As the 2012 Olympic Games draw closer, the city of London is preparing itself to hold this world class event and play host to hundreds of thousands of visitors. As athletes and event organizers prepare for the busy year ahead, prepare yourself for the busy summer by getting your business ready for the 2012 Olympics.
Start by considering how the Olympics might affect your day-to-day business dealings. Many business owners mistakenly believe they don’t need to do any additional preparations for the Olympic season, and do not spend any time helping their business and employees prepare for the Games. The influx in visitors to the United Kingdom while the Olympics take place will present both challenges and opportunities to businesses, and the companies that are prepared for this will be ready to have a happy and successful Olympic season.
Make sure your staff are ready to handle even the most challenging customers, and consider giving additional customer service training to help deal with extra demands. London and surrounding areas will be particularly busy during this time, and both employees and customers might be feeling more impatient than usual because of the congestion in the city. Giving staff extra customer service support will help make sure your employees are ready to do their jobs to the best of their ability and can navigate any difficult situations with ease.
London’s public transit system is expecting more than 800,000 people on the busiest days of the Olympic Games, and this will mean that train and underground stations as well as bus stops will be overwhelmed with people trying to get from one place to another. Plan ahead and speak to your employees about methods to get to and from the office each day.
Consider whether it would be useful to have any employees work from home for the duration of the Games, and whether you have solutions in place to help people work when they can’t be in the office. Doing this will ensure everyone is at their desk when they need to be and that your business day is as productive as possible.
Make sure your company has everything it needs to handle the additional people in the city. Particularly if your business is a retailer or restaurant, make sure you have additional staff on hand to help keep things running smoothly, and order extra supplies so that you never run out of any essential products or ingredients when you need them most. Consider whether there is anything you can do to touch up your store or restaurant to make it more appealing to new customers who aren’t already familiar with your business.
If you’re considering flexible working hours for your business, do some research and see what options are available to you to help your employees work from home. If you’re working in the service industry, make sure your business is ready to handle the additional people who are coming into the city for the London Olympics. Being prepared can help you stay calm and make the most of the opportunities available to you during this exciting time.
Matilda Brown writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.