If you own or manage a shop, the holidays can be an exciting time. You spend months preparing for the influx of shoppers, expect long working hours and look forward to the increased revenue and profits.

However, there are a few things that can blight the festive fun and cause you stress. Here are some ways to protect yourself from that stress so you can enjoy the holidays like everyone else.

Hire a security guard

If you have items that are liable to theft and are aware of any crime in your retail environment, then you may want to hire a security firm for the busy festive season. Thefts go up over the holidays, with busier shops and more opportunities. It might be worth hiring a security guard, even if you have a CCTV system. If you plan on hiring a guard from a company, it may be wise to check their previous record of providing guards for events, celebrities, and construction sites. When you have thoroughly researched various firms, you can find the most appropriate guard company (similar to a security company waco tx).

Have a process for slips and falls

With people clamouring and clambering for your goods, you’ll want to make sure that you have a robust process for if anyone gets hurt in your shop.

Do a risk assessment and work out where the likely injuries could occur and mitigate the risk. Then put a process in place for first-aid and full reporting just in case anyone does slip, fall or pull something over on themselves.  

Get appropriate insurance to cover theft of goods and any injuries that could occur and may leave you liable for compensation.

Have backup staff

It’s easy to expect everything to go swimmingly and do not plan for unforeseen circumstances. However, if one of your staff goes down with covid, where will that leave you?

Make a plan for extra staff so that you can ensure that you can continue business as usual, with full opening hours or even longer opening hours. You may want to speak to a temporary worker agency or call old or retired staff members who may want some extra work. It’s better to be prepared than to be left in the lurch with no plan in place.

Have a process to detect fraudulent transactions

Whether it is counterfeit money or stolen credit cards, a fraudulent transaction can undermine people’s confidence in your shop. You may also lose out financially in either case.

Make sure that your staff understand how to spot counterfeit notes, especially the larger denominations. Ensure that credit card or bank transfer transactions are cleared before releasing goods. If you have doubts about transactions, make sure you know who to contact and plan a reporting process for staff.

Summary

The festive period is the busiest time of the year for most retail outlets. It’s the time where the money gets made, and new shoppers get to experience your physical store. Just make sure that you think about the risks so that you can plan for them.