How to protect your business during and after the coronavirus crisis.
As we’re all aware, the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis continues to deepen and is likely to get worse over the next few months. Let’s not bury our heads in the sand – things are already tough and will get tougher – and in recognising that, we can at least take robust actions to ride out the emergency as best we can.
But the crisis will eventually pass, so NOW is also the time to make plans and put procedures in place to ensure your business will be strong and efficient when it’s over. There are effective ways you can use this time to prepare for the future, that don’t require a significant investment.
What to do now
Actions you should already have taken (some are obvious):
You are following a written policy to protect staff and customers from exposure, which must contain:
Implementation of the most up to date government guidelines.
A staff hygiene, handwashing, contact and additional PPE policy (and resources).
A premises hygiene, surface and deep cleaning policy.
A policy for managing the hygiene of supplies and their receipt and handling.
A policy for managing the hygiene of deliveries.
A policy for isolating (sending home) persons with symptoms, the infected, those returning from high-risk areas or who are connected with others that are infected.
Additional customer protection: E.g. Reduced non-essential contact; antibacterial gel points for customer use; separating different parties of customers as far as possible in the premises; using additional PPE; insisting on contactless payment; etc.
You have clearly communicated the above policy to your customers: Both for their peace of mind (so they continue to use your business whilst they can) and to ask customers to do their part or to stay away if infected/at high risk.
You have a contingency plan for forced closure: I.e. Are there ways you can continue to serve customers if the government requires businesses like yours to close (seemingly imminent for restaurants, cafés, pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas, events etc.)? E.g.:
Food businesses might be able to continue some business through a delivery service such as Deliveroo or retail businesses through their own website, eBay or Amazon.
OR can you diversify into another activity to sustain some income.
You have a contingency plan for nationwide isolation or a ban on non-essential travel: I.e. If you are a service business and can no longer travel to clients – you have planned for remote provision using the internet, video calls, document transfer, etc.
You are implementing a staffing plan that includes:
Contingency planning for the absence of essential staff due to illness.
Setting up staff to work from home (and supplying resources they need), if possible.
Protecting, separating and isolating staff that are still required in the workplace (e.g. by using additional PPE, making space between workers on a line, restricting gatherings, closing meeting spaces and canteens etc).
Protecting, separating and isolating staff in any delivery operations (e.g. by separating staff in loading areas, sanitisation between each delivery driver, deep cleaning vehicles between drivers, etc.)
Managing staff numbers in the interim: I.e. Should you lay off people now? Could you retain staff on reduced wages? Can you rearrange shift patterns or reassign roles? Do you need more staff in delivery roles?
You have planned for interrupted supply. E.g. by establishing contingency plans with suppliers; retaining additional stock; establishing links with alternative suppliers; investigating alternative supplies and specifications; etc.
You have planned for interrupted development. I.e. If any major projects or investments are likely to be disrupted by the virus, you have planned to mitigate the impact (e.g. by coming to arrangements with suppliers or contractors, delaying the next stage, putting things on hold, renegotiating penalty clauses, providing contingency plans that reduce interruption, etc.).
You have investigated any cover by your insurers.
You have investigated any support by your financiers or bank.
You have investigated any subsidies or assistance available from government.
You have implemented these same actions in all branches or with all franchisees.
If you don’t already have these important actions in place, we can help you plan and implement them. Get in touch.
Preparing for a better future
Above, we’ve considered actions you should already be taking to ride out the crisis, however difficult some of them may be. But it doesn’t end there – more than ever before, you need to put extra effort into bolstering your operation now, so it will be stronger and more efficient after the emergency and thus able to regain ground (and profits) faster when the ‘all clear’ sounds.
Moreover, it actually makes sense to work on the efficiency and procedures of your business now, because:
Your business needs to be robust to face the economy after the crisis.
Working on efficiencies and better procedures need not be expensive.
Your team can work on this from home and remain utilised (and we can help with our remote services to create enhanced procedures, manuals and franchise systems).
Your team may be able to dedicate more time to working ‘on’ the business whilst things are slow and they are unable to work ‘in’ it.
Your competition may not be as well prepared until long after the crisis is over.
Things you must start working on now include:
A plan to retain or reengage good staff after the crisis.
A plan to restructure staffing, whilst you have the opportunity.
A plan to remain engaged with customers and clients throughout the crisis – so they remain informed, valued and loyal even if your business is interrupted.
A plan to retain suppliers and maintain relationships.
A plan of how to ramp up production, services and delivery again after the crisis.
A plan to re-launch and promote any elements of the business interrupted during the emergency.
Reviewing and improving procedures (to improve efficiencies, standards and performance).
Reviewing and improving (or creating new) policies and procedures to ensure better protection should this sort of emergency arise again (or if COVID-19 becomes a seasonal issue).
Developing products and services or delivery methods that add to your range and mitigate the impact of a similar outbreak in the future.
Reviewing and improving contracts, agreements, insurance etc. to mitigate the impact of a repeat of this crisis.
Creating up to date and more robust operations manuals or franchise manuals and systems that drive better standards and performance in your business.
Reinforcing manuals with accompanying resources (such as staff booklets, individual sections, quick reference cards, posters, software, etc. that inform staff and ensure the manuals are implemented for better performance).
Developing in-house training to include better induction, individual skills training, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), coaching and more. (We can create these training programmes for you and then hand them over to use as often as you like without additional cost).
We can help. We can write procedures, operations manuals and franchise manuals remotely with your team, even if they’re working from home.
That way, your team’ remains utilised and together we can create robust procedures to get you through the crisis and make you ready and stronger for the future.
And because we’re all in this together, we’re now offering our remote services at very affordable rates.
Get in touch today for a free phone consultation.
