Common Areas and YellowBird have partnered to help real estate owners combat COVID-19 infection and help prevent against spread of the virus. YellowBird is a gig economy company for the health and safety industries, and paired with Common Areas operations services, the two companies give real estate owners access to professionals that can assist in environmental, health and safety issues.
"We are in the fortunate situation to be in the environmental health space since our foundation last year, and we match health and safety professionals in the gig economy," Michael Zalle, CEO and founder of YellowBird, tells GlobeSt.com. "Common Areas has fantastic tools for tracking and allocating resources, but in order to implement those methodologies, you need the access to the health and safety workforce. We have they workforce, and they have the tools to execute [those strategies.] We thought that was a really good program."
The service is available to real estate owners across the US, and has a range of packages that is affordable and customizable to the needs in different locations. "Yellowbird has created a solution for facility managers and property owners, and help them with health and safety problems that arise, and it can be a challenge to find professionals who can help," Casey Rue, CEO and founder of Common Areas, tells GlobeSt.com. "This is a great alliance between our two companies."
While YellowBirds' model certainly benefits owners and business owners concerned about health and safety protocol responses to COVID-19, the business model was developed prior to the outbreak. YellowBird is able to tap into a vast network of professionals to meet many needs, including COVID-19. "Our original business model was well before COVID-19, and the idea was really to make the knowledge of health professionals that are employed, unemployed, retired or transitioning available to people," says Zalle. "OSHA compliance, ADA compliance various regulated interest."
For COVID-19 specifically, the team has put together a compliance list for owners to utilize. "With COVID-19, we put a program together to have a industrial hygienic protocol together that is designed for compliance with the ever-changing regulation. That is being standardized nationwide, and Common Areas is helping on the implementation and has a tool to track the productivity fro design through completion," adds Zalle.
While the country is starting to slowly open back up, offices are continue to stay closed. Now is the time to implement these strategies to prepare for a smooth transition. "Right now is the time," says Rue. "The time to plan something like this is in off hours, and we are all in off hours, so to speak. This is the time to put plans into plans, but these protocols aren't going to materially change. It is never too late, but sooner rather than later is best. You can implement any time."
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Kelsi Maree Borland
