COVID-19 conditions are still tough but there’s light at the end of the tunnel for architects around the country.
If you’re one of the thousands of employers who’ve been affected by the shutdown, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to make the transition back to business.
We’ve compiled a few tips below that can help you hit the ground running.
Cover yourself first
Ensure your Professional Liability Insurance is up to date. The nature of architecture services regularly puts practitioners at risk of claims for financial harm as a result of errors, omissions or unintentional mistakes.
A lawsuit in a downturn could be devastating to your business, so be sure you’re not making a fresh start in the post COVID-19 world without this key safeguard.
Are you bringing back employees?
It’s been an extraordinarily tough time for many employers who’ve had to stand down staff members for an extended period or make the difficult choice of letting them go.
Getting back to your business back to pre-Coronavirus staffing levels is probably high on your agenda but there’s a few things to get sorted before you do.
First off, check on the status of your Workers Compensation Insurance. Workers Compensation is a requirement. you need to fulfil before you hire anyone new or reactivate former staff.
Workers Compensation ensures your business won’t be crippled if there’s a claim against your business by an employee. It’ll cover you for costs such as:
- Medical care
- Replacement of lost wages when taking time off to recover
- Funeral costs paid for if they were to pass away
- Disability support costs
Next, check on the status of your Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). If you don’t have one, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you own or lease business equipment?
- Do you have inventory?
- Do you own a building at which you work that needs insurance?
- Do you have employees that could act dishonestly or steal a client’s property?
If you’re answering yes to any of these then a BOP is something you should consider. It gives you a package combining General Liability with coverage for your business’s property, inventory and your building. Additionally, you’ll be covered for any damage to third party property that is in your care, custody or control.
What about your work environment?
Where are you working right now? Are you still in your regular office? Maybe your home study. Or your kitchen table.
Whatever working setup you’ve defaulted to for the pandemic, think about what you want it to be when things get back to normal.
The return to normalcy won’t be like switching on a light but the opportunities to save money are there. Especially if you’re interested in starting fresh in a new office. Recent analysis from Deloitte showed the key indicators for strength in the commercial real estate sector began declining almost immediately when the pandemic began. The bottom line is there’s waning demand, office space to fill and price declines across the board.
Getting into a new office is a great step for a making a fresh start but it’s not without its pitfalls. Before you head back to your old office, or open a new one, be sure you’ve got an active General Liability Insurance policy. This coverage is a great safeguard if you:
- Visit clients or they visit you
- Have regular interactions with outside parties
- Use an alternative location for any business activities
- Sell a physical product
- Provide physical services to others
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Are you planning to get back to business soon? We can help you with the safeguard you need.
Visit our website or call us to chat to one of our friendly team.
