Business Growth Despite Coronavirus – Don’t Panic!

How Do You Achieve Business Growth When the World Is In Panic?

Things are a bit crazy in the world right now. The markets are crashing… Cities are shutting down … Stores are out of toilet paper … People are canceling trips (or being forced to) … 

As a business owner, it can be extremely scary. Whether you run a full-time business, or you run a side-hustle, it can feel as if your livelihood is in the hands of this epidemic.

But is it?

You might not be able to control what’s happening in the world around you – but you CAN weather the storm and come out on the other side better than when you went in.

(tl;dr Click here to Watch the Videos Below)

Right now is the time to get in front of your customers… Your business depends on it. In fact, there’s no better opportunity. You need to find customers, you need to show up in their inbox as well as on their news feeds, because you know people will be bored checking Facebook and Instagram,  or passing time on YouTube.

People aren’t broke, they are just scared and confused.

Now I’m not saying you use this craziness to manipulate people… I’m saying that you need to keep pushing to show up and not slow down. Because this will pass… and the businesses that keep pushing are the ones that will still be alive when it’s all said and done. So here are 7 tips to help you grow your business despite this craziness out in the world about COVID-19 or Coronavirus.

The 7 Tips To Help Your Business Growth Despite Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shutdown

1. Don’t Panic – panicking never helped anyone … ever! Following set guidelines and without negating the seriousness for those that are immune compromised or older, this is simply a virus that is not deadly to most. Not only that, but panicking leads to a spike in cortisol, which means you stop thinking straight & as a business owner, you need to be on top of your business.
2. Look At What You Can Adapt – we are so lucky with the ongoing changes to technology that our options are so much broader than even 10 years ago. Can’t or don’t want face to face meetings? Jump on a virtual call, my favourite is Zoom.
3. Develop A Risk Management Plan – Your cash flow is your life blood having a plan in place will make sure your life blood keeps flowing. Mapping out potential risks and documenting an educated assessment of both the likelihood and potential severity of each risk will help you to prioritise your planning in times like this. What are your risks and how likely are they to occur? Some will cause major disruption while others will be a minor irritation.
4. Prepare For Change – get ready to work a little differently. If you have staff, can they work from home? If they or you are client facing or in retail what extra measures can you take to keep yourself and your clients safe?
5. Connect With Others – keep in touch. Make those calls, reach out, do a Facebook live or jump on a Zoom call. As the world goes slightly nuts, letting your clients know you are still there and open for business is key.
6. Show Up – Now is NOT the time to stop your marketing. As I mentioned above, right now is the time to get in front of your customers. Your business depends on it. You need to find customers, you need to show up in their inbox as well as on their news feeds, because you know people will be bored so will be checking Facebook and Instagram, or passing time on YouTube.
7. Have Patience & A Vision – As a business owner you need to be resilient. Remember, THIS WILL PASS and the businesses that keep moving ahead are the ones that will still be alive when it’s all said and done. Start your planning now, get into the planning and strategy that you’ve ‘been meaning to get to’. Use this time wisely.

5 Sources To Support Your Business

👉 Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Queensland (or your regional Chamber)
👉 Find ways of using your spare time if you do have to self-isolate
👉 Where possible stay off the scare-mongering on Social Media
👉 Get your information directly from the source i.e. World Health Organisation
👉 Use this time to map out your Business future

1️⃣ Don’t Panic

Following set guidelines and remembering, this is simply a virus that is NOT deadly to MOST. Of course taking extra precautions such as self-isolating if you are immune compromised or part of the older generation is important. Not only that, but panicking leads to a spike in cortisol, which means you stop thinking straight and as a business owner you need to have a clear head.

Remember panicking (and even panic buying that elusive toilet roll) never served anyone. If it is getting all too much, check out this YouTube channel that has some amazing calming and meditation YouTube music.

If you are like me and find the seasonal cold or flu more than just annoying when it comes to running your business. Start adhering to social distancing. According to international epidemiologists, this will help #FlattenTheCurve, slow down and stretch out the rate of infection so that our hospitals can cope with those who really need their help.

Whether it is staying home (self-isolating) or hoarding and shopping for more than you need in the coming weeks. Take your doctor’s advice. Think of your community.

2️⃣ Look At What You Can Adapt

As a business owner we often feel we have the corner market on adaptation, especially with the constant changes Facebook and Google roll out. Use this time to adapt with the different changes in technology that are available. Can’t or don’t want face to face meetings? Jump on a virtual call, my favourite is Zoom. Even better with zoom you can record and automatically receive a separate transcript.

Here is a list that might help you adapt in the workplace:

• Stop handshaking as a greeting
• Hold meetings via video conferencing or phone call
• Defer large meetings
• Hold essential meetings outside in the open air if possible
• Promote good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene and provide hand sanitisers for all staff and workers
• Take lunch at your desk or outside rather than in the lunch room
• Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces regularly
• Consider opening windows and adjusting air conditioning for more ventilation
• Limit food handling and sharing of food in the workplace
• Reconsider non-essential business travel
• Promote strictest hygiene among food preparation (canteen) staff and their close contacts
• Consider if large gatherings can be rescheduled, staggered or cancelled

Keep everything disinfected and look beyond the usual communal areas, think keys, handrails, cash, ATM cards & machines.

3️⃣ Develop A Risk Management Plan

Your cash flow is your life blood having a plan in place will make sure your life blood keeps flowing. Look at your baseline fixed costs. What can you do without? You need your business to still be there when the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has gone on its way.

Mapping out potential risks and documenting an assessment of both the likelihood and potential severity of each risk will help you to prioritise your planning in times like this.

What are your risks and how likely are they to occur? Some will cause major disruption while others will be a minor irritation. Be objective when you look at:

• the likelihood (frequency) of it occurring
• the consequence (impact) if it occurred

Once risks have been identified you need to either eliminate or minimise those risks. This stage of planning is all about ensuring that all people within your business  i.e. staff, suppliers, contractors, service providers are made aware of the strategies you have put in place to either mitigate or recover from a Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

During day to day operations, any number of risks can pop up in a business so use this time to identify any potential risks before they escalate. This will help you develop realistic and effective strategies for dealing with crisis such as Coronavirus (COVID-19)  if it occurs.

4️⃣ Prepare For Change

Get ready to work differently. If you have staff, can they work from home? Prepare them via drills and workflow lists in order to minimise disruption. Maybe let them take their laptops home with them every day, and to be prepared to work from home if necessary.

Are your staff able to take some of their leave during this time? For your clients, maybe go one step further and look at offering a specialised delivery service for those not able to come to you? Look at using Bluetooth devices, or hands-free headsets, to take calls so that the phone does not spend much time near their face.

If they or you are client facing or in retail what extra measures can you take to keep yourself and your clients safe? As mentioned above, start keeping everything disinfected not only in your office but also the usual communal areas, sanitise keys, handrails, cash, ATM cards anything  touched often.

Become best friends with Zoom. Make decisions about whether the physical communication will be done by phone, email, text or other means. Ensure your staff are trained and aware of what is required so if your business is affected the right process can take over and guide the staff.

5️⃣ Connect With Others

Despite the constant talk of ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ keep in touch with your clients, staff, suppliers, contractors, service providers. Make those calls, reach out to your community. Not everybody will handle the barrage of news and information the same way and you never know what difference a quick call or message can make.

If you are part of a community, do a Facebook live or jump on a Zoom call. Your clients and other stakeholders need to know you are still there to help them and provide the ongoing service they need.  As the world goes slightly nuts, letting your clients know you are still there and open for business is key.

6️⃣ Show Up

Now is NOT the time to stop your marketing. As I mentioned above, right now is the time to get in front of your customers. Your business depends on it and so do your staff. Be there for your customers, show up in the inbox as well as on their news feeds. For those that are working from home or self-isolating, give them something to see and share on Facebook and Instagram, or something of value to watch on YouTube.

Remember we are all still living in a world of moments. Micro-moments is a term coined by Google about 5 years ago, to describe how we use our mobile phones. A micro-moment is nothing more than a particular moment when a person uses their phone with a strong intent to act on a need, learn, go, buy or discover. Now is the BEST time to SHOW-UP.

Ensuring your content online is able to be found when people are going through these micro-moments, is key. Whether you are answering a question, giving information, filling a need.

7️⃣ Have Patience & A Vision

Tenacity, resilience, perseverance, all traits needed as a business owner. Remember, THIS WILL PASS and the your job as a business owner is to keep moving ahead and be one of those that will still be alive when it’s all said and done. Start your planning now, get into the planning and strategy that you’ve ‘been meaning to get to’. Use this time wisely.

Map out your digital strategy, list your blog topics, reach out to those clients you’ve been meaning to connect with. Above all STAY POSITIVE! The world needs those special gifts and services you offer!

So those are the seven ways as a small business owner yo ensure you still have, if not stability, then business growth despite Coronavirus (COVID-19). As an added bonus here are five different ways you can support your business during this time.

Other Ways To Support Your Business

👉 Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Queensland is offering free membership to their 12 month Business Essentials membership. They are offering Fair Work help when you need it, plus marketing insights and cost-saving tips to help you get through the worst trading conditions since the GFC. If you sign up for their Business Essentials subscription by 31 March 2020 you will pay nothing for 12 months. They are also providing some great information bit of information for SME’s to keep on top of what they are entitled to as far as assistance and guidelines.

👉 If you do get to the point where you need to self-isolate here are some great ideas from Evolve Events & Training that will help keep you busy and planning for the future. Who knows maybe this might just be the opportunity you need to reconnect and recharge?

👉 Stay off Social Media! As much as I discussed staying in touch, please don’t get sucked into the scaremongering and negative vortex that social media is renowned for. Keep your head up as your business, clients and staff need you.

👉 Get information directly from the SOURCE. The World Health Organisation has as website you can find information and guidance from WHO regarding the current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that was first reported from Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. Please visit this page for daily updates.

👉 Use this downturn to start mapping and planning your business future. Want to know where you ideal client is online? Click here … Want to start mapping out your strategy? Click here …. Want to get your branding and messaging to call in your ideal clients? Click here …

Conclusion

You might not be able to control what’s happening in the world around you – but you CAN have business growth despite Coronavirus. Let’s weather the storm together and come out on the other side better than when we went in. Right now is the time to get in front of your customers… Your business depends on it. 

If you’ve got no idea of how to start mapping out your marketing strategy or product funnels, let’s chat. If you are looking for a guide of how to start, I do have a 16 page strategy workbook, click here to download. There is no better time than NOW to get your business set up for the rest of the year. Know who your ideal client is, know your clear concise message and know WHERE you should show up online!

If you have any questions or simply want to chat, drop a comment below! Otherwise connect with me on your favourite Social media platform, as I am on nearly every one! If you don’t know how to pull this all together, every month, I hold Digital Success workshops focusing on different marketing elements. This month is Funnel & Product Development, this workshop will be available virtually (via Zoom), giving you the opportunity to be part of the workshop without putting yourself at any risk.

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