• Two key things to start:
• DeWine has said if you can still work from home, you should.
• Just because we can return to work on May 1, each business needs to consider whether they will do so. Here’s an article that provides some thought on that issue. It's a tough call because the economic pressures are great. But if you don’t feel you can offer a safe environment for your employees and customers, you shouldn’t open. I know of a few businesses who are delaying. For customers, remember the businesses you trusted before the pandemic became a reality are still owned and operated by the same people now. If you trusted them then, you can probably trust them now.

• It boils down to this: social distancing, disinfecting hands and surfaces, and masks. I haven’t done a word cloud on the things said by DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted in the past week, but those words would likely be among the top ones uttered by the pair. Be prepared to create distance for employees between each other and customers/visitors, keep high-touch surfaces disinfected and hands clean, and have a policy in place for the use of masks.

• It’s fair to assume you’ll need to appoint someone who will be responsible for implementing the guidelines. In most small businesses, it’s going to be the owner or general manager.

• Everyone wants to know what the phases are going to be. My only guidance is that Phase 1 will be those businesses that can provide distancing, disinfecting, and masks to provide protection for all those in their businesses. Offices are probably in this phase. The next stage is likely those businesses that have customers coming from different places, doing business, and leaving to go back to their communities. This makes it a little more arduous to provide protection. The final phase will be large gathering businesses or industries. For guys like me who love summer concerts and baseball games, that’s going to be tough

• On masks, what you’ll need to provide is probably going to vary by the industry. N95 masks are likely unnecessary for offices but could be required for other businesses. If you notice, Husted wears a simple cloth covering which is probably a good practice.

• Finally, I strongly recommend businesses to continue to encourage their employees to continue personal social distancing measures in non-work hours. It's a tough ask, I know, and it really can't be mandated, but he exposure at work is already significant and shouldn't be compounded by letting down our guard at home.