To every person, business owner, and business being affected by COVID-19, I am so sincerely sorry. My heart is breaking for each of you as you are navigating this unknown territory. As a small business owner myself, I have wept over the stories of our clients going through their worst nightmares. When owning a business, there are so many risks and rewards. But in times like these, we are faced with unimaginable circumstances and decisions when it comes to our livelihoods and the livelihoods of our teams and clients. To the business owner wondering how they are going to stay afloat, I am thinking about you. To the mom having to juggle homeschooling their kids and balancing their work, I see you. To the employee who has had to adapt to online-working and learning new systems, my heart reaches out to you. To those whose family members are sick or have passed away due to this terrible virus, I am praying for love and comfort to surround you. Each of us is living out our own struggle, but the one thing that we have in common is that we need one another, we need hope, and we need encouragement. This blog is being written to hopefully help fill the void of some of these needs. I do not have all of the answers, but I have done the research and I want to set you up with the right resources to help you succeed during this time. Remember that although this seems like it is our new reality, it’s only temporary. There is no guarantee when things will be back to normal but eventually, they will be normal again. Hang in there! In the meantime, here are some resources that I believe will inspire you to keep going and help you make the most out of your current situation.
Business Owners
To all of my fellow business owners, wow, how were we truly supposed to prepare for something of this measure? Most of us have never lived through anything quite like this, I know I haven’t. So the only thing we can do is the next right thing for your business, your team, and your family. Remember, communication is key. Reach out to your customers, show them you care and put them at ease. I know there are a lot of different opinions on what that “next right thing” is, so I am here to provide some tools to help you figure out what that is for you and your business.
Some well-known and highly-respected women in the business/creative world, Jenna Kutcher and Natalie Franke, recently held a webinar to help business owners like yourself. This webinar is jam-packed with information from experts in business law, finance, and communications to help you navigate the repercussions of the coronavirus on your business. This webinar has three 20 minute segments that will hopefully leave you feeling a heck-of-a-lot better about where to go from here in your business decisions now and to come! Along with the webinar, Jenna Kutcher has put together a free guide on protecting your business and surviving this season. And if you are an Enneagram 1 like myself, then I am sure you are wanting to stay organized in the midst of the chaos as well. Jenna also made a, “When things feel out of control, let’s focus on what we can control” planner. We hope these resources help you feel like you can get back on your feet and take charge of the not-so-great circumstances!
Another great resource to look into is from the amazing shark, Barbara Corcoran. She recently was featured on Good Morning America answering questions about Coronavirus when it comes to business, personal finances, and college students trying to make an extra income. She eases the listener’s mind, reminding them that there are ways to start up a side-hustle and that your landlords will be gracious in this time of financial uncertainty. Tip: start thinking to yourself, is there a digital offer I can start to provide?
The Wedding & Event Industry
To those of you who have a line of work in the wedding and event industry, oh how my heart reaches out to you. You may be experiencing a lot cancelations right now and wondering how you are going to financially make it through this season. Half of my clients here at Steadfast are in the wedding and event industry and I have heard their personal stories of fighting through this, so I see you. I have such a huge passion to see you get through this victoriously! A good friend of mine Michelle Loretta, the owner of Sage Wedding Pros, is offering a ton of FREE help to business owners like you. She is willing and excited to walk you through this, along with others, via Zoom Call and give you practical advice through the knowledge she has gained in this industry over the years. She shares three Coronavirus action items for event professionals: 1) assess your risk management plan, 2) be proactive with client communication, 3) prepare your business for possible economic impact. You can read a lot more about these three steps in an incredible blog she put together that is stock full of incredible resources for you! Or, if you prefer to listen to this information than read it, check out her podcast here. To fully understand her heart and how she can help you navigate the wedding and event industry right now, watch her Instagram stories that include her contact information if you want to ask her personal questions that pertain to your business.
Current “Homeschool Moms”
I think we can all agree that teachers of all grades are actual angels sent from above. To all of my mompreneurs or moms balancing work from home, I definitely feel you right now. I have been juggling running my business and teaching my daughter/turning in her daily work online. It can be difficult to give attention to both of these areas fully, like many of you know. I encouraged my team at Steadfast to do block scheduling. Let’s be real, we think we can multitask just about anything, but it can be difficult to work on a client’s books and teach your kids about photosynthesis at the same time. So we decided to all agree upon setting apart time for each thing to fully devote ourselves to the people deserving of it. Below are a few resources that our team has found to be particularly helpful in this new season of being aspiring teachers.
Okay, mommas, we know that kids thrive off of schedules and routines, but how do we truly fit everything in a day? Everyone has different needs and kids of all ages, so the schedule I share from The Mama Notes may not work best for your family. But, feel free to take some ideas from this schedule and then make it your own. The Mama Notes also has amazing blogs full of engaging activities for your kids and tips on how to practice self-care while taking care of everyone else. Another blog to check out is by the incredible Emily Ley. She has written a whole series of blogs on simplifying life in a crisis. The topics of the blogs range from simple meals to how to declutter your home while you’re indoors for a little while.
When it comes to your schedule, you will probably have to tweak it and get feedback from some tough critics (your kids) but as long as they’re learning and having fun they should be good to go! The point is, your kids just want you and your undivided attention. They want to show you a crayon that looks like a shooting star or a piece of playdough that supposedly looks like a sculpture of you. So make sure to block schedule time out where you’re not checking emails or scrolling through Instagram.
We hope this blog gave you some peace of mind, practical tips, and a bit of strength to continue moving forward in whatever challenge or challenges you are faced with today. We are never going to get it perfect, but we are human, we never will. So now we join hands (virtually), we ask questions, we offer help in times of need, and we continue building a legacy. What a story we will be able to tell for generations to come on how we faced the odds stacked against us. And if you just needed some more good news: The IRS has extended both the filing and the payment of taxes to July 15th. Utilize this time to reallocate funds while still trying to save for that tax return. If you’re worried about your books or taxes and you need some assistance, we are always here. No pressure at all. We just want to help wherever we can! You are in our prayers & thoughts!
