Your Total Guide To Business

My Strategy For Surviving Coronavirus

By Peter Mols, known as Head Cheerleader of Outside ideas. Pete runs the networking organisation Networking in... and a business and life coaching firm. He helps build brilliant profitable businesses and maintain epic relationships with the people they love.

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

I was aware of the virus becoming a challenge in China since early January and watched closely as it spread in Iran and Italy. I was not at all surprised when the virus reached the UK. As a business coach, watching what was happening to other economies was scary, and I was very keen to ensure that my clients were working towards new ways of working even before the lockdown hit.

I was obviously concerned that it would have an impact on some of my clients, especially my hairdresser, builder and head hunter. It's obviously had a big impact on them with the lockdown ceasing all trading. I've however been very fortunate and at the time of writing haven't lost a client. I gave all of my clients the opportunity to cut me as a cost and each one said that they need me more now than ever.

What has been your plan to continue?

I'm used to working from home and meet all my clients virtually via Zoom so there's been no change there. My big issue was encouraging my clients to adapt early and embrace the change. I very much took the mindset that there was a tsunami approaching and myself and all my clients had to get very busy leaning into the change and running as fast as we could uphill.

I definitely don't subscribe to the "I don't want to be seen as opportunistic" school of thought. As far as I'm concerned, we can all help someone and our job as a small business owner is to shout as loudly as possible to find those that need our help. My plan is to shout loudly and find people I can help.

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

I've been offering FREE three hour strategy sessions to business owners for the past year, but have seen a large increase in demand over the last few weeks.

Ironically I'm busier now than I've ever been. With regards to my current clients, I'm still working with every client I've ever taken on so, I just focus on doing the best job that I can for them.

Have you been able to access any Government support?

I have an office over in Oxfordshire so have been able to apply for the government small business grant. I'm still waiting on the outcome. Other than that, I only started my business in March 2019 so have fallen through the other cracks. If I wasn't keeping my clients, things would be extremely difficult for me right now.

What have you seen about business which has been positive?

I’ve been blown away with the offers of free help, support, and genuine altruism from all walks of life over the past few weeks. It really give me faith in humanity. Watching people pivot, adapt and change their business models and ways of working has also been a real highlight.

Have you seen any negative behaviours in business?

It's no secret that being in business is tough at the best of times. The harsh realty is that the majority that try, fail. So it's really been surprising to hear “I don’t want to be seem as coming across as opportunistic” and in honesty I don’t like it.

I’m sorry, but if you’re saying that to yourself, I question the way you’re framing your business in your own head. The late great Jim Rohn said, “In life, you can have whatever you want; if you’ll only HELP enough people get what they want.”

In times of unprecedented change, there are a TON of people (literally billions) that will be struggling to cope with new ways of living / working / doing business, and there are very few people that I’ve talked to, or I can think of that can’t adapt / pivot in some way to be able to help.

So that begs the question…

If you can genuinely HELP people in this period of incredible uncertainty, then why on earth would you hold back from putting yourself out there?

Your parting thought?

Get very busy finding people to help! I think I can sum it up in two quotes;

"It is not the strongest, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." - Charles Darwin

“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one's time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.” - Nelson Mandela

For more information visit www.outside-ideas.com

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