Podcast 5: Holistic Business Survival Guide
Mar 17, 2020
We’re living in very uncertain times and the way we live and work is changing fast.
Life goes on and there is only so much we can control. We need to make sure we look after ourselves and our business in order to look after our family, community and clients to the best of our ability.
If you are worried about how to keep your business going at times like these, I’ve put together practical suggestions to help you. I’ve also included ways you can be flexible in working with your clients to inspire you to be creative.
Practical steps
Money is energy for your business and having enough to pay your bills will help you feel secure. If your business provides your main income, you need to continue to attract clients during this period. There are some practical ways you can help to secure your business financially.
Follow up money owed to you
If you have clients who owe you money, follow up on the outstanding payments. This will help to improve your cash flow and the stability of your business.
Contact your bank
If you need help, speak with your bank to find out how they can help you. You may be able to get an overdraft or access to a lending scheme to support small businesses.
Check your insurance policy
You may have business interruption cover on your insurance policy which will cover lost income due to a disaster where you have been unable to work.
Grants, funds and benefits
Speak with your Local Authority as there may be grants and hardship funds you can apply for. It is also worth speaking with your Jobcentre as you may also be able to claim self-employed benefits to support you through this period.
The Federation of Small Businesses
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is a great source of information on practical steps you can take to secure your business. This is their advice and guidance on reducing the risks of the Coronavirus for you and your business.
I’ve been a member of the FSB for years and the value they provide is second to none. If you decide to join the FSB yourself, I’d appreciate it if you’d use my FSB referral link, it won’t cost you any extra and I’ll receive a small payment in return.
Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert
Sign up for the weekly newsletter by Martin Lewis who will help you to navigate the financial environment and make the most of your money.
Finding ways to work with clients
Sometimes it takes adversity to really bring out our creativity and flexibility. Technology has given us the opportunity to work from home and the potential to provide our clients with alternative ways to receive our services. It’s really making us re-think how we work and provide our services.
Because of the uncertain times, people need your help more than ever. They will be spending a lot of time at home, and with that will come many challenges. You can use your expertise to support them to keep calm and healthy at home by sharing your knowledge.
As a side note, ensure you’re working within the guidelines of your professional body, and that you’re covered by your insurers before offering a new delivery of your services.
Consider how you can help people, here are a few ideas to get you started:
Stress, fear and worry
There is a lot of unknown factors affecting us all at the moment. Added to this, people are having to spend a long time alone or under the same roof as their family. Imagine how stressful that can be. What can you offer to help people keep calm and grounded in these uncertain times? A few examples are:
- Guided meditation downloads
- Yoga or Pilates videos
- Online EFT, coaching, therapy or counselling sessions
- Breathing techniques to calm your body
- Self-massage to relieve tension
Boosting immune systems
A healthy immune system will give people the best chance of recovering quickly from the virus, should they catch it. You could look at what expertise you have around this and how you can help people understand the best way to boost their immune system.
- How stress affects our immune system and what to do about it
- Foods that promote a healthy immune system
- How to use visualisation to boost your immune system
- Traditional remedies to support immune health
- How to build a resilient immune system
Fitness
People are going to be stuck in their homes so how can you help them keep, or get fit?
- Home workout videos
- Take your in-person yoga class online for people to join at home
- Create programmes around a Facebook group and keep people accountable
- 5-minute stretches you can do in small spaces
Food
We’re going to have to prepare more food at home. It’s scary how many people can’t cook even the basics. Consider where you can help with the following:
- Cooking healthy meals
- How to feed a family on a budget
- Cooking with kids
- How to make the most of store cupboard ingredients
- Seasonal foraging
- Store cupboard basics shopping lists
- Meal planning services
Routines
People are going to be completely out of their normal routine and will need help setting up new routines to help them work through this time.
- Morning routines
- Exercise/fitness routines
- Daily routines
- Evening routines
Get creative
We’re living in a time of change and it’s important to make sure you’re organised to keep you and your family safe first. Once that’s done, talk to your clients and find out how you can help them. Look for the creative ways you can help your clients using the skills and knowledge you have.
If you normally work in person with a client, you will have to work out how you can share your knowledge with others. Consider the broader range of skills you have and which ones you can combine to create something of value.
Not everything you do has to be paid work; some can be for the good of your local community. Helping your community at times like this feels good and you’ll be building your local profile which will be good for your business in the long run. However, it’s important you value your services and can pay your bills, so make sure there’s a balance.
If you want to adapt your services for remote working, book a discovery call and find out how I can help you.
Podcast 5 show notes:
- Practical steps (1:23)
- Follow up money owed to you (2:02)
- Contact your bank (2:18)
- Check your insurance policy (2:50)
- Grants, funds and benefits (3:08)
- The Federation of Small Businesses (3:26)
- Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert (4:30)
- Finding ways to work with clients (5:12)
- Stress, fear and worry (7:04)
- Boosting immune systems (8:16)
- Fitness (9:21)
- Food (10:16)
- Routines (11:15)
- Get creative (12:15)
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