When half of life is shut down, how do you keep going?

Now is the time to strategize, get creative, focus, look at the opportunities you have right now and in the future. Here are some ways to prevent a stalled mindset during this worldwide pandemic:

- Build a plan for NOW
- Build a plan for WHEN

NOW — PIVOT YOU MESSAGE + GET CREATIVE + INNOVATE

-Streamline and boil down your business to what works for today.
If you are a physical store: go online, make things to-go, practice social distancing, implement safety practices for your employees, create webinars, facilitate online, share your writing, make a video of you making art.

• What are your customers’ problems? Are they different now than they were? Use your heart and feel into the issues right now. Don’t beg and create pity. DO create something that people want and need. This could be in the form of inspiring hope for the future, help your customers dream about when life is back to normal.
• Get your message out, use those email lists! If you don’t have one, start building one! Don’t give your customers space. Talk to your people, be in front of them, be caring and get yourself out there!
• Refine your message.
• Think about your future and sell future experiences.
• Reduce debt/expenses. Lay-off employees, you don’t need while there is still government support for them.

WHEN — BUILD THE PLAN FOR THE NEXT SEASON

Through proper prep work: YOU set yourself up to succeed for this NEXT stage by staying engaged during COVID19.

• YOU have reduced debt and have a team you can afford.
• What’s next?
• Look at the new opportunities and needs that you might be able to solve — your solutions will be needed.
• GROW your business and offerings with a laser focus on what is needed in this new future.
• Encourage hope as we climb out of this.
• Create new messaging with sensitivity towards financial concerns that people are facing.
• What did you learn? How can you incorporate new ways of operating
• Maybe a leaner business model or completely new service model to present?
• Rework your financials.
• Create new plans based on your pivots and the new opportunities that have been created.
• Begin NEW! Revaluate and recreated your goals, values and focus during COVID-19.

Life as we know it has changed- Let’s make it a change for the better! Let’s be smarter, more caring, and proactive!