Did you know that 17 million cars and light trucks were sold within the United States in 2018 alone? The unfortunate reality is that many of the people that most need cars and light trucks, however, will not be able to afford them. Most Americans rely on vehicles in order to not only commute to their occupations, but to grocery stores, their children’s schools, and importantly in a post-pandemic world, the doctor’s office. The structure of the U.S. means that the vast majority of Americans do not live in cities that are easily walkable or easily accessible through public transportation. Additionally, cars can be considered major investments by most Americans, but particularly those that are living on compressed budgets due to economic hardship or long term poverty.

While a vehicle can potentially be bought outright from a private seller, quite often these cars are unreliable or may even be damaged at the time of sale; there is a reason why they are being sold for so little, after all. Therefore, in the grand scheme, these cars are often dangerous to drive or may cost more than they are worth in repairs and upkeep. The alternative is buying a car from a dealership, which may require a new owner to commit to a payment plan that they are not necessarily able to afford. Plenty of people experiencing financial hardships are unable to buy cars from dealerships in the first place, as it can be difficult for them to be approved for financing.

Again, being unable to own a vehicle can be incredibly limiting, especially for families. Children may be unable to attend school to the degree that they should. Parents are unable to provide for their families because they simply can’t get to work. Vital appointments are missed due to a lack of transportation. This is why many charities specifically focus on ensuring that families are able to access cars affordably. Additionally, when individuals are exploring where to donate a car for charity, they may discover charities that auction off donated vehicles in order to raise money for their specific causes. While there are many charities that accept donated vehicles, not all of them do so for the same reasons. There is much to understand before making the decision to donate a vehicle to charity.

What Types of Organizations Accept Donated Cars?

When exploring where to donate a car for charity, individuals will likely be surprised by how many charities accept these unique donations. These range from remarkably well-known charitable organizations that are nevertheless not necessarily associated with donated vehicles, to more local or obscure nonprofits. For example, Habitat for Humanity actually accepts vehicles from donors, despite the fact that many donors associate the organization with donated time, money, or home goods. Unlike some organizations, Habitat for Humanity does not offer most of their donated vehicles to families in need. Rather, they sell the vehicles that are donated to fund their mission, which is focused on helping families achieve housing and overall stability. Habitat for Humanity accepts almost all types of cars and trucks, as well as motorcycles, recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, farming equipment, and even construction equipment. About half of all donated vehicles are sold as is, while the other half are salvaged, which essentially means that they are sold for parts. Either way, Habitat for Humanity is able to use those funds to finance its charitable goals.

Another prominent charitable organization for people to consider when researching where to donate a car for charity is Make-A-Wish. Make-A-Wish is well known for the services that it provides to families with children that are suffering from chronic, often life-threatening or terminal illnesses. The charity essentially finances the “wishes” of these children, which are often centered around amazing experiences like visiting Disney World or going on a special trip. This can obviously become fairly expensive, which means that Make-A-Wish relies on donations like vehicles to finance its goals. Technically, a separate charity, Wheels for Wishes, handles the donation of cars. Not only standard cars like jeeps or sedans, but boats, RVs and motorhomes, and motorcycles are accepted by Wheels for Wishes. Like Habitat for Humanity, the organization can sell these vehicles as is or sell them for parts in order to fund their overall goals.

Those that are researching where to donate a car for charity with the intention of helping veterans can explore charities like Vehicles for Veterans. Vehicles for Veterans focusing on helping disabled veterans adjust to life post-service, financing programs that help veterans in need of assistance and support. Vehicles for Veterans uses the proceeds surrounding the sale of pre owned SUVs and other cars in order to ensure that veterans are able to receive counseling, medical equipment, and even necessary alterations to their homes. Disabled veterans in particular are quite at risk of experiencing homelessness in their lifetimes, and charities like these offer them desperately-needed resources.

There are also charities available that specifically offer cars to needy families. Individuals that are researching where to donate a car for charity and actually own cars in good condition may want to consider organizations like these. 1-800-Charity Cars focuses on ensuring that families in need receive the vehicles that will keep them stable. The organization carefully vets applicants before approving them for a vehicle, as it understandably has a limited amount of vehicles available. When individuals decide to donate their car to this charity, the vehicle will be assessed by its employees. Cars that are determined to be suitable as “program” vehicles will be donated to families in need. However, vehicles that are not suitable for the program can still be used by 1-800-Charity Cars. They would be moved through truck transport sold at auction or salvaged to fund the program and the purchase of other vehicles.

Cars 4 Christmas also accepts donated vehicles, focusing on people throughout the Midwest in particular that need vehicles in order to cope with hardships. Like the aforementioned charity, Cars 4 Christmas accepts vehicles in all conditions, as even unusable cars can be liquidated. Usually, recipients of cars include people with children, people with disabilities and medical conditions and people in transitional housing. The charity has also spawned an offshoot charity called Cars 4 Heroes, which focuses on providing vehicles to veterans in need. Therefore, those researched where to donate a car for charity that dream of their vehicle going to a veteran in need can choose this option instead.

If an individual seeking where to donate a car for charity is interested in donating to a religious organization, they may want to consider Good News Garage. This nonprofit organization is run by Lutheran Social Services, and is therefore affiliated with the Lutheran Church. Operating in the New England area, it focuses on donating vehicles to families in need. As is often the procedure with these charities, the cars will be evaluated upon receipt, with professionals determining whether they need expensive fixes like transmission repairs. Vehicles that can be donated directly to families will be donated, while those that cannot be donated or repaired cost-effectively will be sold at auction to fund the efforts of Good News Garage.

What Are the Benefits of Donating a Car to Charity?

Those deliberating on where to donate a car for charity may also be considering how the donation will benefit them. This is understandable. Donating a car is a major decision, as the car was likely a big initial financial commitment. Additionally, there are admitted alternatives to donating a car besides selling it privately. There is the obvious benefit of simply doing something good for others and the positive emotional impact of making that decision. If an individual is no longer planning on driving a vehicle, they may want to donate it simply to help others. But there is nothing wrong with wanting to receive other benefits through a donation.

One major benefit of deciding on where to donate a car for charity is the fact that many of these donations are actually tax-deductible. This means that an individual will essentially be able to write the value of the vehicle off on their taxes, and receive that benefits when they are filing for their tax returns. While this is a clear financial advantage of donating a car for charity, it does require delayed gratification. Rather than receiving the financial benefits of selling a car outright, the donor will need to wait until their taxes are completed and they receive their “kickbacks”.

However, one aspect that they often do not need to worry about is the somewhat complex procedures of making these deductions. Many of the charitable organizations that accept donated vehicles will help donors through this process. They are experienced in these matters, after all, and do not want confusion to be a barrier between donors and their charities. Therefore, they will offer donors assistance.

This is not the only assistance offered by these charitable organizations. Most, if not all of them will also offer to pick up and tow cars that are donated. This can be especially beneficial if an individual is considering donating a vehicle after a car accident. If a car is being donated simply to be sold for parts and is completely impossible to drive, the organizations can still pick up the cars and tow them, thus sparing people the expenses that come with having a car towed, as well as what would likely be a fairly substantial headache.

Why Donate a Car to Charity Versus Selling It?

There are several reasons why an individual would consider figuring out where to donate a car for charity rather than selling the vehicle outright. For one thing, it is important for all vehicle owners to consider the fact that there is very little chance that they will be making a profit on their car. The conventional wisdom is that as soon as a new car leaves the lot, it begins to lose value. Cars, unless they are extremely expensive classic or collectible vehicles, are not financial investments in the conventional sense. They experience daily wear and tear, and they are not cheap to upkeep. Even buying new tires on a fairly regular, if infrequent basis will cut into the initial investment an owner put into a car.

Additionally, selling a car can be more complex than it might initially seem. If a car is owned for a limited amount of time, an owner might be able to turn it back around to the same car dealership where it was originally bought. But they will often invest the money they receive into a new vehicle, and again will be doing so at a loss most of the time.

Most cars need to be in great shape for an owner to receive any kind of decent return when they sell a car to a dealership. Dealerships need to consider how repairs will affect the value of a vehicle. Even more cosmetic issues like replacement windows can cut into the value of a car sold to a dealership.

Cars that have experienced serious trauma will be worth very little. After cars have been in collisions, for example, they are often sold to salvage companies, and owners may receive under $100 for the vehicles. This barely justifies the effort that goes into selling the car. Furthermore, owners that donate their cars to charitable organizations may ultimately receive more in tax deductions than they would from a company that buys junk cars.

These are ultimately just a few reasons why owners often choose to donate their cars rather than selling them. They may benefit more financially in the long term, they know that their cars are aiding good causes, and the process is often simpler than selling the vehicle, especially when charitable organizations guide them through the tax processes.

Being aware that a vehicle is funding a charitable organization or even going directly to individuals in need can make a car owner feel as if they made a big difference; because ultimately, they did. Therefore, those that have cars that they need taken off their hands should consider seeking out these charities before selling their vehicles outright.

You’re trying to sell your home, and you want the best possible price for it. Lucky for you, home values have been on a high in recent years. In 2019 alone, 5.3 million existing homes were sold. This means that the price you originally paid for your home may have gone up in value, which is great news for you! The higher the values, the higher the price you can name for your home, which equals big profits.

However, you don’t have to wait until your home value goes to the high heavens, as there are tips in which you can sell your home at a good profit.

Give Your Home a Good Cleaning

Before you put your home on the market, the one thing that you have to do is give your home a nice cleaning. Now, when we say “nice cleaning,” you don’t have to give it a spring cleaning, but it would help to make your home clean and presentable for potential buyers. You want the potential home buyer to think of themselves living in the home, and that’s quite hard to do if the home is not clean. So cleaning the inside of your home is important, but you should make sure the outside of your home is taken care of as well.

If your home has sidings, you will want to hire a power washing service to come and give your sidings a nice clean. If you have sidings that are either damaged or missing, you can call a siding service to come in a make some repairs. As much as you want the inside of your home to look good, give the same amount of attention to the outside of your house as well.

Landscaping Matters

The landscape around your house is always the first thing potential homebuyers will see before they even enter the home for a tour.

As the old saying goes, it’s important to be a great first impression, and the way to do that is to make sure that the landscaping around your house is looking sharp. Make sure that your home’s landscaping is up to par, first by making sure the grass is cut. Nobody likes to look at a yard that resembles the Amazon, so make sure that it’s cut and the weeds are kept at bay.

Also, if you have trees around the house, don’t ignore those as well. It’s not wise to climb on a tree and trim them yourself, which is why you should call tree care services to come out and give your trees some TLC. To spruce up the landscaping, make sure your flowerbed is vibrant and looking neat and looking nice. As we said earlier, first impressions matter.

Keep the Clutter Away

No one likes a home that’s cluttered. Clutter not only looks unappealing, but it also cuts down on the space of a house, which matters greatly when it comes to house value. The more space a house has, the more valuable your home becomes, and that can fetch a pretty penny on the real estate market. Make sure that you de-clutter your home to make it a lot more spacious and increase your square footage.

De-cluttering makes a huge difference for a smaller house, as increasing the space will bring more value than what that space might go for on the market. This is the difference de-cluttering your home can be, so get cleaning!

Update Your Kitchen Appliances

You don’t want to have tired kitchen appliances as the first sight a homebuyer would see. So make sure that you get a quick kitchen renovation that will swap out your old kitchen for a more modern one. You may need to apply for loans to get the renovation, but you should be able to make your money back once you sell your home. An updated kitchen will add tremendous value to your home, so you may need to explore this.

Installing Window Treatments or Awnings

After a potential homeowner sees the landscape, the next thing they’ll train their eyes on is the exterior of the house. At this point, you’ll want to make sure that your windows look great so that it can sell at a better price. Little things like fixing the window awning and giving your windows a little TLC adds up to a nice profit. Case in point: Never overlook the little things when selling your house.

Repair That Driveway

Remember when we said you need to pay attention to the little things? Well, another one of those little things is the driveway. A bad driveway can bring down some of the value of your house and will also make it a bit unappealing for potential homebuyers. Make sure that the driveway looks nice by hiring a paving contractor to come in a re-pave your driveway in bad shape. You don’t want one of the first impressions of your house to potential buyers being a broken driveway.

Bring Light Into Your House

A dark, drab home isn’t appealing to potential homebuyers.

Believe it or not, one of the minor details homebuyers pay attention to is the lighting. In fact, according to HGTV, most potential homebuyers say that good lighting is what they want in a home. So if your home is normally a bit dim, bring some light into the home by taking down the drapes, changing the light bulbs, and switching out the lampshades to bring light into your home.

Also, you’ll want to make sure your windows are clean so that natural light can filter into the home. A bright home brings warmth and comfort, two things that will certainly raise your home’s value and put you on the road to a nice profit.

Don’t Sleep on Half-Empty Closets

Here’s a little secret tip for getting your house to sell at a nice profit: half-empty closets. Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself how does a half-empty closet contribute to the value of your home? Well, it helps in two key areas: space and cleanliness.

A half-empty closet can enhance your home’s square footage, making even more space out of your house. As we mentioned earlier, the more space you can make in your home, the more value it has, and having half-empty closets add space to your home’s square footage. The second, cleanliness, gives off the sense that you are a clean homeowner.

Potential homebuyers love to nit-pick their potential new house, so you’ll want to clear out half of your closet space, and organize what’s left behind. Now, you have a clean, organized closet that potential buyers will love.

Update Your Plumbing

Your plumbing is one of the most, if not the most important for your house. It funnels the water in your home, and if there is a problem with the plumbing, it could cause a whole lot of problems within your home. You don’t want to off-load plumbing problems to the potential homeowner, who will certainly be turned off by those problems. Before you put your home on the market, call a plumber to come in and do some plumbing repair so that there won’t be any surprise issues when you’re showing the home to a new buyer.

Take Professional Photos of Your House

If you take a look at the listings on real estate sites such as Zillow, the first thing you’ll notice are the pictures of the house. In the real estate business, pictures are everything, and having crappy pictures can turn off a buyer no matter how great a home’s amenities are. So if you’re putting your home on the market (which you are if you’re reading this story), take some professional-grade photos of your home so that it can stand out. You don’t have to hire a professional photographer to achieve this. Smartphones in this day and age are coming equipped with great cameras that take awesome pictures.

If you’re not particularly confident in your photo capturing skills, then call around to get a great price on a professional photographer. Or, you could contact a family member with great picture-taking skills to take the photos for you, hopefully for free.

Play The Price Is Right

It helps to learn how to price things, which will come in handy when you’re trying to decide on a price for your house. Of course, the name of the game is to make a profit from your home sale, but while you have pictures of profits dancing in your mind, you must first realize your local market’s real estate condition before setting a price. Research what homes in your city or area are going for, and price your home accordingly. You don’t want to price it too high that will turn off potential homebuyers, nor do you want to price your home too low so that you will sell the house at a loss.

One great way to get a sense as to how much your home is worth is to use a home estimate tool that will give you a basic idea as to how much your home is worth. A home estimate tool is just that, an estimate, which is why it may be best to consult with a realtor so that you can come up with a great assessment for your home. A realtor will know the market well and will give you great advice as to what price you should set for your home.

It may feel like you’re playing “The Price Is Right,” but it matters to get a price that will both attract buyers and make you a nice profit in the long run.

Find the Right Agent

There are plenty of real estate agents who would love to sell your house. With so many agents bartering for the right to sell your home, it is wise for you to pick the right agent. Maybe you’re looking to maximize your profits? You’ll want to find the right real estate agent that specializes in getting the best offer for your home. Or, maybe you need your home sold quickly and may need to explore a cash buy (more on this later). If so, find an agent that is an expert on quick sales and cash buys. For every type of home sale, there is a real estate agent for it, which is why you should spend some time to find the right agent that will be a great fit for selling your home.

Sell to Cash Buyers

If you’re looking to sell your house quickly and still want to make a profit, try selling to cash buyers. A cash sell is just the way it’s advertised, and it’s a great tool for quick home sales. True, you won’t get the maximum buyer for your house if you go the cash buyer route, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to make a profit off of your home from this type of sale. A cash offer on homes can indeed turn a profit for you, in addition to getting your home sold quickly. Don’t ignore cash buyers, as it may lead you to the land of profits.

Put Up A “For Sale” Sign

This one is a no-brainer. How can people know your home is for sale if there is no sign in your yard advertising that your home is for sale? When it’s time to put your house on the market, and you’re going at it without a real estate agent, then by a “for sale” sign that will let everyone know that your house is ready to be occupied by a new buyer.

These signs are not expensive. You can buy one at a local store such as Walmart or Home Depot, put your contact information at the bottom, and let everyone know that your home is up for sale.

In the end, there are many ways that you can sell your home at a great profit. For starters, research the market to make sure that you’re pricing your home at an appropriate price that will also give you a profit. Then, you will want to make sure that your home is clean both inside and outside, and the landscaping looks awesome.

Keep in mind that there are real estate agents that would love to sell your home if you’re not confident selling the house yourself, but research and see which agent would be right for your home. Selling your house can be a stressful time, especially if you’re looking to make a serious profit, but if you take your time and follow these steps, you’ll be able to sell your home and have some money left to put toward your new dream home.

Brr! The winter chill is already making itself known all over the place, which means that it’s time to start getting all of your properties ready for the wintertime. Did you think this only means your home? Think again! If you are a small business owner with a brick-and-mortar office facility, then you need to take care of your business office too.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to take the same precautions with your business location as you would at your home. If you’re drawing a blank on where to start, here are a few pointers to help point you in the right direction.

Service Your AC/Heating Unit

Electric heaters in a business environment are best suited to portable, under-the-desk units that keep your staff’s legs warm, so we don’t recommend them as your primary heating source. Plus, they can pose a fire danger when left unattended or if the airflow is blocked, so we advise you to keep away from them. Rely on your HVAC unit to be working plenty of overtime this winter, but first, you need to find a professional to ensure that it is in good working order.

Please note that you should heavily vet the person who will be  servicing your furnace. Although contractors can learn by trade and do a fantastic job with no formal training, a licensed professional is important no matter what. Furnace installation is not something that just anybody can do properly, which is why it’s vital to ensure that the person you choose has a valid HVAC license in your state. Not sure where to start looking for someone?

• Websites like Angie’s List and Google Reviews are better resources than you might imagine. Although people tend to write reviews mainly when they’ve got something negative to say, take the super low reviews with a grain of salt if most of them are otherwise positive. A tip is to read three-star reviews; generally, these are the most honest ones and give you both sides of the story.
• Does your community have an online help-wanted board? Look at your town’s website and check to see what kinds of community forums are available. Through other members of your neighborhood, you can learn some great resources and get some new names that might not have known before. As a business owner, you already know how valuable word-of-mouth marketing can be, so you can also use this as a marketing technique for yourself too.
• Look to social media. Check out local Facebook groups to see if there are any contractors advertising services nearby, or check on Instagram to see what kinds of jobs have been completed by specific companies. Social media can be a great tool for helping businesses connect — it’s not all cat memes and political statements. (Although let’s be real — who doesn’t love a good cat meme now and then?)

Brush Up On Your Insurance Policy

Business insurance goes hand-in-hand with owning a company, but don’t assume that another year has gone by with no changes. Given the spirit of 2020, you might want to make it a priority to double-check your policy to avoid issues like common workplace injuries and the need for an accident lawyer.

• This is a great time to check on any auto policies that you might have for any business-use vehicles. Make sure that all vehicles on file are current, have valid tags and license plates, and that you are actively using all of them. If you notice that one or several have gone completely unused over the last year, consider removing these offenders from your business policy.
• What kind of weather or natural disaster insurance have you got? 2019’s winter storms reached $2.1 billion in insured damages around the country. Yikes, that’s quite a dollar amount that you probably would like to avoid falling into. Look at any liabilities for potential winter storm damage (flooding, ice, snowdrifts, etc) and consider adding extras to your business insurance plan.

Double-Down On Employee Safety

The truth of the average working adult during the winter: You go to work in the dark, work an eight-hour day, and come home in the dark. There are so very few daylight hours in the wintertime, which can make employees uncomfortable in the early morning and evening hours. Make sure that you address any concerns that staff might have; yes, it’s your business, but how can you run it successfully with unhappy employees? Ask them specifically what would make them feel safer to come up with specific ideas. Some of our favorites include

• Swap out lightbulbs. Any of the old-fashioned soft white bulbs still lurking around need to go. They’re dim, depressing, and the light they cast is so much more yellow than natural light. Replace your lightbulbs with LEDs; not only are they dazzlingly bright, but they last about 50 times longer than standard bulbs. Plus, they’re super efficient, partnering with the best energy companies to make a difference in your monthly electric bill. Make your outdoor fixtures (including parking lots!) the first place you replace them, for both employee and customer safety.
• Install some kind of beeping or bell system on the entrance. This isn’t just some cutesy little thing that stores do; it’s a safety feature that alerts employees if someone else is inside the facility or not. Even a simple jingle bell tied to a ribbon works perfectly well.
• Consider some hired muscle. If your business happens to reside in a part of town that doesn’t have the best reputation, then a security guard might be a good option. You don’t necessarily need to hire a whole team, but even one or two people who swap shifts work well. Just the idea that someone else is there with you and whose job it is to protect you is reassuring to many people — customers included.

Clean Up the Landscaping

New season, new beginnings. It’s surprising how much of a difference landscaping makes to a business’s storefront, regardless of which season it happens to be. If you’re not very good with a mower, hire a landscaping team to take care of it all for you. Some quick, easy landscaping tips might be:

• Rake up stray leaves from the grass, and sweep them off of the sidewalks and entryways too. A leaf blower is a great solution if your business is situated under a cluster of maple trees.
• Trim back any unruly hedges or tree branches. These are not just unsightly, but they can also prevent a hazard if they fall or crack during a wind storm.
• Give the grass one final trim before the weather starts getting really bad. Since it falls asleep for the most part during the winter, grass doesn’t grow much. One last little haircut will keep it healthy until spring wakes it up again.

Sanitize Everything

Come on, did you really think you’d make it through a list like this without sanitation tips? You already know the precautions and six-foot rule, but winter is flu season already. Take the extra time to deep clean and sanitize everything. Seriously, everything:

• Doorknobs and lightswitches sustain so much touching during the day. Walk through your business with an all-purpose spray and a cleaning cloth, wiping down all the doorknobs, light switches, and switch plate covers. Once that’s done, walk through again with a bleach solution and spray a fine mist over everything you just cleaned. We recommend you do this at least every couple of days, if not every day.
• Follow the same pattern with other knobs, buttons, and doors: Microwaves, refrigerators, and stoves in the staff room; any cabinet or cupboard door handles; and mailboxes.
• Give each staff member some cleaning solution and a rag, and have them wipe down their workspace. This includes all electronics: Mouse, keyboard, phone, tablet, or any other device they use during the day. Ensure also that desktops and other surfaces are sanitized with bleach solution or Lysol when they’ve been cleaned.

If you haven’t already, you might consider hiring a professional cleaning crew to take care of your business during the after hours. They can come as little or as often as you like, but knowing that you have someone else swapping the decks for you can take a load off of you. Also, if your business is a large space, it might not be plausible for you to clean it all yourself as it is. Professionals are the ones you pay to do all the literal dirty work, cleaning your office so that it’s shiny — and sanitary — for everyone the next morning.

Patch Cracks and Holes

That draft might feel nice during the dog days of summer, but it’s less charming in the dead of winter. If you’re noticing the hot air escaping from your office faster than usual, you likely have a crack or hole that you need to repair. Walk through your business with a caulking gun and heavy-duty weatherproof caulk, checking all windows and doors, and seal anything that you need to seal. It’s a small project that takes very little time and money, but the amount of money in heating and cooling bills that you will end up saving pays for it time and time again.

Get Your Plumbing Checked

Unless you are a licensed plumber, for the love of any deity you worship, do not attempt to repair any major plumbing problems on your own. Prevention is one key to keeping your pipes working properly, so call commercial plumbing services to take a look at your office building before the full chill of winter.

Professionals can catch any warning signs of a pipe about to burst, anything that might be leaking, or the first signs of rot or mold. They can also advise you on how best to insulate your pipes for the winter to prevent freezing, or you can pay them to take care of it for you. Don’t discount how important it is for someone with a plumbing license to look at your business; you’ll thank your own foresight later.

Again, don’t forget how important it is to ensure that anyone you hire is licensed and state-sanctioned to be performing a trade. Although Craigslist can be a great resource, use it with caution if you’re trying to find a contractor — especially one like a plumber. A good contractor is worth taking the time to find.

Develop an Emergency Plan

You know that one staffer who goes to pieces when they see snow in the forecast? Yeah, you do. We all know that person. Well, to pacify that person and others like them, ensure that you have a firm emergency plan set in place — and more importantly, that everyone is well aware of this plan

Contact information is crucial to making this kind of plan work. Have a very clear chain of command set in place so that if there are questions, there is a contact person, a backup, and a backup for the backup. Something about frosty weather brings out the worst in people, so if they know who they need to contact first, then the likelihood of a clustered mess is lessened.

Your emergency plan might be as simple as a mass text or email letting everyone know what’s what, or as elaborate as a phone tree and carpool system in case of bad weather. Whatever system you choose, make it part of employee onboarding. That Person will always worry and want to text you the moment a flake falls from the sky, but they will hopefully at least know better what to do with a plan in place.

Wintertime might mean red-nosed reindeer and colorful lights to some, but to business owners especially it means more preparation. The safety and comfort of your staff and customers is the lifeblood of your business, and taking care of them should be a priority. Beyond having a set plan in case of a blizzard, make sure that the building is in good shape. Repair whatever cracks and holes you need to, make sure a professional looks at your HVAC system, and get your plumbing checked before the first deep freeze. Prepping your business for the winter is every bit as much an ordeal as prepping your home, so put just as much love into the process as you would with your house.