Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Adapting Your Business Through COVID-19

 

A couple of nights ago I woke up at 3:00 am and just couldn’t get back to sleep. My mind was racing and my thoughts were all over the place. It doesn’t happen all the time but this was just one of those nights.  In my last blog Leading Through Resilience I talked about how your emotions will come in waves as we continue to navigate through this new way of being in the world. I had to remind myself that this also applies to me and to cut myself a break.

I share this to remind all of us that even when we think we are “doing fine” we are still adjusting and living in new reality that none of us could anticipate. So if you are unsure right now about what to do with your business, you are not alone.

We are all experiencing a form of grief and it’s not a linear experience. Don’t push yourself or force productivity out of guilt or worry that you are not doing enough. If you are contacting clients and customers in this state, it will show up in how you are engaging with them and they will sense your stress (or desperation). You want to be calm and confident when you talk to them.

Many small businesses are struggling. Unless your business is considered an essential product or service or you are Amazon you are likely experiencing some challenges. Its easy to get caught up in what you can’t do right now, given all of the current restrictions. So what are some things you can do now that will support you and your business?

 

Grow Yourself

This may be a good time for self reflection and development. Focusing on something that helps build your strength as a leader in your business can help you build resilience and confidence as well as give you something positive to channel your energy and do something good for yourself and your business. It can also help you establish some of that much needed structure that I spoke about in my last post.

There are many virtual offerings for developing your leadership capabilities that will help you come out of this more confident that you can take your business forward with the tools and knowledge to do so. Investing in yourself this way will help make all other decisions easier for you as you navigate through this time.

 

Grow Your Team

If you have a team, investing in developing their ability to work together will help you build a more effective, productivity team and build your collective resiliency for any future challenges.  It also provides a much needed moral boost as you signal to your team your intention to grow the business with them and are committed to investing in that. It demonstrates your confidence in your business and in them to move forward.

 

Grow Your Business

As you think about how you can adapt your business, focus on what is within your control and influence, not on what is outside your control. Consider that your clients and customers are also facing unprecedented challenges. Here are some questions to kick start your creative thinking:

How are your clients or customers impacted by Covid-19?

What do they need from you right now and how can you deliver that to them?

Is there something outside your current offering that you can do for them?

Are there other complementary businesses you can team up with to provide a necessary products or service at this time?

When you have an opportunity to work with clients or customers go above and beyond what they expect. The extra care you give them now will be a good investment in your ongoing relationship and future business opportunities.

Now is also a good time to re-think your marketing messages. Given that everyone is affected by this pandemic in some way, many people are likely more sensitive right now to overly “salesy” or pushy tactics to get their business. I’ve been checking in on clients regularly to see how they are doing and whether I can do anything for them or if they just need a sounding board – someone to listen. Your clients and customers will likely appreciate and remember you for reaching out to see how you can help them, rather than trying to get them to commit to buying from you right now.  And if they need help now, they will more likely turn to a supplier who cared more about the relationship than the sale.

If you would like to talk with me directly about how to navigate your business through this time, I invite you to please email me to set up a complementary session.  Stay well everyone!

Catherine Meyer is CEO and Founder of Catalyst Leadership Solutions. She provides coaching and leadership solutions to a wide range of businesses and industries. Her focus is on helping business owners and entrepreneurs develop their leadership strengths so that they can build their capabilities, enhance growth, and maximize results for their business If you manage a team as part of your business or are in the process of creating a team, Catherine can help you develop your leadership strength to ensure the success of this phase of your growth.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinemeyer808/

https://www.facebook.com/CatalystLeadershipSolutions/?ref=settings

Leading Through Resilience

In my last post, Leading Yourself And Your Business I talked about taking care of yourself because you are at the centre of your business. We’re going to go a little deeper into that because it is critical for your ability to sustain yourself and your business through this time.

We may be living with some form of isolation, social distancing, and other measures for some time while we gradually open things up and continue efforts to contain the virus.  So while daily virtual happy hours with friends may have gotten you through the last month, it’s not a good long term plan for you or your business. Developing resilience is going to be key.

You might think that resilience is already your superpower, that you have been through shit before and came out of it successfully. Great!  The thing is, no one has been through this particular shit before so many of your very excellent coping and striving skills may or may not serve you here. Your stress, emotions and energy are coming in waves and can change on a daily basis. One minute you feel almost “normal” again, perhaps even optimistic and the next you are completely overwhelmed. You will likely continue to have days where you feel hyper productive and on top of things and other days where all you want to do is heat up a frozen pizza and binge watch a new Netflix series in your PJ’s.

On top of the constant stream of news and social media updates and we now have to consciously think about doing things that we usually do unconsciously, like taking a walk, running errands, or going grocery shopping. This depletes our mental energy without even being aware of it so of course we feel tired and wired. So how can we ground ourselves and our businesses in the middle of this chaos?

There are many ways to find your footing but there is one thing that will definitely help you build and sustain resilience: Routine. Routine is your friend right now. Before this crisis I had regular meetings and deadlines for deliverables and generally more structure in my life, even if I occasionally rebelled against it. Now much of that has been removed and in the absence of that structure it’s easy for days and weeks to blend into each other and to loose track of time. While this is normal for what we are going through, it won’t serve you for sustaining and supporting your own mental and emotional health and your business for the long haul. A routine, some structure in your day will help you maintain your sanity and your focus.

So how can you establish a routine for yourself so that you won’t feel so restricted that you throw in the towel and stay up all night with your latest Netflix binge? I borrowed a few tips from Mark Manson about how to establish a very simple yet effective routine:

Schedule a regular wake up time – Whether you are an early bird or sleep till noon find a time that works best for you most of the time. A regular wake up time will help get your day going with some consistency.

Schedule time for health and self care –rest, exercise meditation, journaling…you need to carve out time every day – one hour minimum, for whatever helps you look after yourself and your energy.

Schedule Time to connect with others – socializing “fun” time with family and friends whether it’s a zoom cocktail hour or virtual bingo, you need to maintain a regular connection with people you care about and who care about you.

Schedule Time to go to bed – even if you aren’t tired. You will have sleepless nights but staying up with the TV or social medial won’t help you. Try a book or guided sleep app.

Schedule work hours – I know that business is not usual right now and you may not have a lot of your normal work to do but this can be a time to reflect and explore some interesting options for your business and invest in developing yourself. (more on that in my next post!) You will have days where you don’t feel like thinking about your business at all but if you commit to just one thing and see it through it will help you move forward.

If you need someone to talk to directly about how to navigate your business through this time, I invite you to please email me to set up a complementary session.  Stay well everyone!

 

Catherine Meyer is CEO and Founder of Catalyst Leadership Solutions. She provides coaching and leadership solutions to a wide range of businesses and industries. Her focus is on helping business owners and entrepreneurs develop their strength in leading people so that they can build their capabilities, enhance growth, and maximize results for their business If you manage a team as part of your business or are in the process of creating a team, Catherine can help you develop your leadership strength to ensure the success of this phase of your growth.

http://catalystleadershipsolutions.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinemeyer808/

https://www.facebook.com/CatalystLeadershipSolutions/

Navigating a New World – Some Insights from an Experienced Remote Worker

 

Wow – never in a million years did I imagine I would be writing this blog about my business while in isolation. It’s absolutely insane that we, as a country and a global community, are facing a pandemic of this size and scope. Recent events have forced me to reflect on the type of work that I do. I am so grateful that my business is relevant, robust and most importantly, done in isolation or in other words…remotely.

I currently see many of my peers pivoting their business model to something that is more conducive to social distancing; taking their business online and working remotely.

While much of the world is in utter chaos, I wanted to share some of the techniques and tricks that make my business run smoothly and consistently. My hope is that this information may help other business women who are currently transitioning into remote working.

  1. Set up your technology in an optimal way. This includes hardware like wifi, phones and computers and software like video conferencing apps, booking apps and email. Make sure you’re comfortable with the systems you set up and if something is not working, fix it or change it. Your technology should make work life easier but so often, I speak to clients and other business owners who feel frustrated and annoyed with their technology. There are an abundance of online resources if you are struggling, such as business facebook groups and sub reddits. Trust me, there are people eager and waiting who are full of helpful advice and eager to help you with your specific challenge. I am one of them. If you’re having trouble with any systems you’ve set up, get in touch and I’ll help you out. By the way, despite recent events, Zoom is still my preferred video conferencing app for a variety of reasons.
  2. All the basic do’s and dont’s of the business world still apply. Actually, I would suggest that showing up on time, sending meeting invites, following up on video conference calls with meeting notes and being available by phone is even more important when working remotely. When you provide excellent customer service, you get repeat customers, excellent testimonials, a higher rate of hire and referrals. It is also nice to still “dress up” for work, even if it is only from the waist up! Yes, not wearing uncomfortable shoes and professional slacks is one of the perks of working remotely for sure!
  3. Separate personal time from work time. This can be difficult to do, especially now when many of us have children out of school and daycare. In fact, my hours have been reduced from between 40-50 hours some weeks to about 10-20 hours at the moment. My toddler needs my attention and my clients need my attention too. Did I mention, I have a nursing 5 month old? Still, being able to separate personal time and work time is key for managing your workload and your state of mind. When the isolation period started in Mid-March, I struggled with maintaining the same level of productivity while keeping my children fed, happy and stimulated. I drove myself nuts until I realized it’s one or the other. Now, I give my kids my full attention when I’m with them and when I’m able to carve out work time, I’m fully in the work zone! Go easy on yourself – as I said, this is a difficult task and requires constant evaluation and flexibility.
  4. Be proud of working remotely – I always tell my potential clients that working remotely is a choice. We are able to save money on our overhead costs and we pass those savings on to our customers while still providing the highest quality of work. Choosing to work remotely means making a conscious effort to avoid commuting and thereby maximizing the number of hours in a day to devote to your emails, client calls, self care and family.

Well, there you have it! In this crazy coronavirus world, these are some ways that I’ve been able to maintain my business, my sanity and my family’s well-being. I wish you all the best as you navigate this new environment. Working remotely has many benefits and I wish you all the success in the world as you transition into a remote work world. Stay healthy. Stay happy. Stay home.

If you are interested in a site audit, speed test or need any other kind of web design or development help, feel free to reach out through my website or via email at aimee@cleanforest.co. As Canadian Small Business Women, we must support each other. Message me today to set up your free consultation and learn how to best optimize your site!

 

Aimee Eppel runs CleanForest Consulting, a web design and development agency based in Mississauga, Ontario. Along with a highly experienced team, she creates high quality and affordable web solutions for huge organizations such as MIT, Mount Sinai Hospital and BMO as well as local start ups such as hockey schools, law firms and home organizers. Aimee is a mother of two beautiful children, both still in diapers!

For any sort of web related help, please email her at aimee@cleanforest.co or through her website at https://cleanforest.co/.