5 ways to help your business survive Covid-19
We have all changed how we operate our businesses in light of the coronavirus crisis, making some hard decisions and bold moves along the way.
The virus has hit businesses of all kinds hard, and 2020 will be remembered as a year of survival in both economic and personal terms.
It's a good idea to take stock of your business, your staff and suppliers, and here's a brief checklist to help you navigate the tumultuous seas of the pandemic ocean.
…..
Put you and your staff first
The health of you, your family and your staff should be your number one priority right now. After all, your business cannot run if you and your staff are all hit with the virus. If you are running out of an office, ensure you strictly follow government social distancing guidelines and sanitisation procedures. You should have a clearly communicated corporate policy on what you are doing to stem the spread of COVID-19, and ensure regular checks are in place. Engaging a 'Covid Champion' is a great way to empower a staff member to monitor the situation and ensure everyone remains healthy.
Make sure you monitor public health guidelines for employers on a daily basis.
Employee communication is key, with clear signposting across the office, and for remote workers, emails, phone calls and video meetings.
Your PR firm should have a good grasp of crisis communications, so can advise on what to do in terms of worse case scenarios, such as an outbreak of the condition within your firm.
…..
Communicate
We've already mentioned this, but it cannot be overstated. Your PR firm can help with communication to staff, stakeholders and the wider public. Ensure key messages are delivered regularly to employees, customers and the public.
A two-way dialogue with employees, customers and the public will help assuage fears, maintain credibility and ensure your public know you are not only surviving the pandemic, but doing everything to ensure everyone's safety and job security.
Don't forget social media – an even more vital tool right now. Clear, concise and regular updates on your website and social media channels – such as product and service availability, working hours and changes are perfect information to share via your online presence.
You may wish to "pin" a post to your Twitter page, while re-posting your key messaging frequently and creating a date-stamped banner on your website so your crisis response is clear.
Personalised, regular updates to key individuals are useful, to offer reassurance and a good flow of information. Even if your business is running as usual, it’s important to keep dialogue open with your customers at all times.
…..
Check your cash flow
The lifeblood of your business means you must maintain continuous communication with your Financial Director (if you have one); your accountant, who will have access to a wealth of information; and your bank. Regular calls with them means everyone will understand the challenges and your issues, before they become critical. Maintaining as much cash through this time as possible, and retaining as many of your employees as you can is key right now.
Plan for a worst-case financial scenario – for example, zero sales in the next quarter – and update your crisis strategy as you go along.
…..
Be mindful of mental health
There is a wealth of wellbeing support available online, which you can share with your employees to help them through an isolating period of working from home, for example.
Check in with your team face-to-face via appropriate technology on a daily basis and encourage them to take regular breaks and keep active, and to keep up virtual conversations with others.
While we must all pay attention to the ever-changing local and global news regarding the pandemic, remind staff to take care with an overload of news and information, and let them know who they can contact if they have personal concerns.
…..
Stay well-informed and be positive
It's tough to put a PR spin on a situation that we've never really experienced the like of before, but even so, keeping well-informed via accurate and trustworthy sources is important for everyone's health, safety and wellbeing. Your PR team will know which news sources are reliable, and help with the messaging you are communicating with all your stakeholders.
The rapidly changing situation makes it hard to stay well-informed and avoid rampant misinformation that could negatively affect your business operations. We recommend streamlining your social media feeds to limit your exposure to fake news. Trust government social media messaging, and the reputable local press. Get your information from main news websites and BBC broadcasts.
If you are overwhelmed by information, turn to your PR team to help navigate a course through the minefield. A good PR person will produce a news bulletin relevant to your sector and interests, keeping your finger on the pulse and helping you to react to changing circumstances quickly. Take advantage of this rare learning opportunity and strive to take lessons you've learned forward to cope with any future crisis even better.