Your Total Guide To Business

My Strategy For Surviving Coronavirus

By Paul Eagles who is a skilled website developer with more than 16 years' experience running his own business Midwinter Web Design. Paul has been working in IT since leaving school and is an expert in website design including simple sites right up to complex e-commerce sites and multiple sites for bigger brands.

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

When we had the work from home following the day that Boris Johnson our Prime Minister implemented lockdown. We’d talked about it before however that was the moment when I realised we all had to take personal responsibility for our behaviour in a way never seen before in my life-time – or in most of our life-times.

What has been your plan to continue?

Our plan has been to offer the same customer service we’ve always offered however to be proactive and call customers to check in and see where they are with things. We are able to do this from home as we’re a technology-led team.

We’ve been flexible and accommodating to customers with cashflow problems who can’t pay immediately, or need a payment plan because they realise they need to work hard to stay visible and connected. Smart business owners understand that now is the time to be front of mind and on the tip of the tongue in their respective business communities and sectors.

We’ve also agreed terms with those planning new websites or upgrades so that the work can begin in readiness for lockdown to be gradually lifted – as we believe that’s what will happen.

We are very lucky that many of our customers are long-standing, they trust us and we felt it was morally right to talk to them about their situation and meet them halfway when necessary. As a result we're still all working together to get through this together.

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

Our business itself hasn’t changed, we are still website designers. However we are all working from home and not in our office. We are being as helpful as we can sharing information on social media generally about the internet, broadband and tech.

We’ve advised people over the phone about issues around their own websites and security and we’ve discussed ability to pay during lockdown. While we cannot work for nothing, we are being flexible with payment plans, for example staged payments upfront each month to minimise cash flow impact during a difficult time.

We are very lucky that our clients are still with us and we're still with them. It's a testament to the strength of relationship we have with each other.

What have you seen about business which has been positive?

Compassion and caring has been outstanding.

It’s about compassion between people you have work with – suppliers and clients and in the wider business community. There’s much more caring about matters outside of the business – phone calls simply asking how you are, how are your family, no other agenda than simply caring.

For us, these are the people who are shining through this difficult situation and these are the people who will come out of this with reputations which are stronger. These are the people, we want to do business with and the people we will want to refer to others.

Have you seen any negative behaviours in business?

Sadly yes. People using Covid19 as an excuse not to pay their bills – and these were debts outstanding long before the virus was an issue. Those are the people we won’t be working with again and we suspect other business owners will feel the same. Cash flow is critical for us all and anyone who behaves in that way is disrespectful to other business owners. The ridiculous thing is that they may actually think we don't see through that unethical behaviour.

This situation really focusses the mind on those what constitutes good behaviour and bad behaviour. Those who don’t consider this at this time will face consequences later.

What can we do to help each other?

Look after your business cashflow and be kind to others in business at this time who will be doing the same.

Support your clients AND YOUR SUPPLIERS as much as you can. Meet those who are ethical in business halfway. Think about business being a collaboration where we will come out stronger and more resilient.

Your parting thought?

The most important thing to consider in this is your health and that of your family and all of your loved ones. Look to that first and foremost, consider your impact on others – then look to your business. Be committed, be kind and be careful.

To find out more visit https://www.midwinterwebdesign.co.uk

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