Practical Business Strategies to Handle the Coronavirus

Writing for me is mostly about inspiring people – especially women entrepreneurs – with uplifting thoughts, messages, and examples to take them to a higher level. But after working and writing for women entrepreneurs for 3 decades, once in a while there are times of crisis and uncertainty when writing flowery posts don’t work. When I look back it was this way for me communicating about the loss of my father, losing a friend in one of the 9/11 planes, during the financial crisis of 2008, and when I stepped away from my business for a year and a half to deal with a medical condition. Not all things in life are rosy, although we wish they were.

Coming from a family of doctors, a son who is an Orthopedic Surgical Physician Assistant in New York City, a best friend who graduated from Harvard with a specialty in epidemiology, I write this post today with as much logical advice as I can after speaking with them and listening to national medical doctors (not the politicians). As a 30-year woman entrepreneur, I’ve weathered many difficulties in the economy, personally and professionally and want to share my business advice with my followers and members today as they move and plan forward with this rapidly developing pandemic.

Practical Words of Wisdom Regarding Business:

* Take a day or two to plan out communication messages for your website, emails, and letters to notify your customers about your plans to either stay open, shut down or other ways to handle this health situation. They deserve to know and you need to head up that plan.

* Pick up the phone (coronavirus are not on our phones – even though you should make sure to wipe them down after being out in public) and call important customers to notify them of any major changes that affect your business with them. A phone call goes along way when everyone is worried. You might deliver a calming tone and message.

* Keep your friends and followers updated on news through social media marketing pages, groups, and events.

* Educate yourself on video conferencing like Zoom, group conference calls, and other technologies to keep members in touch with you and others. If we can’t meet each other out at events, the next best thing may be connecting with people through video conferencing.

* Have a plan in place to deal with ordering supplies and products online or on the phone instead of in person for awhile. Stock up now with supplies so you are prepared.

* Create a plan for employees to work from home for awhile if necessary. Start planning that now.

* Look at your finances and create a short term and long term emergency financial plan to ease your mind and to help make the right financial decisions. Check with your banker about getting a credit line or short term loan if you are worried about your cash flow.

We may not be able to control the spread of the virus and how it affects our businesses, but we can be prepared as possible with small and large plans to take the stress out of our minds.

Inspirational Words of Wisdom:

Remember we have not, and cannot, know what will happen from day to day or year to year so the coronavirus in some ways is like other unexpected situations that occur in our lives – deaths, job loss, health issues, divorce, etc. Just like those hardships, this too will pass and we will all be okay.

Start your days praying, meditating, exercising, or talking to a positive person to lift your spirits. Go out in nature, where the coronavirus isn’t found yet, and breathe in fresh air, thank God for the abundance of nature, allow yourself space to be, and be thankful for what you have.

Stay in communication with people that settle your nerves, inspire you to higher levels of happiness and joy, and stay in touch with people you are worried about. By facing our worries head-on, we don’t allow our emotions to cloud our minds.