Your Total Guide To Business

My Strategy For Surviving Coronavirus

By David Barnes, Business owner and executive chauffeur, DB Executive Travel & Wedding Cars, provider of quality chauffeur services for airports, events and special occasions, whether for business, pleasure or weddings.

When did you realise the Coronavirus could be a problem for you and your business?

Like everyone we knew about it from all of the reports coming out of other countries for several weeks. Then it came to the UK and the hammer really fell for us on 16th March 2020, when the lockdown was announced. We are unable, in a car, to observe social distancing work so we had to overnight look for other sources of income.

What has been your plan to continue?

We have turned to other work for now, including delivery services and we are keeping our online presence reinforcing our strong brand and for now, I am applying for delivery van driver positions, as well as approaching the NHS and the like for PPE deliveries and medical supplies.

We will be focussing much more on business travel inland whilst the air transport industry recovers.

How have you changed your business as the weeks have passed?

While we are still limited we will continue to provide safe delivery services. We anticipate as lockdown starts to be eased, we will be focussing much more on business travel inland whilst the air transport industry recovers. We can protect our clients with PPE going forward in a way that public transport will be unable to do so for some time.

Have you been able to access any government support or funding?

None whatsoever.

What have you seen about business which has been positive?

We still have a strong online following and have been encouraged by existing clients as well as those looking to use our services once the lockdown is over.

We hope that our clients will come back to us and that new customers will come too because they will be confident we can keep them safe.

What advice would you give to other business owners?

Keep marketing your business regularly but be sensitive to the current situation. Be real and honest and use this time to get across the genuine person, or people, behind the business. Be more than your business (product or service) and show that you care.

What can we do to help each other?

Support the social media stories of others online through 'likes' and 'shares', as well as providing testimonials and/or Google reviews, where you have used someone else's services in the past. Give to them what you would like them to do for you. Remember caring and support is a two way street. Walk the walk as well as talk the talk - even when you don't feel like it.

Your parting thought?

This time will pass, and how we are portrayed online will carry us through to post Covid life. Hang in there and stay positive ensuring that your processes in the back office are well positioned when the orders start flowing in.

Keep an eye on cash flow, and pick up the phone to any suppliers where you are having difficulty paying for their services - better to discuss than receive a warning letter or worse.

Find out more here, https://www.dbweddingcars.net

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