It’s impossible to overlook everything that’s going on with the Coronavirus and the potential impact it might have on entrepreneurs and small to medium sized businesses. Right now, boutique agencies are probably worrying about their client’s businesses, their own businesses and fleshing out their contingency plans.
Well first things first, don’t panic!
Remember, where there are threats, there are also opportunities! Digital Marketing agencies are actually in quite a good position at the moment. With the seeming inevitability of office workers moving to remote working setups, more people will be modernising their workplace and upgrading their digital platforms.
In the meantime, how can you mitigate the current risks to your business?
1. Get ahead of the curve
Right now, being prepared is your best bet. If you own a business, pilot a working from home day across the board. This allows you to set your workers up for success. They’ll have the security of knowing they’re set up to receive all their emails and log in to the programs they need remotely, while also allowing you the chance to identify and troubleshoot any issues that may pop up.
If you have children and are worried about the impact school closures may have on your day to day life (if they do end up closing), examine your workload now. What work has been assigned to you that you can prepare in advance? Content creators, social media managers, copywriters, start to schedule your calendars in advance so if you end up having to split your focus you won’t feel overwhelmed.
2. Embrace flexibility
How many of you have events planned? Workshops? Training sessions? Meetings? With uncertainty spreading, and gatherings being postponed or rescheduled, it’s time to embrace different solutions. Depending on the nature of your business moving your work online could be your saving grace. With conference calls, live streams and skype sessions as valid options there’s no need to cancel all of your work commitments. For some the implementation of social distancing tactics may even be beneficial. People will now have the additional time and inclination to tune in to your training sessions or workshops.
3. Communication is Key
Talk to your clients. Talk to your employees. Knowing what their concerns are will allow you to work with them. It’s understandable that clients may ask for flexibility, they may need to reduce your workload, but equally some clients may require more assistance. Figuring out where they stand is key to managing the situation.
4. Keep your colleagues in the loop
Teamwork makes the dream work! Start copying more of your team into your emails and make sure you know what each other are working on. Introduce your clients to your team mates and let them know you have contingency plans if someone is directly impacted by the coronavirus. We can all support each other so that there’s less to worry about if someone I absent.
5. Make the most of the quiet periods
If you find that your workload slows down, make the most of your time. If you’ve been meaning to brush up on your Google certifications now is the perfect time!
