Winter weather can be unpredictable. For those that live in the colder climates, it’s important that your funeral home stays prepared for any bad weather that comes your way.

We’ve put together a list of helpful tips for your funeral home and to keep your staff one step ahead of mother nature. Because neither rain nor snow nor harsh winter storms will keep a funeral director from serving their families — and we’re here to help.

1. Start With a Plan

Winter weather can create unexpected emergencies. Don’t let your staff be caught off guard. While it might seem like common sense, many small businesses don’t have any formal written plan in the event of weather emergencies.

A report from Travelers Insurance found that 44% of small businesses lack any documentation of serious weather emergency plans, and that “risk management ranks relatively low among priorities facing small business owners.” A simple inclement weather policy can help establish the necessary protocol for emergency weather situations. Prepare My Business is a great tool that’s partnered with the Small Business Administration and several disaster preparedness programs that provide business owners with education, planning, and testing solutions to prepare for bad weather.

2. Don’t Neglect Your Funeral Home

After you have a plan in place, it’s important to make sure your funeral home is winter ready. Winter storms can cause several issues for a funeral home, especially if the facility is a little older or hasn’t received updates in a while.

Potential risks include bursting pipes, power outages, and icy driveways and sidewalks. All it takes is a little planning to prevent a potential disaster. Make sure pipes are properly insulated and have your taps dripping in the extreme cold. A backup generator will allow your funeral home to stay powered during heavy snow storms. And keep shovels, salt, and a snow blower handy to avoid any slips or falls on sidewalks.

3. Winterize Your Car

Winter weather also can create unsafe road conditions at a moment’s notice, and nobody wants to end up stranded in the snow. Make sure your funeral home’s fleet is winter ready to avoid a potentially life-threatening situation.

The National Weather Service estimates that 70% of fatalities related to winter weather also are car-related. Keep extra winter clothes in each vehicle like socks, gloves, coats, and hats. Make sure to also keep jumper cables, high-energy foods, water, and road flares in your car. Check out this article in the Farmer’s Almanac for more winter weather car tips.

4. Keep Communication Open

Make sure to keep in touch with staff and your client families to alert them of any weather or service updates. Update families through social media posts, directly on your website, or by using an answering service to help forward calls in emergencies.

5. Use More Mobile Technology

Technology has made it easier than ever to manage a business during weather emergencies. Cloud-based services mean you and your staff can easily access information from anywhere, which can reduce the risk associated with winter driving.

As mobile technology has increased, it’s also become easier to manage your funeral home’s digital presence from the palm of your hand. Using a mobile website manager is another easy way to keep things up and running in the event of winter weather emergencies.

Want to share your funeral home’s winter weather tips? Share your advice in the comments section below!