When Business is Slow: 4 Positive Things To Do During A Pandemic
Authored By: Luke Waite
First of all, I’d like to take a few moments to acknowledge what is happening globally. In no way am I advocating for profiting at the expense of other people. NOPE! That’s completely against my values. This pandemic is real and nothing to be taken lightly or made light-of.
That said, in the last day I’ve had conversations with people in industries ranging from film, staffing, service, and artists. Each and every one of them have unanimously stated that they are already feeling significant impact in their respective companies due to this pandemic.
So What Now?
The general consensus seems to be fright, worry, hopelessness, that is unless you are the owner of a grocery store or if you are a toilet paper producer. I could continue but the reality for us is that Covid-19 is not going anywhere for the time being. That being said, I have hope that the great minds of our day will find a way to control this virus and potentially even put us into a position to rid our society of this for good. Until then, we can’t just wait around. No, now is the time to evaluate what is happening in our businesses in preparation for when this all gets settled. The businesses that take this time as an opportunity to build and rebuild will be the ones who are able to hit the ground running once things turn the corner and I believe they will soon.
4 Things To Evaluate
Here are the 4 things I would recommend spending time working on to give your team purpose and the ability to focus on something positive rather than doom, gloom, and hopelessness.
1. Operations
If you prescribe to any sort of Agile or Scrum for project management you will likely always be reevaluating your operations regularly as it is. That said, this season gives you an opportunity to make macro and micro-adjustments simultaneously and tackle large issues that would have been prohibitive to work on during peak seasons of business.
If you aren’t regularly updating your operations this is a perfect time to take a look at the big picture issues and work to fix them. Again, this season offers an opportunity to work on macro and micro-adjustments without the worry of negatively affecting your customers’ experience.
2. UX
Speaking of customer experience, often our users are so far removed from the actual production of your products that they can feel isolated or distanced from the production itself. That being said, UX needs to be broken into two different categories: (1) the product itself and (2) the service that is given to your customers and users.
— UX of Products
This is a perfect time to take a moment and use your products to see how they perform. I would also work to answer the following questions:
Does this work the way we want it to? If not, what would need to change?
What is the biggest frustration I have in using this product or good? What would need to change in order to make this a more pleasant experience?
How could this be better?
— UX of Services
For services, this is a bit more complicated as it requires you to actually go through the process of purchasing an item from the perspective of your consumer or trying to seek a solution to an issue through the same channels that your consumer would. Here are a few helpful questions for you as you go through this process:
What is frustrating about this process and can we resolve this frustration?
Do I feel taken care of through this process?
Are there any cumbersome steps or processes for me to buy or receive service?
3. Products and Services
When evaluating your products, be sure to think at a macro level. Thinking through the offerings that you have, don’t have but should, and putting time into thinking of whether or not there are items that you should eliminate from your lineup. Once you have gone through this process, be sure to eliminate products and services that are not monetarily profitable for your company.
Remember, the goal for this season is to leave it ready to maximize your potential as a company or team, not just do the same things you’ve always done.
4. Personnel
So often, folks get put into positions that are simply not good fits for them. This is the time to evaluate the people that are on your team, what their giftings are, and where they would be best suited.
BONUS TASK: Enjoy People
Yep! That is right, take time to enjoy the people around you…with appropriate distance of course. These times are unprecedented for our generation and we need not isolate ourselves unless we aren’t feeling well or mandated by the government.
Remember, people matter and they add so much value to all of our lives. Don’t forget that during this season.
If this added value to you, you have questions, or just want to talk through any of this, please reach out! I’d love to chat.
Be well,
Luke Waite