Tune-Up Your Company!

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Just as we recommend that your customers tune up their mechanical equipment to avoid future disasters, it is just as important for an HVAC contracting company to tune up their business to be prepared for any unforeseen event.

As a small business owner myself, it is hard to predict with any certainty what may happen in the near future, let alone in the distant future. Because of the uncertainty of the economy, weather, business trends, employee issues, and a variety of possible challenges, I have to at least be somewhat prepared for anything that may pop up.

So what do I do to prepare? First, it is vitally important, especially with recent weather events, that you have a plan of action for natural disasters. Let’s say you are in a northern area that may experience extreme temperatures and snow storms, what is your backup plan to handle business if no one can get to work? Do you have a local answering service or one in another city where they may not be affected by your weather? This same issue could apply if you were on the coast and your ability to continue communicating with your customers may be jeopardized by a hurricane or other inclement weather.

Do you have a plan in place if one of your key employees gets ill or suddenly leaves? What would happen if suddenly YOU were to get ill?

Do you have an emergency fund or resources available just in case there was a drastic drop in business due to some international or national catastrophic event such as September 11? Do you have an emergency fund in place to carry your business and employees for 60 or 90 days?

Do all employees know what to do if they cannot contact you or the office due to phone problems?

Even though I am a small operation, all family and team members have a plan of action that we have practiced several times should an emergency situation occur and we are separated.

I’m not a doomsday practitioner, nor a survivalist, however, as I learned in the military, every possible event must be considered and evaluated with a plan of action communicated and practiced in case of an unforeseen event.

Spending a few hours now preparing and considering what could happen could save your business and possibly someone’s life in the future. Don’t be caught by surprise, tuning up your business with preparation and practice, are an important part of continued success.

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Posted In: ACCA Now, Management