A major obstacle for any business is staying open for business during improvement or renovation. Sometimes closing down briefly is the way to go but no one likes lost revenue or disgruntled customers.

In most cases if the improvements involve painting you can stay open and here is how to do it.

First and foremost you want to work with a paint contractor that will work flexible hours. In many cases this solves the problem. Simply doing the paint work during hours you are normally closed won’t hit your revenue stream or impose on customers.

Sometimes the scope of work or other factors will require the work to be done during business hours. If that is the case here are some tips to make the process easier.

Make sure everyone knows what is going on. Employees, customers, delivery people, etc. Have a flyer emphasizing the positives of the improvements and anticipated start and completion dates. If possible have a separate entrance for workers, designated parking and cleanup/storage areas. You don’t want someone cleaning out a brush in the men’s room. It is very important to have paint products separated far from food products for example. Make sure the Paint Contractor has MSDS sheets for all products on site.

Use low VOC products. There are paints that will perform but have little odor. Use designated work areas and barriers to block off those areas. Simple sheets of plastic can do wonders.

Make sure areas that have wet paint are not accessible to customers and use wet paint signs. Try to schedule any work that will be loud to off hours. No one wants to listen to a sander while trying to eat.

Have a plan to handle complaints. A coupon for a future discount can quickly turn things around.

When everything is complete don’t forget to emphasize it. Use social media, radio, etc. Offer a special to customers to come check things out. You have spent some money on improvements, get the most out of it and leverage those improvements to bring in more business. Staying open for business during improvements is doable. We help businesses do it all the time.