Different businesses and sectors will be impacted by the current lockdown differently. today I focus on those that know their business will be solid and bounce back strongly yet are feeling a slowdown impacting them.
At the start of this as I opened up my diary, I was on many zoom meetings with SME business leaders to “know your numbers” and establish both what your reserves are and how fast you may deplete them in the slowdown. Today I’m also then focussed on to those SME businesses that both now know their numbers and do have sufficient reserves to see them through a significant slowdown.
As we move towards May, in many countries we are looking at a continued lockdown for at least several weeks and a business slowdown (for at least a month or two, possibly more).
If you know your business will bounce back when activity returns and you know you have reserves, a few thoughts on how to use the time wisely.
We are too busy!
If things are slow for you now, remember back when you often felt you were “too busy”?
Now that is not the case, a few things to do now that you have time, including assigning these as projects to under-utilised team members:
- When is the last time you reviewed your brand, including your website and marketing materials? If they don’t truly represent who you are anymore, invest in updating.
- Oh, and if you plan to do this, do you have sufficient up to date “assets” (eg photos, videos, case studies, testimonials). You could ask for testimonials now, clients may well have time to give you them š
- So many leaders are starting email campaigns to share with their communities and clients. Most were “too busy” to do this before, but now they are, they are loving the positive feedback, so will continue this and make time for it even when things get busy again.
- Review your processes. Now you are working remotely, how is it ? When you were “too busy” you may have kept on doing things the way you’d always done them. Now we have had our hand forced to try new ways, some we will want to keep. What might yours be?
- Yesterday I wrote: “What comes next ā will you go back to the office?“, with a number of thoughts and ideas for wholesale changes you may consider for changing working practices radically.
Now is a good time to keep your team busy and focussed on the future through projects to review any and all of these, plus I am sure you have many more.
Keep your focus on the future and on being “future-ready”!