Since March of 2020, we’ve all been through a lot, and now, as of Fall of 2021, most of us are still wondering when this “new normal” is (if ever) going to end.
You’re not alone if the COVID-19 pandemic has affected you or your contracting business. This is a virus that literally shut the world down causing millions of people to lose their jobs, their homes, and their lives. But as the saying goes, the truth is that “life does go on.” And we all have to adapt to these situations if we’re to weather the storm and survive.
If you’re a contractor and you’ve been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, or if you’re looking to obtain or renew your license as a contractor in your state in the near future, you’ll also need to adapt to the changes that the pandemic has caused.
In this post we’ll discuss a few ways that you can combat the limiting effects of COVID-19 in your contracting business.
Dealing with Supply Chain Issues
If one thing is true across all industries, the pandemic has caused a massive disruption in the supply chain across the globe. This has also adversely affected supply and demand, which has caused prices of certain goods and materials to skyrocket over the last 18 months.
The shipment and processing of materials has also drastically affected the contracting business. As a contractor, you have to have materials and tools in order to build or make repairs. And this delay in shipping has caused huge setbacks on contracting jobs around the country.
One way to deal with supply chain issues, especially if you’re relying on materials coming from out of state, is to pick up the shipments yourself, or seek out local resources that you can use in place of your normal distributors.
Additionally, ensure that you inform your clients of possible delays due to shipment issues so they’re aware of these problems before you begin work.
Safety on the Job
Even though we’ve now gone through wave after wave of spikes in cases across the country, the same safety protocols still remain the best defense against getting sick or dying from COVID-19.
While on a job with a large crew, ensure that everybody is keeping in accord with safety compliance. This means to frequently wash hands and socially distance yourselves accordingly. You might even consider placing portable safety stations around your job site so that workers can sanitize and wash their hands as needed.
Additionally, mask-wearing is also recommended when indoors or in large groups to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
You might also want to consider adding incentives for employees to get vaccinated if they haven’t already done so, as this is considered the best defense against catching the virus and becoming hospitalized.
Market Yourself with Safety in Mind
A lot of contractors lost business when the onset of the pandemic began. And this was largely due to the unknown behavior of the virus.
For example, if a contractor had five jobs lined up for the months of March and April, many saw all of their clients postpone or cancel their contracts entirely. The same thing happened to those working in the hotel and hospitality industry. People who had vacations planned cancelled, and this left many businesses to take a hard financial hit.
When it comes to marketing, studies in recent months have shown that those businesses who go out of their way to provide safety compliance standards with COVID-19 actually land more clients, even amid the pandemic as of 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic is here. And none of us knows how long it’s going to last. Our best defense against taking huge financial losses is to keep in accord with safety protocols and use our ability to adapt and improvise in the face of these situations. At the end of the day, we’ll all be much better off playing it safe.
