Business Changing

Profit and Growth Specialist

Lessons for business lockdown

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  • Do a cashflow forecast ASAP — and then do this daily, as events evolve
  • Apply for the government grant
  • Look at what costs you can cut back on but be careful not to cut so much back that you’re unable to execute and operate as you need to when you need to
  • Forget the normal 90-day plan — instead, have a real-time weekly plan… and be prepared for it to become a daily one.
  • This is really important: use these next four weeks for the future good of your business. This is a really disruptive time for all businesses, however you’ll have more time in the next four weeks to work on your business than ever before so make it count. What improvements and innovations can you come up with?
  • To keep family harmony, communicate with every member on how you plan to work with at home — perhaps, if the door is shut, I am unavailable as I am working. You need to maintain a routine so communicate with your family what that looks like to reduce stress and demands on your time. Come up with a schedule — and incorporate, say, a daily walk with your family, lunch outside, a finish time of 5pm etc

CUSTOMERS

  • Communicate to your customers how you will be working for the next month — ie not at all, no change except working from home, more slowly than usual etc. Share the channels they can use to communicate with you ie online meeting hubs.
  • Make a plan: how are you still going to look after customers at this time? What does your new customer care plan look like?

EMPLOYEES

  • Email all staff with guidelines on what Level 4 requires — remember that not everyone would have seen the announcement or recognise what it means for them. Share a brief outline on the government’s requirements and what that means for your business.
  • Be honest with your staff and let them know where you need extra effort, so they can focus on the right things. They’ll want you to get through this as much as you do.
  • Figure out what your bare minimums/essentials in terms of work output are for the coming 4 weeks and how you can make this happen — communicate this to your staff.
  • If your team is able to continue to work remotely, outline what you expect from them in terms of work and output. Agree with them on what they need to work on for the coming month from home, keeping in mind that they may have distractions of children at home.
    Set a constant communication rhythm with online meetings every day, perhaps in the morning to set up the day ahead.
  • You could look to set a schedule, with some measurements, to keep your team motivated and accountable.
  • If you have staff with time on their hands, what value-adding projects can they do over this 4-week period that will make your business stronger when you go back? ie upskilling, e-learning, tidying up databases, finetuning backend processes

SUPPLIERS

  • Talk to your main suppliers and business contacts, including your landlord and bank manager, to see how they can help you through this challenging period

We’ve created a Business Changing Guide for Leaders Checklist which is available as a free download — just click HERE to receive our comprehensive list of more than 110 items to work on to give you the things to work on to have a fighting chance of coming through this.

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  • "Zac has also become a key enabler and contributor to us working towards the development of both our employee engagement and customer experience roadmaps. Kotahi is a new and fast-paced environment and it has been great to have Zac as a trusted advisor to both myself and the CEO. He has a no-nonsense and solid experience-based approach to his consulting style. I have enjoyed working with Zac and look forward to continuing on our engagement journey with the support of Business Changing”
    Jay Padden, HR General Manager, Kotahi
  • "The business planning workshop run by Zac is a great opportunity to challenge existing thinking in your business and take results to the next level. The workshop was well thought out and provided a structured environment to channel ideas and ambitions. Zac has the perfect presenting style allowing for plenty of interaction amongst your team and networking with other business from a variety of backgrounds. Highly recommended"
    Gray Borell, Novii
  • "Zac’s business workshop totally exceeded my expectations. The two days are well planned out to ensure your thought process takes you through the various stages needed to question why you are in business, where your business currently is at and where you want your business to be. Provoking questions, explanations, stories, presentations from successful entrepreneurs and of course Zac’s personal attention ensure you walk away with a clear and dynamic business plan. The venue was perfect, the lunch and refreshments sublime."
    Rachel Kann, IQ Property Management
  • "Zac is incredibly insightful, inspiring and has been absolutely vital in contributing to the growth of my business. He's made me think beyond my goals and really given me the push my business has strived for."
    Bex Riley, Tosca Salome
  • "Great two-day workshop that gives you a chance to reflect on your business, and focus on key points that need to be addressed to maximize your effectiveness and outcomes. The workshop was both entertaining and informative and really helped us to think about how we might navigate Covid / post-Covid, and plan out our next few years to guide the direction of the business. Food and hospitality was also great. Highly recommended!"
    Nelson Raynor, Isle of Eden
  • "Transformational… Revolutionary… Awesome… Take your pick! Our business looks nothing like it did just three months ago – our brand is visible in the market, there’s a buzz about what we are doing, doors are opening and our heads are in the game. Business Changing changes business for the better… I’m very very thankful we met – my only regret is that we didn’t seek you out sooner!"
    Nick Brown, Huffman Sauces
  • "Zac has given myself and the business a real sense of clarity, and a better sense of day-to-day achievement for myself and the team. Zac’s ability to ask questions that are relative and beneficial have helped me grow the business and my self-awareness and create a more enjoyable workplace. Give Zac an inch and he’ll take you a mile!”
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