Keep Your Small Business Healthy
 By Alex R. Merriman

For small-business owners, winter brings its own unique challenges.

Colds and flu run rampant in small offices. Winter sports cause injuries and absenteeism. Dreary days give folks excuses to abandon their fitness routines.

And in a business with only a handful of employees, being one worker down can put a severe crimp in operations.

Here’s what you can do to keep your small-business humming along through the cold months.

Beat The Bugs
A little attention to preventive care can help you and your employees dodge colds and flu. Try these recommendations.

• Wash your hands frequently. Scrub for 15 to 20 seconds.

• When you can’t wash, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers or wipes.

• Clean your desktop, phone, computer keyboard and mouse daily. Use disinfectant wipes, the kind that are sold for kitchen cleanup.

• Stay home when you’re sick. Encourage employees to do the same.

Play It Safe
If you or your employees seek thrills from winter sports, beware of the risk factors.

Winter activities such as ice skating, snowboarding, skiing and hockey offer fun and healthy exercise. But those sports also expose you to extreme weather.

Follow this three-point checklist for playing it safe.

1. Warm up. Give yourself extra time to warm up before activities to prevent injuries.

2. Layer up. Wear several layers of light, loose clothing to stay warm. Add to that a layer of wind- and water-resistant outerwear to keep you dry. Don’t forget your gloves, a hat and any safety equipment the sport demands.

3. Wise up. Check the weather forecast before heading outside to play. Pay attention to warnings about plunging temperatures and incoming storms.

Start A Wellness Program
Health care costs are rising, and businesses that don’t adapt will find themselves feeling sickly. But in 2007, smart companies will start workplace wellness programs to help workers stay healthy and productive.

Although large businesses can afford more formalized programs, even smaller companies are getting in on the act, says Tom Weede, author of “The Entrepreneur Diet: The On-the-Go Plan for Fitness, Weight Loss and Healthy Living” (Entrepreneur Press, 2006).

“In talking to small-business owners, I found that many were really creative in how they brought a healthy culture to their company,” Weede says. “They’re proof that you don’t necessarily need a lot of extra capital lying around for a lavish workout facility to help employees stay fit.”

With the arrival of the New Year – and with many employees already making resolutions to get back in shape – it’s a perfect time to start a workplace wellness program. Here are some low-cost ideas from “The Entrepreneur Diet.”

• Make exercise a work goal – Entrepreneur Gini Dietrich, who owns a growing public relations firm, gives her staff an incentive to exercise by adding a billable job code for their workouts. “It counts toward their annual billable goals,” she says. “I also offer a small gym membership reimbursement.”

• Serve up the right snacks – Dan Santy, founder of Santy Advertising, keeps healthy snacks in the office lunchroom for himself and his staff. “I firmly believe that the people who are the most active and fit, and who have good healthy diets, don’t miss work,” he says.

• Give a health-related benefit – At Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, owners Stacy Madison and Mark Andrus give a $500 annual benefit to be applied toward anything that is health and fitness related.

• More ideas – The American Institute for Preventive Medicine offers these suggestions. Post a map in the office that measures a short walking route around the neighborhood. Place comfortable chairs in a quiet area so employees can take stress breaks.

“Creating a healthy work environment can be done with a minimal budget,” Weede emphasizes. “And it not only makes for fitter, more productive employees, it also encourages wonderful workplace camaraderie.”

(Posted January 2007)

>>Back to AFS Coach