NYC Small Business Reopening – Moving Forward

The COVID-19 Pandemic caused all New York State based businesses deemed “non-essential” to be closed in March 2020. The phased re-opening approach has allowed some businesses in some counties to re-open based on the industry. New York City entered Phase 1 of the reopening process on Monday, June 8 and the question for me and small business owners is “how do I do it?”

Full disclosure, as the owner and operator of an Allstate Insurance Agency based in Middle Village (Queens County) NY, my business was deemed “Essential” and I could have remained open, but for the safety of my staff, my clients and my family, I decided to close and work remotely. Many people think it’s simply a matter of “going back to normal.” Not me, I’m one hundred percent focused on #MovingForward and navigating this new business world.

The journey forward for me begins with one guiding principle, how do I provide a safe work environment for all that enter: again, my staff, my clients, myself. I applaud the retailers, banks and all Essential workers that remained open throughout the pandemic and re-invented their business on the fly! I’m a big fan of how quickly and seamlessly they put the words “Social Distancing” into practice. They taught us all how to stand in line and give each other space. They helped us overcome our fears of interacting with other Human Beings, scary! They handed us wipes as we entered the store to clean our carts and they sanitized the counter after we paid for our groceries. They wore masks, gloves and installed sneeze guards to protect their employees and it made me feel safe as well.

Moving forward, I’ve read the CDC guidelines and NYS guidelines for re-opening a small business and I’ll provide the links below for everyone to do the same. I developed a checklist and created an Excel spreadsheet of tasks that we need to complete before we can fully reopen our agency. The list included the following;

1. Redesign office for Social Distancing
2. Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff
3. Have PPE available for clients
4. Stock office with sanitizers and cleaning supplies
5. Create consistent cleaning process for common areas
6. Purchase Air Purifier
7. Install plexiglass and sneeze guards

On Monday, June 1, I went to the office and began to contact every vendor needed to help me complete the tasks noted above. I’ll be going back every Monday this month and scheduling Monday meetings to get things done. In addition, I’ve communicated my thought processes to my clients with a blast email so the know what to expect and that we will be fully available on a remote basis, until we have a safe environment. More importantly, I promised my staff that we wouldn’t open until we’ve completed the conversion and they felt comfortable in our new world.

The road ahead is filled with challenges. Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan, until they get hit.” One of the punches that I see coming is that people have very very strong feelings about wearing facial coverings. Some people are posting how it’s violates that their American freedom and refusing to wear a mask. I get it. If I lived in a different area and didn’t lose so many people to the coronavirus, I might feel the same way. Unfortunately, I live in the epicenter of COVID-19 and suffered more losses than I care to share due to the pandemic. That being said, I’ll take a conservative approach and err on the side of being over prepared, not under prepared. For God’s sake, I sell insurance. I’m a Trusted Advisor. I’m supposed to educate, advocate and help people avoid risks. Still…the one question that troubles me today, the one punch that I see coming…how will I handle the first customer that wants to be serviced in person, without a mask? How would you handle it?

Moving Forward,

Kevin