1. First step is to protect our mental health. I have a number of friends who have run into depression and high blood pressure while trying to grow their businesses.
It is hard to take in and deal with a lot of shock. For the past one month or so that this issue became serious in Nigeria, its been one shock or the other. Business leaders have had to switch strategies several times, fighting to stay in business, or to identify and take emerging opportunities.
It’s a lot to take in so one needs to first get it together mentally, eat healthy, exercise more, REST, yes take time to rest!
Trust more in the supernatural; trust more in God
Take it one good strategy at a time.
Stay focused in spite of all the noise and panic around.
Do what you can and leave the rest for God who created you- let him carry the rest of it.
2. Make your work space at home comfortable
- separate workspace from home space
- Workspace should be well ventilated and air conditioned and comfortable to sit and work.
- Subscribe to unlimited monthly internet bundles- mine is 18,000 a month baring initial installation cost of about 48,000 and it is very good.
- Install inverter and solar panels if you can, so you can have light always
- Get your generator in very good shape if you cannot get an inverter now.
3. Third thing to do is bonding more closely with employees.
As a business owner, use your mental strength to provide calm to the team – you see why our mental health and stability is necessary first?
-Run the business like a family now more than ever.
-Carry everyone along.
-Find out if they have comfortable working environment at home.
– Update staff records with alternate or family contact details, so in case we cannot reach them, we will know who to call.
– Make use of staff watsapp groups, practice manager software (for those of us in accounting practice), skype, Microsoft teams, google meet, zoom, telegram, etc. As platforms to communicate and work.
-Discuss financials and trends openly so everyone is carried along on what is going on.
– include even the littlest person in the team in your strategy sessions. Let everyone understand what is on ground and figure out way forward together. People take more ownership when they are involved in the decision making.
For us at Vi-M, we had discussed and agreed business plans for the year in January. Prior lock down, we also discussed strategies, goals and opportunities. We discussed existing clients and how to keep servicing them inspite of the lock down.
– We keep restrategising based on the reality we encounter everyday as we launch our different initiatives.
– We break down our strategies into daily activities and To-Dos and weekly milestones.
– All staff check in every morning
– Discuss daily To-Dos in the mornings
– Review milestones achieved at the end of each week.
– Restrategise if need be for the next week.
– Managers and supervisors should keep enquiring about the staff’ general health, comfort, effectiveness of work tools and replenishing data.
– if per chance employee costs are now too heavy for the business, give employees an opportunity to brainstorm and suggest way forward- earn on commission basis, change to freelance arrangement or earn per work done, cut salaries, etc.