Intro.

There’s nothing new about floor graphics. Other than the current increase in demand perhaps. Some companies have expertise and years of experience supplying these products. Yet even they may not be aware of all the potential risks. Risks that could lead to injuries, and as a result significant legal claims, by specifying products not fit for purpose…

I’ve spent the last 20 years in the signage and graphics industries. Previously as a senior executive of one of the UK’s most successful signage and graphics suppliers. Floor graphics were a major product in our portfolio, and we supplied large volumes across a diverse range of internal and external applications and environments.

Covid-19 has created a new demand for a variety of products. Social distancing floor graphics being just one of them. Yet many do not understand the risks of the product. Or the significant legal claims they could face for supplying, or buying, the wrong product solution.

I now work as a business consultant, offering a variety of services and industry expertise. Given the rise in demand for social distancing floor graphics, I felt it important to highlight some of the risks attached to them. I hope this article prevents anyone having an accident. Or indeed you facing a legal claim.

If you would like further insights into specifying floor graphics, you can contact me via Pyramid Resource Solutions.

Floor graphics for covid-19 social distancing

Floor graphics have been around for years. As a result, there’s numerous specialists companies who’ve built up years of knowledge and experience, specifying and supplying them. To be specific they know the right products, the potential risks attached to supplying the wrong ones, and how to manage legal claims for slips and trips.

It would be hard to miss the recent rise in popularity of floor graphics for covid-19 social distancing. Despite the reduction in retail outlets, and commercial environments open during lock down, those that remained open have installed some form of social distancing floor markings.

As we ease out of lock down, more and more businesses are reopening. Add to this the numerous opportunities floor graphics offer, such as advertising space, the demand for floor graphics is only going to increase. They may even become a permanent feature in commercial, and public spaces, as part of the new normal.

With the increase in demand, and the increase in traffic, law of averages suggests if you’re supplying floor graphics, or buying floor graphics, your exposure to their potential risks will also increase. And where there’s blame, there’s a claim, that could prove costly to you and your business.

Many companies are now being asked to supply various social distancing and coronavirus protective solutions. Some may well be asked to supply products they don’t completely understand.

Even if you supply other forms of graphic solutions, if you’re new to supplying floor graphics, or being asked to as part of your covid-19 signage solutions. Or you’re responsible for buying Covid-19 signage and social distancing graphics, read this post…

It might help you avoid a potential banana skin, that could seriously hurt someone and prove extremely costly.

Floor graphics – where there’s blame, there’s a claim!

The demand for social distancing signs and graphics has meant many companies have created brochures promoting covid-19 protective products. More than likely offering social distancing floor graphics as part of their coronavirus signage and graphics solutions.

Unlike window vinyls, manifestations and wall graphics, the risks attached to supplying and buying floor graphics, significantly increase. There are still the obvious risks of damaging surfaces, adhesive residue etc. However, unlike other graphics, people physically interact with floor graphics, when walking over them.

Slips and trips are the most significant cause of injury in the workplace and in public spaces.

So, as well as the obvious risks of damage, floor graphics also have the additional safety risk of slips and trips. Therefore, this needs careful consideration and management.

When supplying or installing floor graphics on your premises, you’re introducing a change to the flooring surface. Albeit in a very localised area. If you’re installing a floor graphic product without ensuring it’s specification is fit for purpose, it could be the direct cause of an accident, injury or even fatality.  As a result, you and / or your client, are exposed to significant legal claims and damage.

To protect yourself you have two options. Either specify or purchase a safe solution, by fully understanding all aspects, requirements and installing the correct application. Alternatively, ensure your client / supplier is aware of any potential risks, and in turn is responsible for ensuring the product is fit for purpose.  This is too important, and risky, to leave to assumption or trust.

Floor graphics – product insight

Whether supplying or buying social distancing floor graphics, or for any other application, product insight is essential. Understanding the various options available, and the risks of installing the wrong specification for the environment, shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Floor graphics are usually made from two layers of self-adhesive film. A base layer and a laminate.  The base film is normally white, or clear, and is coated with an appropriate adhesive. The top film, referred to as the laminate, is clear and textured to provide a level of slip resistance. However, it’s not unknown for companies, even those who should know better, to use a white film and laminate designed for use on walls, or even vehicles. In short, these films are generally cheaper.

Using the wrong film is high risk. For example, the film could de-laminate when washed with floor cleaning detergents, causing a physical trip hazard. The top surface might not be similar enough to the adjacent ground, causing a slip hazard. Or, the top surface may not even meet the minimum slip standards required for the flooring, ground and specific environment.

Be aware, in my experience, it’s also not unheard of for material distributors, and even printers who offer floor graphics, to provide inappropriate specifications for the environment.

If you’re supplying or buying floor graphics, it’s advisable to conduct your own checks, and ensure the film specified, and supplied, is suitable for its application and environment.

The risks of floor graphics

There are numerous risks attached to supplying and purchasing floor graphics. If you are, then you need to protect yourself, and those who come into contact with them. As a further example, location should also be considered.

Floor graphics are designed and placed to draw people’s eyes, and therefore attention, to the floor. Generally, in environments where people are moving. As a result, increasing the risk of collision. Either with other people, or elements of the environment, normally in the line of sight. This causes a risk of potential injuries, and legal claims, from someone claiming their safe passage was distracted by the floor graphic. And as a result, caused their injury.

Can you demonstrate to a court how you considered this risk when installing a floor graphic?

Conclusion

Floor graphics have already become increasingly popular. The demand for Covid-19 signage solutions, and social distancing graphics, will continue to rise now more and more business are reopening from the lock down. There are numerous different businesses, commercial premises and public spaces. All will have different requirements to be considered when specifying safety signs and graphics.

Whether you’re new to supplying increased volumes of floor graphics, or you now have responsibility for purchasing covid-19 signage and graphic solutions, seek expert guidance.

Where there’s blame there’s a claim. And make no mistake it could be extremely costly.

With the right knowledge and understanding of floor graphics, they can be a highly successful product. As a floor graphics supplier, or even as a buyer selling advertising space on your floors. Getting the specification and application right will ensure safety, and profit rather than loss.

About this post

As signage recruitment specialists we obviously have a keen interest in the signage and graphics industries. Perhaps more importantly, we also have an extensive network of sign industry experts, available to offer you advice and support on a consultative basis.

This article was written in collaboration with one of our network partners, who offers a range of strategic, coaching and development services to business leaders. As part of our commitment to supporting the sign and graphics industries, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, we are not charging any introduction / recruitment fees if you’d like to engage the support services of our business consultants.

If you’d like help on understanding the risks attached to floor graphics, how to specify or purchase the correct solution for different applications and environments contact us.

Remember where there’s blame, there’s a claim! Don’t slip up. If in doubt seek advice.

Even before the coronavirus lock down, video conference calls were already becoming increasingly popular. Love them or hate them, the reality is video calling has now been forced upon us. Furthermore, even after the current lock down restrictions ease, video calls are likely to become an increasingly common part of our business and work lives. Despite this, very few have been trained to conduct professional video calls. Some have stumbled into them, with no time to give it much thought. The fact is, getting video meetings and calls wrong could cause significant damage to your business or career.

So, are your video calls damaging your business or personal brand?

Tips for succesfull video calls

There’s no doubt about it, video calls are, and will increasingly become a common communication channel, and an alternative for face to face meetings. Particularly at the early stages of engagement.

Done well, video calls are an improvement on a telephone call. In short they add some of the visual communication we value from face to face meetings. However, done badly, video calls can be uncomfortable for everyone. Furthermore they can damage your business or personal brand. As a result, harming your company reputation or career prospects.

Ask yourself,

• Have you been trained how to conduct professional video calls?
• Have you trained your team how to make succesfull video calls?

 

If not, I suggest it would be wise to invest some time in getting your video calls right. So, how do you make a succesfull video call?

“there’s far more to think about for a video call, than you’d consider for a conventional face to face meeting…”

Here’s some top tips from one of one our network of talent development Coaching and Training professionals, on how to make professional video calls. This article contains extracts, taken from their “Business Essentials” training sessions.

Planning your video call

The fact is, when you arrive for a conventional meeting your appearance is assessed by those you meet. Often this assessment is subconscious. However, it’s scientifically proven that people make assumptions based on what they see. For example, if you’re smartly presented certain assumptions may be made. As a result a level of authority may be presumed. There’s a reason most people immediately respect, and listen to someone in a uniform. Hence why some where a uniform in their job role.

“recognise the type of video meeting you’re about to have…”

The psychology surrounding this is complex. It can be used to improve all meetings and interactions. This topic is covered in greater detail in my sales training sessions.

For now, think about planning your video call. Of course how you’re presented will be a consideration. However, there’s far more to think about for a video call, than you’d consider for a conventional face to face meeting.

Consider…

When you start a video call everyone else will be looking at more than just you. Take a moment to consider the unique parts of a video call. Calls made from home let others see more than just you. As a result, people in your video meeting may make extra judgments about you, based on how tidy your home is and how you decorate it. They’ll see what you chose to wear when not in your work ‘costume’. They’ll also gather new insight into your competency handling the video conference call technology.

There’s lots of new criteria to consider which may affect opinions of you. As a result, it’s wise to consider this, and preset yourself in the way you want to be perceived.

Video meeting types

There’s many types of video meetings. From formal client or supplier negotiations, through to more casual team updates, brainstorming sessions, interviews and even personal calls.

Recognise the type of video meeting you’re about to have, and apply your normal social rules to all the other insights below, with the meeting type in mind.

Think about how others in the meeting will expect you to interact with them. A video call between you and a colleague you know well should feel very different to a call with a client, boss, or potential employer.

Lighting

A first practical consideration that many get wrong is lighting. Whoever you’re communicating with needs to see you. So you’ll need some light on your face. That means you can’t position yourself with a window or light behind you. If you do you’ll inevitably display on screen as a silhouette.

Ideally, you want a large soft light source, so consider facing a window or positioning a lamp behind your camera so that you’re gently lit, without shadows. Check a video preview so you can see how clear you’ll look.

It’s equally important to ensure you don’t have too much light on you. This will flood the image so your facial expressions won’t be visible.

In summery, good lighting brings your video call closer to a conventional meeting.

Positioning your camera for video calls

Positioning your camera for video calls is one of the most significant things you can do to increase the success of your video meetings. So ensure your camera is well positioned.

Most of us use a laptops, tablets or phones for video calls. As a result we’re using the devices inbuilt camera. Notably, each of these devices are designed to primarily interact with our hands, not our faces. Therefore they work best positioned at counter-top level.

This isn’t great for video calls. When you meet face to face, you’re not normally looked at from below.

For most situations, the camera is best placed at eye level, and fixed in position so it’s pointing straight at you. If you’re using a laptop or a tablet you may want to position your device on a shelf or stack of books. If you’re using a phone you need to clamp it in a stand, or wedge it somewhere secure. Nobody wants to see up your nose, see your double chins, or see you uncomfortably leaning into the screen for the whole meeting, as you fight to look ‘normal’ on screen.

Unless you are intentionally trying to project a casual carefree image, position yourself for business calls with your head and shoulders filling the screen. Think passport photo when you’re sitting comfortably. Nobody will want to see you too close to the camera. Or indeed struggle to find you positioned way off in the distance.

Sound

A common issue with video calls is poor sound quality. Echos and disrupted sound make calls difficult to follow. Especially when there are several people taking part in an online meeting or video conference call.

However, the quick fix is very simple. Earphones!

The speakers and microphones, on most devices, perform poorly when used hands-free. So don’t use them if you want a professional video call. Bluetooth earphones are ideal, as they’re discrete, however wired ones work well too.

When selecting your working area, check for background noise. The rumble of traffic, loud clocks, wind chimes, should all be avoided if possible. In large meetings where you’re not expecting to speak, you can mute your microphone. Although I would advise against this unless you really can’t make the call without background noise interference.

Background view

Here’s the tip many miss. Unlike conventional meetings where assumptions about you can be built on how you look, video calls reveal more. Take a moment to check, and set the view behind you.

Ideally, your choice of area should have a fairly clear, distraction free background. You don’t need a blank wall, however, anything that may offend or looks inappropriate for a professional meeting, should be moved or covered. Do you want others in the meeting able to see your family photos in the background? You may be fine with that, but decide!

If you have a window or space behind you, consider if others may walk past and disrupt the call. Pay particular attention to reflective surfaces such as mirrors, or windows at night, which may create strange reflections and show views you’ve not considered.

For most business meetings I would advise against simulated or virtual backgrounds. Save these ‘toys’ for less formal video calls.

Privacy

In most normal meetings, i.e. face to face, each party is aware of others around them. Therefore volumes can be regulated, or sensitive subjects discussed in privacy.

A weakness of video calls is that we can’t always see who else is around, or behind other peoples cameras. So to make video calls comfortable and secure, you need to help whoever is speaking by compensating for this.

If you’re making a work call tell those around you first. Ask ask them not to disturb you or the call. If someone walks into the room announce this in the call, so the other participants of the video meeting know the conversations is temporarily no longer private.

Never video or record a meeting without permission from everyone in it!

How to dress for a video call

So you have the stage set, the lighting and sound ready…

But how to dress for a video call gets overlooked by some. Or at least may be given lees thought than if they were attending a face to face meeting.  ?

On the whole I suggest if running a call from home you don’t go and put on a business suit. This is unlikely to be expected by other callers. However you should tidy your hair, put on makeup, or shave, if that’s what you would normally do before you meet people.

Furloughed staff aren’t allowed to work, but did you know they’re allowed to take part in company training & development sessions?* 

It’s a fact that companies that provide the best customer experience fair much better during difficult trading times.

Now’s the time to invest in your team & the success of your business’s future. Furthermore we’re currently not charging any introduction fees to put you in touch with our Coaching & Training partners. Better still we’ve negotiated a subsidized discount of £250 for our clients. 

Get in touch to find out more

Know the video meeting platform

The host of the meeting will normally select the video meeting platform they’ll use to host the video call. It’s inevitable if speaking with many people you will use different applications for different meetings. There’s a few things you should do before the meeting, to ensure you know enough about the application you will be using.

First install the application on your device well ahead of the meeting. This provides you with the opportunity understand the basic controls.

Make sure you know how to mute your microphone and your video, and use the preview option to check how you’ll appear on screen. You may be able to set the name that will be displayed and select other features that will help make your video call a success.

Concentrate & equip

The last extracts from the full training session are to concentrate and equip yourself for your meeting.

When alone in the room, particularly if you’re less active in the meeting, do not slip into thinking you’re watching TV. Everyone can see you, ALL THE TIME, so remain comfortable but self conscious.

A video call is the wrong time to pick your nose, or start doing another task. Stay present and engaged in the meeting. Follow the call, and take part in it as appropriate.

Do not check your messages, read or reply to emails, start eating, or start some research on the web, unless this is part of the meeting.

You need to apply extra concentration.

I would suggest you equip yourself with a drink before the meeting Starts. Have any notes relevant to the meeting at hand, and make sure you have a pen and paper to make notes.

A toilet break before the meeting starts, along with the tips will leave you ready to take part in a successful meeting. Or at the very least it won’t be you letting the side down!

Final note

I hope the above extracts are helpful for everyone. There are more in depth details and further help available for those taking part in, arranging, or hosting video calls. As part of my “business essentials” training sessions, additional topics such as how to structure meetings to be short and effective for everyone as well as a wider section on sales training, with modules for leaders and managers through to team members.

It’s a proven fact that companies that provide the best customer experience fair stronger during difficult trading times.

Now’s the time to invest in training your team and put your business in a position of strength.

Investing in Talent Development has multiple benefits, from reducing staff turnover to benefiting your employer brand. That’s not to mention improving the capabilities of your team, and as a result the benefits to your business.

Our network of coaching and training professionals, and senior leadership mentors, can help you reach your personal and professional goals. Contact us to discuss your talent development needs, and find out more about how we can support you.

* Government terms & conditions may apply under the furlough scheme

Is my business essential? Should I have stopped trading?

This is not as tough a question as it may first appear. However, there is some understandable confusion which we need to eliminate.

Your business should try and adjust to carry on if:

1. You can operate safely.
2. Your business remains viable.

Clarifying the confusion of the words ‘essential’ & ‘necessary’

A consistent point that has seemingly caused confusion circles around the words ‘essential’ and ‘necessary’.

The Prime Minister’s speech on 23rd March 2020 told everyone in the UK that they “must stay at home”, except for four limited reasons. The fourth reason was travelling to and from work.

The government has NOT instructed the UK to stop working!

That same point continued to clarify that this is “only where this is absolutely necessary and can not be done from home”.

Unfortunately, the use of the words ‘absolutely necessary’ have then been repeated out of context. As a result they’ve been incorrectly interpreted by some, as ‘people can only work if absolutely necessary’ or if delivering ‘essential services’.

Following the speech, many staff and employers decided their business would not be viewed as delivering essential services to key workers, and decided they needed to close, or suspend trading.

Decisions made on misinformation are incorrect. They will cost the economy in the long term, hurting staff and businesses. In the short term they have already led to avoidable redundancies and cutbacks.

So to clarify the confusion over the words “essential” and “necessary”…

If a role can not be completed from home, then it is absolutely necessary to travel to work!

Clarifying the specific businesses identified to close

If your business type was specifically identified in the speech, or subsequent notices, because for example, it sells what is viewed to be non-essential goods, operates a library, a place of worship, a gym… then you do not need to close your business as a whole. As long as you can restructure it to comply with the new instructions.

The principle point of the changes imposed on us is to limit the spread of the disease. Unfortunately venues such as shops and organisations where people come into close contact increase the spread of it.

Before suspending trading there is a moral obligation. And in many cases, contractual responsibilities on business leaders requiring them to try and find a way to operate in a new way. A way that will not spread the disease.

For most shops, this means closing their doors to the public, but continuing (or starting) to operate online. In fact, potentially growing that part of the business at a time where the public need online suppliers more than ever before.

For places of worship or gyms, that may mean that they operate via social media or video.

We need to comply with the instructions and guidance issued by the government. You ALSO need to consider if and how to keep your business going.

Will my business survive Coronavirus?

Understandably, most business owners have asked themselves this question. Crossing your fingers & hoping for the best is not a sound business strategy. Read our advice, & learn what the most succesfull business leaders are doing. learn more

Why should you stop trading?

Business leaders that do not put in the effort required to adapt their business are letting down their staff, their customers, and the country, as they move from contributing to the economy, to becoming a burden on it.

So work travel, and even your industry, are not reasons to give in. So why should you stop trading?

Safety is the most important reason to stop some, or all, of your business activities. To operate your business, you need to protect the well-being of your staff, and everyone they come into contact with. In this case, this duty of care means you need to establish if staff can travel to and from work, and can complete their work maintaining, for example, a safe distance from all other people.

If you can not make changes to protect staff, then you first need to discuss redeploying these workers to other safe functions in the business. Or as a last resort, they may not be able to work.

In most working environments it is also appropriate to take reasonable steps to ensure working areas, and items your staff touch, are free from the virus before and after contact.

There is a risk someone may be infected by the virus sitting on a surface of items passed from one person to another. (In or out of your business).

Reasonable steps may include enforcing hand washing, modifying processes for maintaining distance and good hygiene, cleaning items before and after contact, providing appropriate PPE.

For some businesses several simple changes can be made. For others, if it is impossible, then stopping work in parts of the business may be the only solution.

Considering Safety

When considering safety you need to also review all current systems, as changes may impact otherwise normally safe areas. Ensure staff do not feel duty-bound to do anything they are not competent to do, or that other safety measures are reliant on.

You may be faced with a reduced workforce and new risks from anxious or distracted staff. All your normal safety needs to be re-considered.

As distancing and good hygiene are so central to containing the virus, and many businesses are already failing to enforce controls such as the 2-metre guidance, the government may step in and stop other types of work. Government stopping more types of work will cause further damage to the economy, so business leaders should be managing, and enforcing safety, as a matter of urgency.

There is help available for all safety considerations if you choose to use it.

The bottom line for all business leaders is to keep everyone safe

The bottom line for all business leaders is to keep everyone safe, so the activities you allow to happen in your business do not spread the virus. Review safety, get external help if required, and immediately make changes to carry on safely.

Many functions of your business may be able to continue, especially if they are roles that can be completed at home. Many staff can be redeployed to other roles or interim safe work. If you can not make the required changes, you need to consider what happens to the specific staff affected and how that impacts on the viability of your ongoing business.

The second reason to stop trading is business viability

The second reason given above to stop trading is business viability. Business leaders have a duty to try and find ways to safely and legally keep your business trading, making adjustments where possible to continue to provide products or solutions now wanted / needed by your clients.

However, you also need to ensure the company remains financially viable with any changes you apply.

If the current products or services can not be provided because there are problems with your supply chain, or customers have stopped all activity, you need to establish if your team and business can adapt to address one of the areas that need additional product or services.

Business leaders need to ensure the fundamental of sales revenue, minus total operating costs, still results in a viable business…

even if this business is very different from the one you planned at the start of the year!

Increased operating costs from activity such as applying additional safety measures, managing around staff absences, increased material costs, mobilisation of new products or services, reduced efficiency, may all be significant.

A fundamental check may demonstrate that a previously profitable company will now operate at a loss with these temporary measures in place. So the business leader will need to establish if they have access to adequate cash to survive this loss-making period, and forecast how the company recovers.

Juggling the immediate challenges caused by coronavirus is leaving many business owners, & senior leaders, stretched. What is increasingly apparent, due to misinformation & vague guidelines, a number of businesses are making mistakes. Mistakes that could have a detrimental impact.

Do you need leadership support? Free coronavirus support is available from professional business consultants. Contact us to find out more.

It may also reveal that with some changes, such as providing alternative products or services, the period of loss can be reduced or indeed eliminated.

Keeping businesses going is essential

The government recognise that keeping businesses going is essential, and has released a series of measures to support businesses and their staff.

All business leaders need to familiarise themselves with these as some measures may apply and could provide the cash and support required to keep the company trading. Protecting jobs and the economy.

There is, without doubt, some complicated and perhaps overwhelming changes needed for every business, but we have a duty to make this work.

Help is available to review every part of your business and to help you successfully navigate the days weeks and months ahead.

The speed of, and impact caused by, the coronavirus outbreak caught us all unaware. As a result forcing all business leaders to make rapid decisions. Combine this with misinformation and vague guidelines has led to lots of organisations making potentially damaging choices.

If you’d like support, find out more about our partnership with professional business consultants. They’re helping businesses like yours, through their free coronavirus business support sessions. Better still we’re not charging any introduction fees.

To discuss your specific business needs, and find out how our network and resource solutions can help you achieve your business goals, get in touch

With Coronavirus now part of daily discussion most business owners have already asked themselves this question. How will my business survive coronavirus?

Some immediate personal adjustments to adopt social distancing, home working or homeschooling have been forced upon us. But what will happen if you don’t take the matter into your own hands and just leave things to the guidance?

If you’re in the toilet paper or sanitiser business, there’s a pretty good chance your company is going to survive, but what if you’re not? What if your normal product or service is no longer in high demand?

Crossing your fingers and hoping for the best is not an option. At least not a viable one that will help your business survive coronavirus

Make changes & make them now

Every business leader needs to make some changes and make them now. What we have to remember is many changes, and new priorities, are going to be positive.

The first point of action is not to panic or act rashly. This will only get in the way of what you need to be doing. While it is completely understandable to be concerned. As a professional your time is better spent getting prepared. Then doing the right thing for your specific business.

You need to understand that the government guidance for companies is biased to addressing people’s health and wellbeing. The guidance does not  consider or address your company’s health.

What you need to do!

What you need to do is this.

Filter misinformation delivered to you by less credible sources, and at times correct misinformed staff.

You also need to recognise that even if your business qualifies for some of the great support announced by the government, your company will need to get stronger and fitter right now, to benefit.

To satisfy criteria for some grants and loans you can expect to be asked to prove, in some way, that your business is affected directly by the Coronavirus, and not just suffering for another reason. You may be asked for copies of items such as business plans, budgets, cash flow forecasts. You may also be asked to demonstrate how you will pay it back, and provide security for some loans.

So now is the time to ensure you have a strong grasp of your company’s current position, and the options available to you.

Is my business essential? Should I have stopped trading?

Misinformation & vague guidelines have led to some leaders making mistakes. Mistakes that could seriously harm the future success of their business! Here we clarify the confusion around the terms “essential” & “necessary” when it comes to closing your business or continue trading. learn more

Actions to make

Make sure you have simple tools in place to review your sales pipeline, so you can ascertain which anticipated orders may no longer happen as (or when) you originally envisioned.

Make sure you have an uncomplicated way to assess the orders and commitments you already have, or will secure from the pipeline, and establish if they are to be fulfilled as originally planned or sold.

People with underlying health issues are at greater risk from Coronavirus (Covid-19). The same is true for businesses…

We’re big advocates of conducting regular business health checks. They keep your business fit & well, ready to capitalise on opportunities or adapt to market changes. When did you last health check yours? 

learn more

Ensure that you have fundamental financial information. Will the realistic sales forecasts and projected order fulfilment support your company’s ongoing overheads and costs. Will your cash or lending cover these costs?

Spending time right now to review each function of the business can identify what you need to be doing in the ’now’, ‘during’ and ‘recovery’ phases.

The during and recovery phase may feel like tomorrows problem, but some areas deserve thought now. For example, you may wish to review the credit you provide to all existing and new clients to increase control of this risk.

You may want to prepare the company management to provide support for staff who are affected by the serious illness or death of a family member, friend or work colleague.

You may want to plan for high levels of absence, or recruitment to expand areas of your business to support the necessary changes.

Reviewing your business can uncover positive opportunities

As you review the phases for each part of your business you can uncover further positive opportunities such as:

Sales & Marketing

Reviewing your pipeline and market may reveal that product or market ‘A’ may be about to experience a dip in sales, but with this positive insight, you may be able to direct marketing energy and sales resource to product or market ‘B’ which is in growth.

Clients are likely to be unable to complete face to face meeting, so you can get ahead and equip and train your team on video call etiquette…

You can increase your presence by advertising and lifting your profile to let your clients know you are still able to safely support them, and at the simplest level be at the front of their mind when we enter the recovery phase.

Right now, renewed energy can be applied to existing and new products or services, launched and promoted with a new set of perspectives that support the new concerns faced by your clients.

With potentially less time spent travelling, sales teams may be able to use that time to complete further product training or spend the extra time contributing to new initiatives.

Fulfilment

Reviewing your ‘order book’, the updated pipeline and marketing plans will clarify what is now needed and likely to be needed in the phases ahead, and resource can be adjusted and balanced now, rather than later.

New stronger relationships can be forged with your supply chain to secure ongoing supply and access to their flexibility and innovation.

If there is downtime or delays decisions can be made if contracts allow to lay staff off, or if safe to do so deploy them on related activities that you have never otherwise had time to do.

Financial & business management

By reviewing the current government and bank-backed schemes and resources available to help you may be able to address any anticipated strains on cash and staff retention. Improved business management should equip you with the evidence you will need to satisfy the criteria for some grants and funding support (such as interim revised business plan, sales forecasts, cash flow predictions).

The actions you take now could be the difference between your business surviving the coronavirus outbreak or not

Get free coronavirus leadership support from professional business consultants.

This is an opportunity to review your critical dependencies, address weaknesses such as dependency on specific staff or equipment. Identify your company’s overall strengths and weaknesses and use that to your advantage.

Clients or even further government decisions may force changes to your normal business, and more government guidance will inevitably follow. However, it is very clear that if you do not take matters into your own hands right now, the coronavirus is more likely to cause additional damage

What successful business leaders are doing

Successful business leaders are combining government guidance with improved business scrutiny, re-planning and positive actions.

They’ll also recognise that they may well need external leadership support, to help them achieve success, as their consumed by the unplanned additional workload covid19 has caused.

Often viewing things from a distance provides you with a better sense of perspective. That’s exactly why external leadership support is viewed as essential by the most successful business leaders.

In these uncertain times, one thing is for sure. That is the most succesfull business leaders are not shutting their eyes, crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. They’re taking the support they need to make positive steps to ensure their business not only survives, but is ready to capitalise on the immediate and future opportunities.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, need assistance in any specific area, or want to make your businesses stronger, contact us and find out more about our network, and how our resource solutions can support you to achieve your business goals.