It’s been over a year since the pandemic started, but it may still be too early to talk about the permanent effects of COVID-19 outbreaks on businesses around the world. Will small and medium-sized businesses manage to fully recover? Will there be another major wave and/or lockdown? What is the long-term impact that COVID-19 outbreaks will have on businesses? In this article, we will discuss just that, how the pandemic has affected businesses so far and what are some of the things business owners can do to navigate these uncertain times while keeping their stores and offices from becoming the center of a COVID-19 outbreak.
How COVID-19 Outbreaks Impact Businesses
COVID-19 outbreaks and waves have impacted families, but they have impacted businesses even more, especially smaller ones, such as stores and offices. To make things worse, small businesses make up 98% of all businesses in the country, according to Statistics Canada; which means that anything that affects these companies, affects the entire Canadian economy.
To be more specific, the effects of COVID-19 outbreaks on small businesses across the country include decreases in profitability and sales. Added to this, small companies are more likely to stop their operations permanently since they are usually less capable to take on more debt or to afford and implement new technologies that could help them remain afloat. In fact, back in January, Global News reported that more than 200,000 Canadian small businesses could shut their doors this year due to the pandemic, taking close to three million private-sector jobs in the process.
In this unfortunate scenario, many businesses, big and small, are actively looking for strategies to survive the pandemic. Some have managed to do so effectively so far, while others may still need some guidance about how to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in their own facilities and in their communities to continue their operations and eventually make a full recovery.
How Can Businesses Prevent COVID-19 Outbreaks?
When it comes to preventing an outbreak of a viral disease, such as COVID-19, one of the best ways to protect people and places is by consistently disinfecting. And in the particular case of stores, offices, and any type of business, there is nothing like fogging and spraying, two methods that have proven to deliver better results than manual disinfection, saving business owners time and money in labour and products.
Related: How to Prevent a COVID-19 Outbreak in Your Business
A common misconception about fogging services is that they are costly and involve harsh chemicals that leave behind strong and unhealthy odours. However, this does not have to be the case. With the right tools and the right products, business owners can take care of disinfecting and sanitizing themselves in a quick and convenient way, with products that are safe for humans, plants, and pets.
These are our recommendations on the subject:
1. Invest in an electrostatic sprayer
Electrostatic sprayers are among the most advanced tools in the market and are revolutionizing the commercial and residential cleaning industry. These devices are known for turning fluids into a mist full of electrically charged droplets that can adhere to surfaces, providing deep and long-lasting disinfection. Plus, these droplets are able to bond to airborne particles, neutralizing bacteria, viruses, and odors floating in the air. There are several advantages of disinfecting with electrostatic sprayers, such as achieving complete disinfection in less time than other methods because their technology avoids the formation of liquid “pools”, so there is no need to wipe down surfaces afterward. Also, the fact that, when paired with a recommended disinfecting solution, electrostatic sprayers are 99.99% effective in killing germs, bacteria, and viruses.
2. For large spaces, choose the right devices
If your business is located in a large building (2,500 square feet or more), you would benefit from choosing devices that are up to the task and won't make you work harder or longer than you need to. In this category, we recommend our Heavy Duty ULV Fogger or our Industrial Fogger, two devices that are ideal for disinfecting warehouses, department stores, shopping malls, hospitals, hotels, multifamily housing buildings, parking lots, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and other large businesses in record time.
3. Pay attention to the disinfecting solutions you use
Even though bleach and alcohol are probably the most common and accessible disinfectant solutions you can get, they are not the best. You should know there are better alternatives in the market that offer effective disinfection for high-touch and high-traffic areas. Our recommended disinfecting solutions are Ultra-Lyte Disinfectant, which is an all-natural disinfectant that kills 99.999% of bacteria and viruses on contact; Vital Oxide Disinfectant, which kills common bacteria and viruses, and works as a heavy-duty odor eliminator; and Environize Anolyte Disinfectant (only available in Canada), an environmentally friendly disinfectant solution.
In closing, we know that no one can control or predict the impact that COVID-19 can have on a business, but what business owners can do is reducing the chances of a COVID-19 outbreak with an improved disinfecting routine that includes high-quality products and innovative devices to make things simpler, easier, and safer for everyone involved.
At Disinfect & Fog, we are here to help you get everything you need to keep your staff, customers, and your own family safe. If you need a consultation about commercial disinfecting or the best tools to protect your business against a COVID-19 outbreak, make sure to contact us and one of our disinfecting experts will be happy to assist you.
Source: https://www.disinfectandfog.com/blog/the-impact-that-a-covid-19-outbreak-has-on-a-business