COVID-19 has turned the world upside down and living in the heart of the US outbreak of it has caused a lot of change. At this time in Washington State (where I am located) schools, government facilities, health clubs, restaurants and a sleuth of other businesses have been closed. Everyone is (or should be) practicing self-quarantine or social distancing. My heart breaks for everyone who is struggling during this time — especially the service industries. Here is a great article for services if you are in need (laid off, business closed, etc.):
COVID-19 resource list for impacted Washington businesses and workers The Governor's Office has compiled this partial list of resources to support economic retention and recovery related to… www.governor.wa.gov
There is a silver lining for some businesses and individuals during this time. The advancements of technology have made it possible for a lot of businesses to run virtually, allowing functionality and the possibility for individuals to work from home.
While landscape design and construction does have to happen on site, Dependable Solutions, LLC was built to allow for minimal contact. We originally set it up this way to allow for the process to be seamless to our clients busy lives, but it also works to keep you and our workers healthy during this outbreak.
Here a few ways we are able to keep working during this outbreak (and resources for other businesses if they need and can use them!):
Online/Phone Bookings: If you are needing work done it’s easy to book with us — no need to go to a store front you can easily call or use our online booking. We currently use Google Calendar to keep track of all our appointments. This integrates with a program called Calendly which allows customers to automatically book their project estimations online. During either booking you can notate that you want a “no-contact visit”. As long as we have access to the area you want worked on, you don’t need to be physically present. We can call you if we need any additional access or information — no physical contact necessary.
Online Estimates: All of our estimates are done and delivered virtually. We will scan any necessary drawings to help you understand our vision and email all materials to you.
Online Invoicing, Contract Signing & Payments: We also send all of our invoices virtually. Our contracts are sent through a program called Eversign where you can electronically sign all of the paperwork necessary to begin the project. Then, when you’re ready to move forward, you can pay directly on your invoice with either a credit or debit card or your bank account number. No need to deal in cash or check.
No-Contact Work: All of our contracts state that you do not need to be present during work as long as we have access to all necessary points. We bring all of our own tools to get the job done and have agreed upon work to finish. As long as we can access the area needed, we can finish the work. We will call you if anything comes up that needs addressing and all contact can be made via phone or video calls.
There are several other steps we can take to minimize risk. We can do all of the administrative work through phone calls, emails and video. If you want to be present during work or during the estimate we will keep distance (6 feet or more) between all parties, not make physical contact (no handshaking, etc.) and cancel if any parties are sick. The health of our clients and our workers is of the utmost importance and we will take all necessary precautions to ensure we are minimizing any and all risk.
If you have any additional resources please link them in the comments! We are also open to any questions from both potential clients and businesses on how we’re handling the pandemic.
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