Business is Slow. How to Use Quarantine Time Wisely
There is no doubt that businesses across the globe are taking a huge hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of us are working from home, social distancing and being extra cautious of how we go about our lives.
These preventative measures are a challenge for small businesses, which is why I launched a membership to connect us and power through together. When connecting virtually in early 2020 to talk about all things small business, I heard many of your concerns loud and clear.
How can you make the most of this challenge and use it to benefit your business?
Now isn’t the best time to focus on growth, but it’s a great time to pour effort into the sustainability of your business. If you’re not able to operate per usual and you have anxious-filled time on your hands, make energetic investments that can set you up to be a more efficient and more intentional business moving forward. Work on your business's backbone.
I use the term “backbone work” because I like to think of this work as the strong foundation that keeps your company strong and nimble. It’s the work that you often put off because you’re so wrapped up in the daily grind. What tasks have you been pushing aside? What items have been on your to-do list for months and months?
Slowing incomes and lack of business can be stressful, to put it mildly, but this is a unique time to focus your attention inward (both professionally and personally) to build bandwidth and sustainability in your business. During our normal lives, we’re always rushing around and focusing on the next thing. When focusing on “the next thing” isn’t an option, it gives us time to take a deep breath and focus on backbone work that we often overlook.
What is “Backbone Work,” Anyway?
Though business may be slow, you have a little extra time to get things done now that can help your business be more efficient and close deals faster in the future, like policies and procedures, developing a clear brand voice in your internal and external communications, and preparing for future sale objections.
Here are some examples of backbone work to get you started:
Customer Service Responses
HR Policies
Contracts
Accounting and Bookkeeping Systems
Employee Manuals
Testimonial Request Templates
Cancellation Procedures
Let me give you an example. Do you find yourself answering the same question over and over again via Instagram or email? Take some time right now to write your most thorough and poignant response - in your brand voice! Leave space to personalize the name and maybe a few other details. Then save this so you can copy and paste for future responses. (Pro tip: save it as a signature in your mail program for email responses.)
Here’s one more example while we’re at it. Do you find yourself spending hours with new hires to explain to them the company culture, expectations, guidelines, and more? Create an employee manual! Next time you hire, give them a digital copy of the manual and let them dive in. Be available to answer questions, but save yourself the time and energy of explaining core policies over and over again.
While times are challenging, stay positive and use this moment to reflect on your business. You may not have much control over this unfortunate situation, but you do have control over your use of this time. Pivot and innovate, and also use this time to focus on the internal processes of your business so that you’ll feel ready and refreshed to grow your business once the world returns to normal. If you take it a step further and weave your clear brand voice and brand intentions into the backbone elements of your business, you will feel more intrinsically connected to your mission when all is said and done.
Please keep me posted on your progress, and let me know in the comments what other topics would be helpful to cover in upcoming workshops or blog posts!
