Surviving COVID19 for Small Business

COVID19 is everywhere!

Small Businesses can plan and make changes to reduce the impact

Everywhere we turn, all we see are updates on Covid19, the TV, social media, the shops, the doctors and our local cafe. As business owners we need to consider how to keep our businesses going and to be able to try and reach and support our customers as best we can. It will no doubt involve a change in the way we communicate (from a distance/virtually) with our customers or how we reach them in the first place.

Everyone will feel the impact, which will no doubt become more evident during the coming months.

COVID 19 is no different from any other natural disaster, or annual Flu, except for the scale of it’s effect on the worldwide economies and the health systems. It will be catastrophic in some countries whose health care systems and economies were already struggling, while in others it will still create havoc within the healthcare, social and economic systems. Australia is one of the lucky countries to have a top class health system and the budget to be able to support Australians through this crisis.

It is important to remember that for every disaster, or health threat, like the annual Flu, measures can be taken to reduce the effect. For instance building standards are higher in cyclone areas and flood areas, people that live in areas threatened by fire, need fire breaks, a fire plan and need to prepare their property. Insurance is another way, people can reduce the impact of unexpected events. Flu vaccines and other vaccinations that we receive during our life all go towards reducing the impact of these diseases.

So we need to consider ways that we can reduce the effects of the downturn in spending, to ensure our businesses continue.

Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) have free workshops available here.

There is government support available for small business, like being offered for Sole Traders and you can see the details here.

We just need to support each other and small businesses, to get through COVID19 together.