Covid-19: my advice to small businesses

I’m anxious yet calm, worried yet focused, unsure yet driven. And sounding similar to Alanis Morissette - not intentional. I have mixed emotions that are hard to describe and I reckon everyone is feeling similar things – personally and professionally.

I haven’t stock-piled on toilet roll, but I have enough for now and if it hits the fan – excuse the pun.

Remote working

I’ve worked from home since 2017, but now working from home with other family members, juggling a rise in Amazon deliveries and quickly adjusting to the little thing I fear most – the webcam. I’m used to working remotely with colleagues and clients but have never loved the camera.

Whilst I’m comfort eating in bulk (anything with sugar) I really miss the gym; I never thought I’d feel that way. I’m healthy though, ish, and have not yet hit the bonus round of self-isolation.

My working week

I'm supporting my clients through this uncertainty and continue to offer honest advice and expertise where it’s needed most. The last few days have consisted of Zoom meetings and Google Hangouts galore, reviewing marketing propositions and plans we’d made for the coming year against sales and predicted revenue and exploring a different approach.

I appreciate anxiety is setting in. I’ve received an unprecedented amount of sales-led LinkedIn connections and messages this week – I don't think now is the time. We need to be human, have empathy and kindness and allow time to adapt to the situation we’re in.

From here, my advice to small businesses as a marketer and a consumer is to consider three key objectives for the next few weeks – increase brand awareness, raise your company’s profile and look after your staff and customers.

It’s all relative

As a collective we’re all pulling in the purse strings – as consumers and as business owners.

I’m sad to lose a client this week given the nature of my freelance status – people are shaving costs where they can.

My friends and family have been affected by cuts to their salaries.

Business owners are finding ways of minimising all types of financial risk and as consumers, we’re looking at ways of saving the income we do have to ensure we can make ends meet.

We’re all finding our feet (I know this rhymes with the last sentence), perhaps learning how to work from home more effectively (!) but mainly flexing to fit into this odd situation caused by something we can’t yet control.

It all feels a bit panicky as we steady ourselves.

And that’s ok.

Come next week and the week after we’ll find a way forward.