Nature and Your Store: Friends, Or Enemies

It’s all too easy to forget that the city’s in which we have our businesses were once nothing but wild lands. While mankind has managed to tame the wild, the natural world still exists all around us. You see it in the skies, with birds doing their best to create a home, and you see life thriving in the ponds and lakes that dot the big cities. You’ll also see it at your business premises, in one way or another. And while most instances of nature impacting on your business is harmless, some do pose a threat. And your business practices impact on nature, too. So are you friends, or enemies?

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Surveying the Area

If you’re a business owner, then it’ll be beneficial for you to survey the area around your premises to ensure that there’s nothing nasty lurking that might cause you trouble further on down the line. For example, overhanging branches can really dangerous - both to your actual building and to your customers. If one of them were to hit someone, you’d have a lawsuit on your hands. Every so often, and especially after bad weather, check on the state of the trees and call in an arborist if necessary.

Under the Ground

Trees don’t just have the potential to cause your company money up top, either. Under the ground they can cause a root ingress to your pipes, which can affect your drainage. While most drain issues can be resolved above ground, some require CCTV surveys to determine exactly what’s wrong. They can also cause trouble with your electricals if their roots are spreading underground and no one’s keeping an eye on them.

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Flood Dangers

If you live in a hilly area and your business is on low lying ground, you might want to get the professionals in to check that you’re not at danger of flooding. With climate change already bringing about extreme weather, it’s only going to get more unstable in the coming years, with high levels of rainfall falling in just a few hours. If you’re at the bottom of the hill, all the water could be upon you before you even have time to realise what’s happening. If the experts do determine that you’re at risk of flooding, all you can do is make sure that you have business insurance and hope for the best.

Getting Rid Of Waste

As a business, you’re probably creating a fair amount of waste. What systems do you have in place to deal with this waste? If you don’t currently have a recycling operation in place, you might want to think about setting one up, because they can have unintended benefits. For starters, the amount of waste you have to sort will make you realise how much you use - and prompt you to cut down, saving you money in the process. Additionally, customers are increasingly opting to choose companies with eco-friendly practices in place over ones who don’t. And on the most basic levels, you’ll be doing the right thing and limiting your carbon footprint.

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