If Covid Lockdown has affected your business in any way, then this article is for you.
We have come up with 9 ways to get back to business as usual. The effects of a lockdown on a company can be devastating. The business will lose all the momentum they were making during the year which came to a screeching halt. This extended lockdown has lead for many a total loss of motivation, a loss of direction, perhaps even fear and anxiety. In addition to that, the lockdown has likely lead to a distraction from their goals and thrown up questions about the direction they are going in. Getting back to business as usual might seem daunting after a disaster like the 14 week Sydney Covid Lockdown, but the following strategies will help you get there.
—
Here are our top 9 ways to get back to business after Covid Lockdown.
1. 90 Day Plan
The first step is to identify what needs to be done now, next and later and form a plan of action. This will help take you from confusion to clarity. It will help get you and your team back onto the same page and ensure that there is a clear plan of attack as well as a clear direction to take. This helps alleviate fear and anxiety and get everyone thinking in a positive manner.
2. Get back into a business routine
Lets face it. We have all got into bad habits working from home. Perhaps you go to bed too late, or get out of bed late in the morning. Perhaps you have skipped your regular exercise, not eating as well or you have let your to-do list become a memory game rather than something planned out and structured. Now is the time to get back into the rhythm as we are all creatures of habit (even if we don’t like to admit it) and we are all far more productive when we have a routine.
3. Get out of your house and into a co-working space
You have been cooped up for 14 weeks. Now is not the time to stay home and hide from the world. Your dining room table or spare room as an office is not serving you as well as you may think. Look for a local co-working space (we can highly recommend The Creative Fringe), even if it is for a day a week. The change of scene, the opportunity to meet people and having a designated place to go that is designed for you to get work done, will help you smash out your to-do list and help you feel as though you have achieved something.
Screen Shot 2021-10-04 at 9.35.58 am
Screen Shot 2021-10-05 at 12.32.23 pm
Screen Shot 2021-10-05 at 12.33.49 pm
Screen Shot 2021-10-08 at 10.55.42 am
4. Organise face to face meetings rather than Zoom
Zoom is great and it is convenient, but it should never be a full time replacement for face to face meetings. Human connection is so important in a business world and it is something many of us are craving. So lets feed that hunger. Meet someone for a coffee, do a walk and talk meeting or hire a meeting room from places like The Creative Fringe were you can safely meet face to face.
5. Collaborate with others
Many businesses are struggling right now, which makes the saying, ‘two hands are better than one’ even more relevant than ever. Look at complimentary industries. For example, in our space we have a graphic designer, a copywriter and a photographer. They use each others services to provide a wider offering to their clients but can help each other at the same time. What businesses can you collaborate with? We love how packaging company BioPak has collaborated with artists from around the world to produce beautiful looking coffee cups that cafes can then use to sell more coffee. Check out #biopakartseries
6. Kick your social media back into gear
For some, being stuck at home has resulted in far less social media activity than normal. Or more specifically, far less relevant work posts than normal. Now is the time to kick back into gear. Perhaps you should push yourself out of your comfort zone, try and IGTV or a live. Perhaps you could you more blogging or email marketing? Reach out and let people know that you are still in business, ready and rearing to go.
7. Join a networking group
There are so many business networking groups to choose from, so instead of signing up to all of them and attending none, we recommend that you look to 1 or 2 that you can truly be an active member of. Attend meetings, reach out to members – whether they can be clients or not. Often more business comes from referrals than from trying to sell. We recommend that you look firstly at your local Chamber of Commerce. This is where you will find a diverse range of businesses which also offers education, advocacy and more. The Penrith Chamber of Commerce is a very active example of a good Chamber doing great things.
8. Ask for help
Don’t try and be a hero. If you are struggling – ask for help! There are so many places that you can go for business support. First and foremost we recommend the Western Sydney Business Centre. They offer 4 free 1 hour mentoring sessions and heaps of online and soon-to-be face to face training. You do not have to go this alone.
9. Don’t do nothing!
One thing that you can be guaranteed of is that if you do nothing, nothing will happen. So if you are nervous about getting back out there, if you are fearful or feel as though you lack direction, our suggestion is for you to come on into The Creative Fringe. Book yourself a hotdesk, meet other people and JUST GET OUT OF YOUR HOME.
We can’t wait to get back to business and to see our space filled with thriving businesses again. We get such a kick out of seeing people do well and we want you to be part of that.
Come in and join us.