• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PlanningShop

Plan. Start. Grow.

  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  •  
  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  •  
coronavirus

5 Steps for Your Small Business to Respond to Coronavirus Right Now

March 11, 2020 //  by Rhonda Abrams

Worried about the coronavirus and how to keep it from affecting your small business? From a health standpoint, working in a small office may be one of the safest places you can be. There are fewer workers than in large businesses, and you’ll notice anyone who’s getting sick. From a financial standpoint, of course, you want to keep business-as-usual going as much as possible.

Let’s be clear: we don’t know where this coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is going to go and what impact it will have on individuals’ health and the global economy. What is clear is that we all hope that it will end as soon as possible, with as little human and financial cost as possible.

Here’s what you can do right now in your small business:

1. Find alternatives that work for you.

Many large corporations are allowing employees to work from home, but that may not work for your small business. Consider switching to phone calls (remember those?) or teleconferences (using services such as Skype) or staying in touch with customers via live streaming (e.g. Facebook Live or Instagram Live). Move desks around to provide more space between work spaces. And step up cleaning and wiping down surfaces frequently with antiseptic.

2. Travel but take precautions.

If you’re not sick and don’t believe you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, you may need to or want to travel. Perhaps you need to serve customers, land new customers (who might be looking for new domestic suppliers as their overseas supply chain gets disrupted), or just to maintain business relationships. I traveled in the last few days, and there were plenty of people on the plane and in the airport (including San Francisco, one of the more impacted areas). I felt perfectly comfortable, but I took some unusual (for me) precautions, including bringing antiseptic wipes and wiping down the entire area around me in the plane, rental car, and hotel room.

3. Don’t force employees to travel or go to big meetings.

If you have employees who are nervous about the coronavirus, be responsive to their concerns. Now is the time to pull together and demonstrate that you are committed to their well-being. Be certain not to require employees to travel or to attend large gatherings—even meetings with more than half a dozen people or so. If they get sick, you may have liability issues, but even if they don’t, you will have disgruntled workers and low morale in your workplace.

4. Look into business interruption insurance.

The organizers of all those cancelled big conferences—such as South by Southwest—almost certainly have insurance to cover their losses. But it’s unlikely that most of the impacted small businesses—restaurants, caterers, local party venues, hairdressers, and so on—have such insurance. Ask your insurance broker about business interruption insurance to cover any unexpected major events and see what qualifies for coverage. It may not cover this emergency, but you’ll be better prepared for the next time your business suffers similar economic losses.

5. Provide paid sick leave.

You definitely don’t want sick employees to come in to work, but if they’re afraid of losing much-needed income, they’ll show up. Fortunately, two-thirds of small businesses provide paid sick leave, but the lowest-paid workers are often uncovered, and they’re in industries where they can have the greatest ability to spread infection (such as food service and child care workers). We all need to do our bit to stop this outbreak, so help sick employees stay home. Clearly, we need a national plan for paid sick leave to protect us all.

Finally, don’t panic. It’s easy to get either frightened or complacent, so turn to reliable sources to guide you. Check the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), WHO (World Health Organization), and responsible “mainstream” media such as USA Today. Facebook has just launched a Business Resource Hub to help and Google has “Help and Information” links to reliable sources if you search on “coronavirus.”

In the long run, when you vote, remember: in a crisis, our health and well-being depends on capable, stable mayors, governors, and president. It’s time to end the chaos of American governance and get back to competence, not ideology.


Copyright Rhonda Abrams, 2020

This article originally ran in USA Today on March 11, 2020

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Category: Rhonda's Blog, USA TodayTag: coronavirus, COVID-19, entrepreneurship, rhonda abrams, small business, small business tips

Previous Post: «budget cuts Does Trump Hate Small Business?
Next Post: Online Teaching Resources Help for Entrepreneurship & Business Educators resources»

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. The NJSBDC Network, Coronavirus & Your Business - NJSBDC says:
    March 20, 2020 at 6:57 am

    […] Business Expert and USA Today columnist Rhonda Abrams will be hosting live Facebook sessions every day at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific at […]

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Rhonda's Blog via Email

Instagram @rhondaabrams

Here's to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! . . #drmarti Here's to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!
.
.
#drmartinlutherkingjr #mlkday
I often say that small business is the heart & sou I often say that small business is the heart & soul of a community. Let's all have a successful & productive weekend, small business owners! 💖
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #smallbizowner #fridayfeeling
6 steps to increase diversity, inclusion & equity 6 steps to increase diversity, inclusion & equity in small business, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in bio~
.
.
#smallbusiness #diversity #inclusion #equity
#smallbiz #mondaymotivation #smallbiz #mondaymotivation
Take some time this weekend to just relax & reflec Take some time this weekend to just relax & reflect~
.
.
#smallbiz #fridayfeeling #entrepreneur #weekend
#smallbusiness #inspirationalquotes #wednesdaywisd #smallbusiness #inspirationalquotes #wednesdaywisdom
Have a wonderful & safe evening of celebration! Ha Have a wonderful & safe evening of celebration! Happy New Year~
.
.
#newyearseve #happynewyear🎉
What small businesses learned during the previous What small businesses learned during the previous round of PPP funding: If you snooze, you lose. 
💵
Be prepared to apply for everything your small business qualifies for on the very first day help becomes available. More in my @usatoday column today. Link in profile.
💵
#stimulusbill #stimulus #stimuluspackage #covidstimulus #PPP #smallbusiness
#smallbusiness #wednesdaywisdom✨ #smallbizguru #smallbusiness #wednesdaywisdom✨ #smallbizguru
My Tweets
  • Here's to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! . . #drmarti Here's to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!
.
.
#drmartinlutherkingjr #mlkday
    I often say that small business is the heart & sou I often say that small business is the heart & soul of a community. Let's all have a successful & productive weekend, small business owners! 💖
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #smallbizowner #fridayfeeling
    6 steps to increase diversity, inclusion & equity 6 steps to increase diversity, inclusion & equity in small business, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in bio~
.
.
#smallbusiness #diversity #inclusion #equity
    #smallbiz #mondaymotivation #smallbiz #mondaymotivation
    Take some time this weekend to just relax & reflec Take some time this weekend to just relax & reflect~
.
.
#smallbiz #fridayfeeling #entrepreneur #weekend
    #smallbusiness #inspirationalquotes #wednesdaywisd #smallbusiness #inspirationalquotes #wednesdaywisdom
    Have a wonderful & safe evening of celebration! Ha Have a wonderful & safe evening of celebration! Happy New Year~
.
.
#newyearseve #happynewyear🎉
  • Footer

    Our Products
    Instructor Central

    Privacy Policy
    Contact Us

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2021 PlanningShop · All Rights Reserved · Site design by paulinaart

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non-necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.