▷ Craftsmanship in the times of Corona

Tips and measures from practice

The current situation requires some changes in the way we work, in contact with customers and in the way employees interact with each other. Some companies and businesses have now managed to carry out their daily work even with Corona and only have to accept small restrictions.

A central aspect is the home office, i.e. working from home. In the craft sector there are also opportunities to organize some office tasks such as creating offers and invoices, managing orders, employee and customer data and managing tools and materials from home. However, since not all companies can offer home office, below we would also like to provide some tips on how to deal correctly with customers and employees.

Contact with colleagues

Similar to contact with customers, contact between work colleagues should of course also be kept to a minimum and made as safe as possible. This means the maximum possible distance between individual workstations, safety measures such as protective masks and hygiene products (disinfectant gel, hand soap, etc.) in the workplace. Despite all measures, direct contact always carries the risk of infection.

An infection can only be ruled out if interactions between colleagues are completely digital. Of course, in the craft sector, only part of the work can be done digitally and not all companies have the digital infrastructure to allow their employees to work from home. However, it is quite possible that the situation may change in the future, especially with regards to the coronavirus crisis, as many companies and businesses are currently learning to appreciate the advantages of working from home.

One of the best corona protection measures: the home office. �� 2019 Image Ground/Shutterstock.com

Contact with customers

Of course, direct contact with customers should be avoided completely if possible. But in the commercial sector there is often no way around customer interactions. So, if you are still fulfilling orders in the current situation, your employees should at least observe basic safety precautions:

Ban on shaking hands, maintaining a distance of 2 meters from other people, regularly disinfecting your hands and, in some cases, wearing a protective mask. In this way, the risk of contagion at work is reduced to a minimum and employees and customers are protected.

Planning for the next few months

Many people are currently in quarantine or voluntary self-isolation. This means that almost all companies and companies notice a collapse in the order situation. But obviously artisan businesses are still necessary. Especially in view of the coming summer months, you can expect a large number of orders as soon as the situation calms down a bit.

While no one can yet predict when this will happen, it will certainly make sense to prepare for the upcoming wave of orders. This means your business can get started as quickly as possible when the first inquiries come in. Important work materials should be available and the current time can possibly be used to complete the office work of the last few months. Furthermore, it is already possible to create the first templates for offers and invoices.