How To Read This Graph?
The vertical line is Demand for Services. The horizontal line is Time.
BC - Before COVID-19: The period before COVID-19 impacted the demand for services. The ‘business as usual’ phase.
Demand Crash: The period immediately after COVID-19 outbreak, schools closed, social distancing commences, resulting in cancelled appointments and orders, decreased foot traffic & office closures.
Hibernation: Most/all businesses and offices are closed. Businesses and offices are laying off employees or having employees working from home. Management are planning for the re-open and thinking about how they’ll prioritize and make up for lost time.
Quarantine Lifted: Begins when the news/government is saying ‘The worst is over and people emerge from hibernation. Everyone begins thinking about getting back to a normal life and routine. Businesses begin re-opening, filling their schedules, production, activity and staffing up.
Rush: The floodgates are open, and everyone is returning in mass to get back to a routine and normal lifestyle. Businesses will likely need to triage based on urgency and ramping up.
The Surge: Demand will potentially exceed a company’s ability to satisfy need with normal working hours and staffing levels. Businesses will want to augment their employees (hire more employees) and potentially add working hours/days to meet demands for products and services rather than risk customers going elsewhere.
Back to Normal: The crazy period is over, and demand has returned to normal levels.
Next Steps During This Critical Time:
1. Stay in Action
2. Manage your Focus
3. Stay Connected
Action:
· Communicate with your team - your intention and vision for your business once the shutdown is lifted.
· Stay in communication with your team to maintain connection and reassurance as best you can with what’s possible when coming back together.
· Update your customers regularly about what is happening in the business, how to reach you for information and how you’re putting new and updated procedures in place to ensure their health and safety.
· Encourage your team to remain connected with each other and help support each other during this time. Have weekly online meetings with your team to stay up to date on any new developments and share ideas and the implementation of new protocols and procedures in the business.
· Be prepared for once your doors reopen: make a list of all your customers who needed to cancel/postpone products or services during the shutdown period; run reports of customers who are overdue for products and services; run reports of customers who have unscheduled ordering.
· Use this as an opportunity to create new systems and best practices by creating a reactivation system to reintroduce current and future customers to your business; prepare a new and updated protocol for increasing safety measures for all the team; make a list of items you may need to order to put new protocols in place; update policy and procedure manuals; update job descriptions, roles and responsibilities.
· Create a new marketing plan and strategies to generate new customers attention; update your website; create social media platforms and/or update existing profiles and accounts; post daily to your existing customer base and followers; provide resources and updates on the status in your community and what you’re putting in place to enhance products and services; reassure your customers that you’re there for them in the event of an emergency and you will be there for them once business returns to normal again.
· Participate in online continuing education, training webinars and podcasts
Focus - Believe that what you focus on expands. It is a recommendation of turning OFF the news and consciously plug into those resources that are there to specifically support you and develop a game plan of action. Also, take time to redirect your focus to those who may be in need or where you can connect with others.
· Focus on what you may be able do to help your community and spread hope and compassion for those in need.
· Focus on the opportunity you have to use this time to connect with loved ones, call a friend or family member you miss or would like to catch up with; spend quality time with your children and your spouse or significant other; create a vision board as a family project, play games, bake, color or do puzzles together.
· Focus on ways you can improve the company - opportunity to spend time creating new and better systems for your team, enhance services, brainstorm with your team or consultant on what’s possible; connect with your referring customers and colleagues to support each other emotionally and lift each other up during this time.
· Make wellness calls to your customers and especially to those who are elderly or have special needs and are home bound. Collaborate with your team to bring essentials to those who are in need. This is the most loving thing you can do for your customers right now and, it feels so good!
· Focus on personal goals such as self-care, introducing healthy habits into your routine, get out in nature, exercise, write/journal, read, catch up on professional journals and educational materials you haven’t had a chance to get to; tackle some overdue home projects.
Please don’t be overwhelmed by this. This is intended to support you in identifying different ways you can stay in a creative space and healthy mindset. Choose one or two things that will create the greatest impact for you.
For Additional Information: Spin Markket + Digital, 10 North 10th Street, Fort Dodge, IA 50501 515-302-8026 / spinmarkketdigital.com
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