How to Pivot in a crisis like COVID-19 or the Wuhan virus

Like times gone before we will make it through this pandemic call the “wuhan virus” or COVID-19

We could speculate on who or where or what caused the pandemic, the truth is we are here now and need to adapt or starve, and I mean that quite literally for many people.

Companies have shut down and millions have lost their employment or worse lost their companies due to the forced lockdowns.

The truth of the matter is that this is not the first pandemic to get the world and it will definitely not be the last. Spanish flu took its toll on the global population, Ebola still takes its toll and both MERS and SARS changed the way we work.

As a result of the Wuhan virus or COVID-19 nothing has quite had the impact this pandemic will have on the way we work going forward.

People and businesses have survived regardless of their environment. The question you should be asking yourself is how do you, as a business owner re-organise your business to take advantage, that would be the wrong term but it is in fact what business owners do. Business owners are always looking for opportunities to grow and to help and make money.

If you as a business owner are able to pivot from a purely physical service to a digital and physical service you can survive. The question is how do you as a traditional home service pivot in a digital environment.

Before answering the question I would like to take a page out of the history books and refer to a gentleman who raced for the South Pole, Amundsen and Scott.

There is lots of speculation as to the reasons one team made it and died in attempting to make it. Included in this grouping of people I would also suggest you look at the Great Depression and look at the lessons that you can take from this. It was a matter of the person who planned better, trained harder and had skills that were not a prerequisite in their current profession that allowed one to thrive and the other…

Lesson 1 – Always to prepare for the Unexpected

As the story goes – if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Far too many businesses these days are simply chasing any business to make ends meet. They just don’t take the time to plan ahead just in case a new opportunity may present itself. Or to prepare for the unexpected.

Sometimes it comes from left field and you just didn’t see it coming. It doesn’t matter if you get knocked down, what you need to do is get up, shake off the dust and next time you will be looking left, right and ahead of you.

I’m sure you watch movies where the term “keep your head a swivel” has been used – this is what a business owner is required to do. Always looking around for opportunities in unforeseen calamities.

The lesson is : keep your eyes open, go where the work is, make sure you work with partners.

Lesson 2 -Always keep your family informed and stick together.

In the past when the going got difficult people became quite nomadic but they always attempted to keep the family unit whole and in doing so created a support structure.

In today’s digital age we have technology to remain in touch regardless of the distance. With all the technology at our fingertips, times like these can be extremely challenging both emotionally and physically. if you do not reach out for support to others in similar situations who would be able to offer support the way they have survived the situations you will make the mistake of thinking you are alone.

The lesson: reach out and ask for help – it is there you just need to ask.

Lesson 3 – In times like these everyone is frugal. You need to be frugal, you need to make sure that everything that you buy is relevant and knowing that this situation is not going to last forever. Are you planning for tomorrow or are you just surviving hoping tomorrow is going to be better.

The Lesson : use the down time to plan for the long term

Lesson 4 – You need to do what you need to do to make ends meet. and sometimes that might mean taking a long hard look at your business and making some changes that will allow you to operate in an environment that is dynamic and fluid all the time.

The Lesson : the world is digital so its time you understood what you need to become digital.

Lesson 5 – The most important lesson saved for last, Never ever ever ever ever give up!

5 quick digital pivot tips

1. start a Facebook group
2. invite people to join the Facebook group and share useful information in the group
3. open a PayPal or stripe account so you can collect money
4. learn how to use zoom in the whiteboard facility
5. don’t be afraid to offer advice at a cost

See you on the other side.