal minimum that’s required for your business, then you can improve your customer retention and highlight your company’s dedication to cleanliness and safety.
Safety is vital for every business, particularly small retail spaces that welcome customers directly into their workspace. Health and safety violations and issues are easy to spot in small places, and can become significant problems if not dealt with promptly and professionally. These tips should help you to optimise your small retail base and improve safety for everyone
