As the disruption of COVID-19 begins to enter the reopening phase, dispensaries must be ready to meet existing and new requirements. It's time to put in place plans for how you will transition out of COVID-19 and propel your organization forward. Here's a checklist of simple dispensary best practices that should be implemented now for the "new normal."
Each county has released social distancing guidelines for essential businesses. Every dispensary should print and post the guidelines on their front door for customer viewing. It is also dispensary best practice to post this for employees in areas they frequently see.
This can be as simple as putting tape on the floor guiding a customer where to stand in line. If possible, it is also best practice to have customers enter and exit from different doors. Health risks can be mitigated by directing customers in flows where they will not cross paths.
Distributing hand sanitizer or effective disinfectant as customers walk in will increase sanitization within your shop. Having security distribute it is one efficient way to provide sanitization to all customers. It is also important to offer hand sanitizer in high-frequency-touch areas to protect customer health.
Refer to city and county guidelines to remain compliant with capacity regulations in your location. This is an imperative item for your dispensary best practices checklist for facilitating social distancing in the shop.
Many shops are scrambling to improve their online ordering capability. Adding online ordering software to your company's technology ecosystem will take the pressure off of budtenders as they no longer have to take orders, just prepare them. This will greatly reduce each customer's time in the store and will help capacity control. The best practice is to have a retail system that integrates with your POS system so stock is always up to date.
Sending a text or email blast to customers with all new guidelines will ensure that they are informed before coming to the shop. In addition, posting a sign that displays all new guidelines outside of your shop will reinforce the new rules. Remaining transparent with customers will help prevent any misunderstandings.
Armanino's services are tailored to the needs of growers, manufacturers, distributors, dispensaries and other cannabis and hemp-related businesses. Contact us to learn more about how we can provide core accounting services and help you maximize operational efficiencies, automate key systems and maintain regulatory compliance. And for more information on keeping your business thriving through disruption, visit our COVID-19 Resource Center.
