These are challenging times for all of us, and many float centers (ourselves included) have decided to temporarily shut down to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Our team got together yesterday to figure out what we need to do to put our shop into hibernation mode, and we thought we’d share the list we came up with to help out anyone else who is in a similar position.
Best of luck to everyone going through this. We know we’ve seen a wellspring of kind words and support from our community when we decided to shut down, and we’re sure you have too. It’s nice to know the float world will be supported when we’re all on the other end of this.
Of course, if there’s anything that you’ve done in your own closure that you don’t see here, please send it along and we’ll update this list as suggestions come in.
Float Tank Solutions
Shop Hibernation Checklist
After the last float
- Do a full cleaning and disinfection pass across your center.
- Deal with your mail and package deliveries. You may need to put up a sign for your mail person, stop your mail from being delivered, or attempt to cancel or reroute any packages that are already on their way.
- Stop any automatic deliveries you have for any shop supplies.
- Make sure your HVAC system is set to run the whole time.
- Remove any food and beverages that can’t be stored for longer periods of time.
- Remove cash and any other valuables.
- Forward incoming calls and set up an appropriate voicemail (make a task to change the forwarding and voicemail when you re-open)
- Put bleach into washer and dishwasher and run them, then leave doors slightly open
- Consider putting out ant traps, if it’s appropriate for your area
Daily Ongoing Maintenance
- If your float tank doesn’t automatically run your pumps, go in twice a day to run them. This will both provide your float solution with its cleaning cycle, and prevent any salt crystallization from happening inside of your pipes and filtration equipment. Make sure to open the doors on your float tanks to let them air out while you’re there.
- Balance any levels of chemical treatment that you use (like hydrogen peroxide)
- Run the showers once a day to prevent any sort of buildup in the pipes
- Make sure to put water down all of your floor drains to keep your p-traps filled (so you don’t get sewer gas coming out)
- Empty your dehumidifiers (if you have any)
- Consider leaving some lobby lights on to deter vandalism
- Clean up any garbage outside the shop. It’ll help keep your city looking nice, and will also help deter vandalism.
- Answer voicemails
- Answer emails
- Answer social media inquires
- Collect physical mail
- Water any plants you may have (or take them to your house).
Weekly Ongoing Maintenance
- Replenish any water in your tanks that has been lost to evaporation (you may need to add a little salt as well).
- Do a disinfection pass on the inside of your tank walls and ceiling. It’s still a very hot and humid environment, and you want to make sure you’re preventing any mold growth.
There are, of course, other things to consider like communication with your customers and taking care of your members. You may be looking at laying off part, or all, of your staff temporarily so they can claim unemployment benefits. The next couple weeks are also going to be a good time to work on your marketing, to make sure that your customers are ready to float when you re-open.
We’re keeping the list above to just the operational side of things for now, but we’ll be releasing more over the coming days and weeks about what we’re doing at Float On to get through this.
Stay well,
Graham and Ashkahn
What is the ROI of a float center? – DSP 27
What’s the return on investment for a float center?
That depends on a bajillion things, like rent, wages, capacity, staffing, etc.
Ashkahn and Graham deftly maneuver this minefield of a question and explore a range of ways that profits are affected while planning, starting, and running a float center.
Reasons to float, from relaxation to pain relief – DSP 26
If you’re seeing a change in clientele, it can be for a variety of reasons. As different populations become aware about how floating can help them, they generally tell people with like interests who might come try it out, which then slowly creates a community of enthusiasts who are float-conscious.
Graham and Ashkahn talk specifically about how recent research and awareness has helped bring floating with those with serious pain issues, and how that can create a ripple effect in local awareness for any float center.
Floating with dreadlocks – DSP 25
Should you let those with long dreadlocks and super long hair float? Yeah, we definitely think so!
Our sound designer, Jordan Lamp joins Graham and Ashkahn on this episode of the Daily Solutions Podcast to talk about what it’s like floating with dreads.
Productivity software for your small business – DSP 24
You might not know this, but Graham and Ashkahn get almost as excited talking about productivity software and tips as they do float tanks.
From Boomerang and TextExpander to LastPass, Google Docs, and our very own Helm, there’s a ton of software out there to make your work much more streamlined and efficient. With TextExpander, for example, you can become a time wizard with pre loaded shortcuts to much longer or complicated copy, code, or even form-fills.
Listen above or read below for all the salty software trips we could fit into this episode.
Tips for soundproofing to avoid road noise – DSP 23
Soon after you open, you might realize that you’ve gotten a lot of the same complaint: The float was great, but I heard all this rumbling.
Odds are, your floaters are hearing one of two things — traffic on the road outside or their very hungry tummy.
If it’s the latter, feed them some post float snacks and tea. If the former, what can you do?
Aside from difficult and expensive projects, like building new walls or lobbying for the removal of cars from municipal streets, it turns out there are some pretty simple and cheap solutions that will block traffic noise.
Like inexpensive rubber pucks.
Pucks?
Puck yeah. Listen above or read below to learn more.
How to handle negative Yelp reviews – DSP 22
You’ve been open three months, things are going great, and then it happens — your first bad Yelp review.
Before you start throwing salt all over your center and gearing up to battle internet trolls, listen to this Daily Solutions Podcast where Graham & Ashkahn drop some wisdom on how to respond in the face of often-undue criticism.
It turns out the quickest way to address any negativity online is to reach out like a human, honestly and directly. Feedback can be helpful, and a constructive engagement with it can actually create quite a change in perception and experience from those giving it.
Concerns for running pumps with floaters in tanks – DSP 21
In today’s episode of the Daily Solutions Podcast, Graham & Ashkahn dole out some advice on why you shouldn’t run pumps when floaters are in your tanks.
The best case scenario if a pump goes on with someone still in it — their float is ruined. Worst case scenario? Their hair could get stuck in the filter or worse.
In our risk-averse society, these disaster scenarios compel us to set up safeguards to make sure they never happen. At Float On, we make it a point to never run a tank when a floater is still in it.
As they say, “Plan for the worst, hope for theta waves.”
Tips for a proper website setup – DSP 20
What does a float center need to do to get a website? What should they be prepared for? Find out in this episode of the Daily Solutions Podcast!
Procedures for filing a float tank with salt and water – DSP 19
Graham and Ashkahn share their expertise on the nuances of filling a float tank; how much salt to use, how long it takes, and what to expect during this process with your equipment. After all, who hasn’t wondered whether their mechanical drive filtration pump can handle epsom salt filled water?
Tasks to be completed during float transitions – DSP 18
Listen up future float center owners! Every one of you has probably wondered “What exactly does a transition look like in a float center from one float to the next?”
In this episode, Graham and Ashkahn explain exactly how they do transitions at Float On and why they do it the way they do.
