Doing Business In A Time Of Crisis
Survival at this time will require tenacity, adoption, grit and thinking out of the box. Its not going to be easy and many wont come out the other side however hopefully these tips can help ease the stress at this time.
Invoicing
Its absolutely imperative you don’t stop invoicing! I know, I know, you want to do the right thing and look after all your clients at this time, having a moral compass is completely natural and very very admirable, however you still need to look after your own business and have your own bills, mortgage, family and overheads to pay for.
What you may like to do as an alternative is change how you deliver your product or services by adding:
– Extreme value at no extra cost but doesn’t take up much of your time
– Payment plans that ease the financial stress of cashflow for your clients
– Irresistible addons
You shouldn’t feel guilty for continuing to run your business and invoice as normal.
Remote Setup
Living in 2020 affords us many luxuries, the most brilliant being we can work from anywhere just using a smartphone and Wifi connection. Still, for many this may not be enough and getting properly set up with cloud sharing options, VPNs, cyber security measures, staff messaging and communication options and computer monitors and a desk will help make the experience proactive and ensure its business as usual with high levels of productivity.
Marketing
This is a great time to be marketing your business. I know it seems like it wouldn’t be but depending on your product or service this could be your time to shine. People are at home, on their computers and phones more than ever before. AdWords, SEO, social media story telling, its all their for the taking!
Cutting Costs
When was the last time you checked all the subscriptions that you had and realised you didn’t use them? You have no idea how good it feels to cancel anything you don’t truly need or use and not to mention the $$ it saves you.
Tidying Up
If there was ever a time to tidy up your business it is now. Quiet and downtime like this are good for decluttering, rearranging, reordering and refreshing.
Exercising
Even though we are for them most part limited from outside activity, exercise can still be done daily. I personally like 430/5am, obviously that’s not for everyone. YouTube has a tonne of 30 minute workouts you can do on your gym mat in your living room!
Staying Social
During periods of isolation, staying social, even virtually can be heaven scent. Being lonely and isolated is not good for morale or mental health and can become difficult if running a business from your living room or bedroom.
Fortunately we have a wealth of online communication tools such as:
- Zoom
- Skype
- Viber
- Facebook Messenger
Be sure to hold regular virtual meetups, coffees or drinks.
Support Local
The most important of all. Buy local, support any product or service thats open and trading.