Sad though it surely is, most of us do not end up in the jobs that we dreamed of when we were younger. In fact, most of us won’t end up with jobs that are even close to being as exciting or as inspiring as the ones we used to tell people we wanted when we were five or six.
When we were young and we believed anything could happen, we wanted to be astronauts, rock stars, the owners of huge international businesses, action heroes, superheroes…
So the question then becomes: why are so many of us stuck working in offices? Why are so many of us entering data into spreadsheets? Why is it so common for us to work late hours in jobs we hate? Why does ‘success’ mean more responsibility but no more job satisfaction?
How did this happen?
The Unfortunate Story
The answer varies from person to person but unfortunately there are a few consistent elements that seem to hold true across the board. Many of us will go through essentially the same story that will lead us to the same end destination.
It starts early when we’re at school and we’re forced to start specializing and choosing. Which course at school is most likely to help you to become a bestselling author? Or a pop star? Hmm. We end up biding our time by doing something that we enjoyed at school – history or geography maybe.
Then we go to college and we study that course for a year or three, only to find ourselves back at home living with our parents and without a job when we leave. If we want to get back our independence, then we’re going to need to take on a job just to pay the bills.
So we start working for our friend’s Dad’s company. Or we work in a supermarket. Or maybe an estate agents.
Then we get a few promotions and we find ourselves climbing the ranks – actually, we’re on an okay salary.
And it’s just as well too – because our responsibilities are beginning to increase as we find ourselves with partners, maybe wanting to buy a house, maybe with children.
And before you know it, you’re ‘area manager’, or you’re ‘director of logistics’, or you’re an estate agent.
They’re not bad jobs but they sure aren’t exciting and they sure don’t fill you with impassioned excitement. But you have kids on the way and you really need the money: now is not the time to do something foolish like starting your own business, or changing jobs, or taking out a loan. And nor do you have the time in the evening to do the things you want to do…
It Doesn’t Have to End This Way
But here’s the good news: the story isn’t over yet. You can still be the things you’ve always dreamed of being. In fact, with more money behind, more experience and more contacts, it’s more likely than ever. All it is going to take, is for you to acknowledge just how important it is to you and to decide that you’re not going to settle for the way things turned out.
With unemployment on the rise this year and hours being cut, we are all looking for alternative ways to bring in additional income. If you are thinking of starting your own business, but you are unsure what route to take, you have come to the right place. We have listed start-up ideas that will hopefully inspire you to start your own and earn that extra income you need. Take a look at our list below.
Online
Internet Business
More and more people are looking to create a first, second or third income stream from building a business on the internet. There are online platforms that can help you to establish your own internet-based business to generate a six or seven-figure income from $100,000+. You can even look at consultancy services that offer do-it-for-you programs.
YouTube
In recent years YouTubing or Vlogging has become increasingly popular, with many ‘Youtube stars’ earning on average roughly £1750 per one million views. If you have a hobby or an interesting topic and don’t mind being in front of a camera, then this might be the right route for you. As YouTubing is so popular, it can be hard to build up your page so don’t expect instant results. You will need to be consistently posting videos and engaging with comments. Once you gain enough traction, you may get approached by companies asking you to promote their product. Although this could be a good money maker, ensure that you believe in the company and product you are advertising and that it is relevant to your branding.
Blogging
If you are camera shy but still want to talk about your hobby or lifestyle etc. then blogging is the way forward for you. Blogging was the first business model to grace the internet and it is still going strong today. Create your website on a platform such as Wix or WordPress and make sure you have a good understanding of analytics, keywords, search engine ranking and online marketing etc.
Virtual Assistant
If you have the skills of being an assistant, why not offer your services online as a freelance virtual assistant. With more companies making their employees work from home this year, now could be a good time to research companies that might need help with their admin. Once you build up a rapport and your workload becomes too much, you could expand your business by either employing someone or outsourcing your extra work. Or you can Run A Successful Virtual Assistants Business while helping other business owners you can establish other income streams and not just rely on just one!
Writer
If you think of yourself as quite the writer, then think about becoming a freelance copywriter. Earn money, writing blogs and website content. It would help if you had a good level of English be able to come up with content ideas. You could even become a ghostwriter for authors and corporations that will pay anything from $25,000 to utilise your talents.
Social Media Manager
Every business should be on social media, but when businesses are busy they can lack their social media presence. This is where you could come in and offer your services managing their social media. This means posting, following marketing campaigns and knowing who the current influencers are etc. You need to have good knowledge of all social media platforms.
Business Ideas
Make and Sell
There’s always a new idea to be had when it comes to the world of shopping. As the world evolves- so does the need for specific products. Having the skill and creativity to make new things, you can turn your hobby into a business. Venture Capital represents brands and investors. You never know how much your idea for consumer products VC could earn you in the future. Start off by selling your products online on websites such as Esty, Not On The Highstreet, local flea markets, or advertise your e-commerce on social media. Make sure to take some time to do some research into the rules that apply to the products you’re trying to sell.
If you find yourself as a crafter, then why not sell your creations. With the right marketing and selling platforms, you could turn your hobby into a business. There are many online sites you could sell from such as Etsy or Not on the high street or you coils sign up for local markets and sell your goodies there. Make sure you do research on what rules apply to your product when selling.
Franchise
Franchising is good as someone has already done the business model for you. Franchising is when you buy and pay fees to use an existing companies business model, trademarks and systems. Popular franchises include McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza hut, etc.
Open A Coffee Shop
If you love coffee and have experience as a barista, then opening a coffee shop might be right up your street. For a lower risk option, purchase a coffee shop that already exists or a franchise one. If you are up for the challenge, then consider opening your own coffee shop. This will take a lot of research and educating yourself about running a barista business. When opening a coffee shop, you need to think about more than just coffee, how you take money is very important. With everything no becoming cashless, you need to make sure you are prepared with a wireless tap to pay and apple pay card machines, this company shows a good variety of what your business can choose from.
Dog Walker
Although many people will be working from home, they might not find the time to walk their dog. If you are good with animals and enjoy the outdoors, then this could be good for you. Make sure you have the necessary insurance in place.
Real Estate Investing
There are all kinds of avenues available to those that are considering real estate as a likely method of investing in the future. And why on earth shouldn’t you? This is one way that millionaires around the world will agree to build a massive fortune quickly. Many entrepreneurs and executives are focused on real estate investing around the world for its apparent opportunities which include global citizenship, tax planning, superior education and healthcare.
Every sole trader will tell you that at times it can be very lonely working on your own. While many entrepreneurs can be incredibly successful in working independently, others need external input and advice to help them figure out their business growth strategy. If you are a sole trader, here are some things to consider which could maximize your profits and maintain your business growth sustainably.
Pay Anywhere Options
With more and more of us, every year using digital payment devices such as credit cards, debit cards, and even our mobile phones, the ability to accept cashless transactions is a must for any trader working in the 21st century. If you can accept credit cards, make sure to advertise this, especially if you are in a business that goes into people’s homes like a plumber or a window cleaner. Many people might not have cash on hand but would appreciate the convenience of paying there and then rather than waiting for an invoice. It will also save you the hassle of chasing up unpaid customers.
The other added benefit of accepting credit cards anywhere is you can set up stalls advertising your products or services at local events, and you can secure customers with payments there and then.
Keep Good Records
While this advice might seem obvious, it is easy to overlook its importance with the hectic schedule of running your day to day operations. Make sure you set aside time to keep your records up to date. This makes sure you are getting all the income you have worked for, but it will also help you gain an excellent overview of the business. Good records allow for good analysis. If you want to predict when you will get busy, you can look over previous years’ workflow.
Similarly, if you want to know how your expenditure breaks down as a percentage, you need accurate and up to date records. If you are continually wrestling to find the time, pay for a bookkeeper. The benefit will undoubtedly outweigh the small expense, especially if it will help you spot cost savings elsewhere in your business.
Analyze Your Competitors
Competitor analysis doesn’t need to be a lengthy process, even keeping occasional tabs on their websites can be useful. Competitor analysis is as much about figuring out your strengths as it is theirs. What can you do differently that will give you the edge? If a competitor is cheaper, try and find out how they can give those cost savings to customers. Can you make the same price cuts or advertise how your service retains higher quality. Knowing what your competitors are doing also allows you to speak with credibility to customers who are shopping around. Remember that your competitors can be your friends as well as your rivals. There might be mutually beneficial services you could offer each other. Perhaps when you reach capacity, there is a competitor you can refer potential new customers to and vice-versa.
Analyze Yourself
Any competitor analysis is only useful if you can use it as a comparative tool. You need to know your business strengths, weaknesses, and potential growth markets. Don’t let pride get in the way of profit. Ask your customers for open and honest feedback, and take this on board. If one customer thinks you could improve your service, likely, they are not the only ones if you need to ask friends in other fields to give you feedback. This can be on simple things, like how easy your website is to use, or if you feel robust enough, you can ask about your sales technique and whether they think your approach needs to change to attract custom. Don’t be afraid to make significant changes if it has the potential to have a big impact on your profitability.
You Don’t Need To Stay A Sole Trader.
Finally, if your business has experienced rapid expansion, then there might be too much work for one person to do alone. If you see this as a problem, then you are likely to become overstretched and potentially burnout. However, if you are willing to invest in an employee, you could see your capacity expand, and your growth potential grow exponentially. An employee can benefit you by providing skills that you might not have. So if you are incredibly creative but not well organized, then hiring someone who can help keep your systems in check while allowing you to dream big could be a huge advantage. Remember, two heads are always better than one.
Popular Digital Assets
Learn about the Popular Digital Assets within EmpowerBusinessClub.com to increase business opportunities and grow a home-based business
1️⃣ Launch Your Online Course • You will learn about the most important steps to creating and launching an online course that is successful and profitable. More
5️⃣ How To Start And Launch A Virtual Summit • By hosting a virtual summit, you can expect to create a list of warm leads for your business. These warm leads can ultimately lead to customers. More
Gone are the days when you could just set up a business and let it function and grow at it’s own pace. In today’s fast-paced business scenario, where there is cut-throat competition in almost every field, you need to have a proper business plan in order to succeed. You need to consider various avenues for growth, both in the actual and online worlds, and keep abreast of the information and technology relevant to your sector. In this article, we highlight five simple ways to help grow your business and brand successfully and quickly.
Without good advertising or a well-thought out marketing strategy, be rest assured that your business is not going to grow the way you would like it to. There is solid competition in every niche and sector, and if you want your business or brand to stand out from the crowd, you have to market it intelligently and to the right target audience.
You also need to advertise your business so that people become aware of it. You might have a great quality brand but that won’t matter if nobody knows about it. Print advertisements and billboards still do their job, but the shift is now more towards digital advertising – videos, short films, videos and reels on social media etc. You can always make use of the services of an advertising agency; however, if you are on a tight budget there is also the option of renting an iPhone filmmaking kit so that you can make your own ads in-house, yet make them look professional and of top quality.
2. Have a strong online and social media presence
Whatever your kind of business, if you don’t have a dedicated website to support it, you are losing out on a lot of potential clients. A good website that is aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate and has great content is a huge plus point for the growth of your business. Your website should tell the readers the ideology and principles behind your brand
what it is that your business does and what services your company offers. There should be an easy to find ‘contact’ page as well and if possible a blog with regular content that is topical to your business.
Likewise, it is paramount to have a strong social media presence as well. Social media is the other arm of your company’s online presence, and is one of the most popular methods of promoting your brand and self-advertising your business nowadays. It is also a platform where your clients can keep abreast with the news and updates regarding your business, interact with the brand and it’s also an important means of finding new customers for your business.
3. Know your competitors
If you want to be ahead of the game and beat the competition, you first need to know who your competition is. Research the competitors in your field or niche – find out their strengths and what makes them so popular, and see if you can implement some of those ideas into your own business model. Of course, it is essential that you go about this in an ethical manner and do not blatantly plagiarise, but get ideas and inspiration from your competitors.
Whatever business or field of work you are in, remember, the customer is always king! And if your customers have a strong reason, they will keep coming back to your brand. Of course, the quality of your product is of utmost importance, but having a customer loyalty program such as reward points and incentives will help in keeping them loyal to your brand. It is also a great way to increase sales as you know certain customers will always return.
That said, your company’s basic customer service should be perfect – nothing puts customers off more than feeling disrespected or neglected.
5. Stay abreast of the news and going-ons in your niche
With the internet and technology boom, even yesterday’s news is stale! There are new advancements and updates all the time, and if you don’t keep abreast of the developments in your field, your company could lose out in the long run as it doesn’t take long for the competition to outrace you.
Network with others in your field, either through organised networking events or on online platforms and webinars. This will also help you identify new opportunities for growth and build on aspects of your business that are not working at their optimum level.
In a troubled economic condition wherein many people are losing their jobs, many have opted for self-employment. This has become a reliable prospect knowing that many people have also experienced financial success with work from home businesses. There are several benefits and yet the earning potential is quite promising as well.
If you are one of these people, then you might want to consider making your home business legitimate with the establishment of your home office. Home business owners might fail to give this priority, especially if they start to enjoy the cost savings entailed with working from home. However, creating a home office will offer added benefits for your business.
If you intend to make your home business grow, then it only makes sense to set up a home office. You will be able to establish a professional image behind your business that will convince your clients to do more business with you in the future.
Moreover, your home office will serve as the best place where you could hold professional meetings with your client if they wish to discuss business with you or entertain potential customers. Indeed, image plays such a vital role in every form of business as it increases the client’s confidence in your ability to deliver work. This is your first opportunity at impressing them.
Discover Do-It-For-You Solutions to empower business online
Most individuals who are self-employed or work from home, are easily distracted in their work with activities at home. Therefore, several tasks are put off and you fail to deliver work on time. Setting up your home office will build that separation from your home life. Although at home, you can still attend to your work from your home office, free of any form of distraction. And yet, when emergencies come up, you’d still be easy to contact.
The idea here is not entirely to separate yourself from family. However, it helps to create a boundary and let the members of your family know that even though you are at home, you need to attend to work and must be freed off any distraction. Make sure you inform them of your working schedule so they won’t be disturbing you during those hours. This is also one reason why you should opt for a separate room in the house to convert as your home office. This creates the necessary separation from work and home life.
Business Growth
With a home office, you are able to open up opportunities for expanding your business and its reach. In a professional setting, there are people assigned to work for a certain aspect of your business. Hence, companies hire people to attend to human resource, technical support, finance, and some other important departments. But with home businesses, especially starting ones, deciding whether to hire employees is a tricky one. There are compensation and insurance coverage that you need to take care of. And yet, you cannot fail to consider the benefits of having employees working for your home business and its success.
This is probably the most obvious reason as to why you should legitimise your home business by setting up a home office. You can get savings in your time, energy, and effort. Moreover, you have one specific area in your house that is designed for the purpose of doing business. Here, you can have all the materials and furnitures you need to make doing work convenient. And if you want to step out of the pressure-filled world of your work life, then stepping out to your home life is literally a few steps away.
The world of business has dramatically changed over the century and it is no longer the old business world as we know it. Nowadays, you can make business out of anything, as in anything at all.
Hobbies and even caprices can now generate income for anyone. And business consulting is no different.
In business consulting, you just have to follow where your passion and expertise lie and you are sure to give sound and reliable business counsel. But if you are still baffled as to what to do or where to start because you might have two or more areas of expertise and you want to be sure which is the best choice, here are some of the most popular and in demand business consulting services.
Computer consulting.
This is one of the, if not the topmost, in demand business consulting service because a lot of high-ranking executive officers are not very adept with computer technology.
It is usually the younger generation who have the knack and strong interest in following and learning new trends and updates in the high maintenance world of computer technology.
So, more often than not, executives leave the nitty-gritty of high-tech computing to computer consultants. They’d rather not be bothered or wasting their time, learning the ever-changing and dynamic computer world so they think it the best option to just hire somebody expert on the field. There is computer consulting specific to a whole range of industries meaning you can find consulting services to support exactly what you do, such as getting it consulting to immigration law firms or private healthcare facilities for example.
Business Starts.
This is another in demand for young and neophyte entrepreneurs. The world’s young urban professionals are turning into business entrepreneurs these days.
More and more young people are realising that earning and making it big is in starting their own business and not just relying on their monthly salary.
This young generation is sometimes over eager in starting a business that they tend to make big mistakes. This is where business consultants enter the picture.
Consultants who are experienced in turning a small business endeavour into an income generating machine, helping the new entrepreneur learn everything about running a business.
Human Resources.
This department is the most important division of every company and yet the most taken for granted. Human resources department plays a very crucial role in every company. It is the heart of the company.
The happiness and contentment of employees lie in good management of the labor force. There are companies that do not even have this department. Well, at least not in the real essence of the profession anyway.
Most companies only have administrative department and that is not the same as human resource management. So what executives do is hire human resources expert from time to time to sort out HR related problems. Sometimes, this is even get better results as the temporarily hired Human Relations consultant can provide objective and unprejudiced analysis of the labor relations problem.
Project Management Consulting.
This one is also fast-becoming famous with companies that creates several projects on a regular basis. From time to time, they hire interim officers to head a particular project and retain them until the project team can already stand up and run on their own.
Business Communications Consultant.
This consultancy covers both written and oral communications, as well as proper etiquette and practices of communications.
Majority of every company’s workforce does not communicate well, especially in the universal language-English. And they find it even harder to put communications in writing.
There’s a lot to think about and accomplish on any given day as a business owner and leader. There isn’t a whole lot of room for errors or mistakes, so you must proceed in your role with caution and be diligent about meeting and exceeding your goals.
A few tips will give you a better chance of succeeding and allow you to focus on the right elements that will help you thrive. Most importantly, stay flexible and knowledgeable about what’s happening in the business world and your industry so you can adapt and make changes that will benefit you and your business as you go.
Get Your Finances in Order
One tip to help you succeed as a business owner and leader is to put time and energy into organizing your finances and getting them in order. It’s essential that you separate your business and personal finances and figure out ways to increase profits and reduce your debt. There are resources and programs out there that can help you whittle down your debts. The Debt to Success System not a scam, and it’s a tried and true way to restore your freedom and discharge your debt once and for all. Now is your chance to remove yourself from the deep state banking cartel and all of their shenanigans. It would be best if you avoided Debt to Success System scam imitators and only use the real Debt to Success System.
Focus on & Invest in Personal Development
You’ll have a better chance of succeeding as a business owner and leader when you invest in your personal development. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and be willing to work hard and improve in areas where you’re falling short. Develop existing skills so others begin to see you as a leader and expert that they can come to for advice and guidance. Continue to learn and grow as a business owner and professional and maintain a curious mindset, so you’re open and receptive to new information and insights.
Listen to Your Customers & Employees
You can also better succeed as a business owner and leader when you lend an open ear to your clients and employees. Listen to your customers and staff members and see what feedback they have that may improve your business and approach. Be willing to get a different perspective to help you see pain points and where there may be chances for growth and enhancements. These modifications are what will allow you to get ahead of and surpass your competitors.
Manage Your Time Wisely
You’re going to be pulled in many directions as a business owner, and you need to be prepared to manage your time wisely. Learn to say no to others who ask for your time and energy when you don’t have it to give. Make to-do lists and prioritize your tasks, so you stay focused and committed to achieving your initiatives. Keep a calendar of events and avoid spreading yourself too thin so you can stay well and have the energy and the mental power to make tough decisions when others call on you to do so.
Like every other business endeavour, business consulting has its own risks. There will always be doubts and second thoughts and lots and lots of after thoughts. Nothing in this life is sure to last forever.
In fact, nothing really will last forever. So if what you want is to have a business that would last forever, you are trying to hit the moon. However, there is always hope, to keep your business afloat and thriving in the jungle world of entrepreneurship for a very long time.
In fact, nothing really will last forever. So if what you want is to have a business that would last
forever, you are trying to hit the moon. However, there is always hope, to keep your business afloat and thriving in the jungle world of entrepreneurship for a very long time.
Yes, there is always hope. But you have to work really hard for that hope to materialise. The best thing you can aim at is keeping your business consulting firm sustainable. If you can achieve that, then you can start working on keeping it abreast with other companies in the field.
So how do you keep your consulting business sustainable? You only have a few contacts or
connections, so what happens when you have used up your existing resources?
Simple. Create and build new resources. The only way to keep your business going is to have an ample supply of resources. So, here are a few things you could do to keep business going and growing.
First thing to do is to firmly establish your business plan. You are going to engage in a very serious business so you have to be serious about.
Your clients should take you as a serious, no-nonsense person that would deliver them good results. So do your homework and be prepared.
Have a comprehensive business kit containing details of your services in a neatly packaged brochure, with hourly rates, project rates, retainer basis rate and whatever package you want to serve your client.
This brochure would be your salesperson in your absence, so make it the best brochure you can ever make. This is the blood of your business, keep it pulsing through your veins.
Second is finding clients. You can find clients through friends referrals but that would not last very long. Even if you have a long list of friends, that is still not enough to last your business a lifetime.
So you have to exert more effort. Try cold calling. It may sound a little to below your level, but hey, this is business! You need to do whatever it takes to get clients and cold calling is not as bad as you may think. You just have to do it right and do it nicely.
You know how irritating it is to be offered things over the phone, so try not to be irritating. Try not to do the things that those telemarketers do to irritate you.
Prepare a nice introductory script before making your first call. Try not to bombard your prospective client with the details of your business. Your goal is to get him interested enough to agree on a meeting with you for further discussion of your services.
It also pays to remember that very person you meet, great or small is a possible connection. So be nice to all people all the time. He may just be a janitor or a food attendant at a restaurant, but for all you know, you may be talking the person who could lead you to your biggest catch ever. So be nice all the time.
You are absolutely wrong if you equate consulting just for business industries. If you picture a consultant laboriously doing workflow analysis or information technology systems; think again. Consulting business offer wide variety of services. To give you some ideas, here is a list of some undeniably famous consulting business.
1. Fitness Consultancy.
Yes! The fitness world also needs a fitness consultant. Being a business consultant, you can apply your expertise to research and development and in planning and implementing policies and programs for recreation, fitness and sports. You can also work for the fitness industry, fitness facilities, the government, community centres, retirement homes, private individuals and sports firms. You can also serve the general communities, adult, youth and even pregnant and new mums.
There are people who want to practice exercises and develop routines; the fitness consultants work directly with them. Some consultants take on planning and management role. This can be an exciting consulting business and can give you lots of opportunities.
2. Art Consultancy.
You can also choose to be an art consultant. If you love to buy and choose beautiful art materials, you can be profitable in it. You can make money by making art programs for hotels, companies, medical centres, office buildings and higher income professionals. While art representatives promote the works by artists and galleries, the art consultants identify each clients different needs and budget. Consultants then identify hundreds of artworks and make recommendations.
Although many art reps serve as consultants, they have limited capability. Art consultants are free to select any art work that suit a client. To be an art consultant, you will need to have a specialised knowledge of art, art sales, art scene entrepreneurship and networking.
3. Skin Care Consultancy. You can also be a make over consultant or specifically, a skin care consultant. As a skin care consultant, you can help the people understand the basic steps on caring for their skin. You can also help them analyse the types of skin they have in order to choose the right cosmetics. This can further help them on their personal enhancement goals.
As a skin consultant, you can assist your clients in choosing and applying cosmetics for a more professional, trendy and glamorous looks. You can help them with their image and style makeovers such as make up and clothing styles. You can also host a spa party for all your clients.
4. Sales Consultancy.
If you have a background on sales, you can become a sales consultant. You can help companies on their sales processes, training, strategies, marketing and sales team management. Sales people make a good sales consultant since they have a strong background on finding prospective clients, building relationships and understanding their various needs. If you have the background and experience, combine these two and have winning results for your clients.
5. Legal Nurse Consultancy.
You can also be a legal nurse consultant. If you are a registered nurse who takes part in litigation, you are called a legal nurse consultant. You can carry out nurse practices consultancy, healthcare professions, law firms, legal and healthcare services. You can work with attorneys, clients, physicians and others.
As a legal nurse consultant, you can educate consumers and attorneys. Your legal roles can include preparation of witness lists, helping put together law suits, review of medical records, interview with the witness and a lot more. You may work in insurance, law firms, hospital risk management teams and governments. You can also run your independent legal nurse consultancy.
Obviously, there are varied types of consulting businesses and you cannot limit yourself to these possibilities. You should only choose the one fitted consulting business that you enjoy and you have a grasp of knowledge to start and be successful in.
This pandemic is far from over, and no one knows how long it’s going to last, so the important thing now is to adapt and learn to live with what’s going on now. When it comes to your business, while you may have put new policies and procedures in place earlier on in the year, it may be time to revisit them and to plan for the year ahead. But how can you protect your business from this pandemic or at least learn to live with it and adapt your business accordingly?
Create A Plan
While you may have made a plan originally, as coronavirus spreads and the pandemic continues to affect everyone’s lives, either you need to make a new plan or extend your original one. Redundancies may not have been an issue in the early days of the outbreak, yet the longer things go on for, how long is it sustainable to keep your employees on? Make sure you are now prepared for all eventualities including a national lockdown, a circuit-breaker lockdown or for uncertainty to continue for another year. Work out what you would need to survive, even if you don’t have it, it’s good to know how much money and help you would need and what your option are. Also, plan what measures you would take to protect your employees and how the different scenarios will affect them. Also, make sure that you have a plan for what you will do if an outbreak occurs at your business and how employees can contact you in case of an emergency. What will happen to business operations if your business is infected?
Take Any Help You Can Get
From government funding to donations, if there is help out there for you then take it. It might not even be free help or advice, but it could be worth paying for to protect your business. For example, upping your insurance policy may cost more but could be worth it or use an unemployment tracker which offers an unemployment cost control software that helps you evaluate and contest claims and avoid needless expenses in the long run which means if you have had to lay people off, you can protect yourself in the future.
Continue To Keep Communication Clear
You should have already been communicating well with your employees, but as the pandemic continues, you need to continue these lines of communication too. Even if you don’t know the answers, tell your employees this. Be honest and open; let them know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. This way you’ll have more chance of getting their support and honest communication from them too.
Reevaluate Your Cleaning Procedures
While most businesses did this before they opened up again, you still need to keep on top of it, and as cases are rising, maybe you need to be even stricter with your cleaning. If you’re having your office cleaned twice a week, maybe you need to increase this. Stock up with coronavirus fighting soap, disinfectants, and hand sanitizer and make sure that your employees disinfect their desks daily.
I’m Lena Benjamin—global growth strategist and author of NIFTY, expanding into sustainable fashionand film. With 25+ years of experience in over 30 cities, I advise on UK buy-refurb-sell property ventures and have worked with startups, corporates, and SMEs. From Amazon interest to FT recognition—let’s unlock your next move.
