The Pulaski County government reminds companies to get ready for travelers expecting a solar eclipse on April 8

Little Rock, Arkansas – The administration of Pulaski County is encouraging business owners to get ready for the complete solar eclipse that will occur in Arkansas on April 8.

Up to a 25% increase in visitors is anticipated by Pulaski County during a typical summer holiday weekend. The County says you will need to be ready, but this might be a terrific business opportunity.

There will be an increase in business for grocery stores, gas stations, lodging facilities, dining venues, transportation providers, coffee shops, retail stores, urgent care centers, walk-in clinics, and many other businesses.

The following data was obtained from the website of Pulaski County. Visit Pulaski County’s eclipse page to learn more about what to expect and how to be ready for the eclipse.

Eclipse Begins: Monday, April 8

Anticipated Days: Friday, April 5 – Tuesday, April 9

Get ready for a surge in business; order supplies in advance and keep them on hand; think about extending business hours to accommodate client demands; and have backup plans in case staff is delayed by traffic.

Encourage staff members to meet their daycare needs, have their resources available at home, have a full tank of gas, etc. before April 5. Gas stations can be waiting for restock or be extremely busy. Remind your staff to plan and share the “Tips for Residents” page to ensure they can get to work on time.

Be ready for additional cash transactions; think about setting up additional tills to handle the volume of transactions. Over the weekend, you might have deposits that are higher than usual. Make sure your bank is open on Monday, April 8 by checking ahead of time.

How does your credit/debit card machine access the internet? If you conduct business via cell phone or cell wireless service, be ready with a fallback strategy. During the impact period, Pulaski County expects significant demand for cellular service, particularly on April 8. Have a backup plan in case you are unable to complete transactions and satisfy your clients.

Expect possible problems with cellular connectivity as a result of the higher demand. If cell coverage is limited, visitors may seek to use your landline business phone urgently; decide how you want to handle these requests and ensure staff members are aware of what to do. Be prepared to assist if it’s a 911 emergency and you have a landline!

When your regular deliveries arrive, evaluate. Businesses are strongly encouraged by Pulaski County to think about rescheduling for Tuesday, April 9, or to place additional orders the week prior.

Recognize that many guests will be camping in both permitted and possibly unauthorized areas; anticipate clients who could be primarily concerned with using the facilities at the company.
There won’t be as many public facilities available, and porta potties in certain places can fill up before service providers can empty them.

If it’s cloudy, hotel-booked tourists won’t probably cancel, but “day trippers” might relocate for better views. You can’t forecast this, so keeping an eye on the weather the week to ten days before April 8 could be very beneficial to your company.