Executive Director, North Florida Green Chamber of Commerce
It has been a difficult couple of months, with the world reacting with uncertainty to the coronavirus and market news.
The North Florida Green Chamber of Commerce recognizes that many businesses are feeling the impact of this crisis in an immediate and profound way. We compiled this list of some helpful ideas for businesses to help them get through this crisis.
Work smarter, not harder
The safety of your employees, customers and the public should come first. Follow the advice of the CDC, federal, state, and local officials to help decide what is best for your business.
Self-care is a must. Remember that this is temporary, so find solutions to make this work without taking the chance of spreading the virus.
Try to get back into a routine. When you wake up, get dressed and ready as if you are going to work. Create an office setting for yourself at home, (and) make sure to eat healthy and get adequate sleep at night.
When not working, enjoy the time with your family. Reset the craziness of usual life to develop a healthy work life balance.
Do not panic! Really
It’s best to plan and prepare for whatever may happen in the future. Stay productive and use this downtime to be able to work on your business. Like many businesses, the crisis has meant a slowdown in business transactions, but an opportunity to see how sustainable business development fits with your business plan.
Sustainable business development is about keeping the balance between social, economic, and environmental concerns in corporate decision-making; taking care of the natural resources the company uses, recompensing the communities in which companies work and promoting long-term value-creation for shareholders.
You can also use this time to catch up on editing projects and planning. Look at ways you can improve our business. You want to be ready to hit the ground running when the crisis has passed.
Speak with a trusted adviser
Talk to your banker, accountant and other trusted experts for assistance and guidance in managing your cash flow.
Communication is key during this crisis. Now is not the time to try to go it alone. Whether it is a business professional, a trusted employee, or a business mentor, you should be reaching out and enlisting their support. They can be a resource and provide you with a fresh perspective on how to get through this.
Reach out to vendors, suppliers
Talk to your suppliers, vendors, and your landlord. They will certainly be aware of the situation and may be willing to work with you on flexible terms to get you through the hump. Many businesses are also offering to ship products to their customers if they are able.
Everyone has been impacted in one way or another by the coronavirus outbreak. We all know that this is a difficult situation. You should get ahead of this and have those important conversations with your suppliers, vendors and others. They are most likely going to want to work with you to help get you through this crunch.
Stay connected with others
You are not alone. Do not isolate yourself and ask for help from others. Take advantage of the resources and support of the chamber and other strong business networks.
Sign up for business counseling or technical assistance to help guide your business through this disruption. There are several resources available. We have had an amazing ecosystem of entrepreneurial resources, of which the North Florida Green Chamber and Small Business Development Center at UNF are both a part.
Finally, this is also an opportune time to review your commitment to sustainability and green business practices.
If you are not convinced by the socio-environmental responsibility that your business should adopt, you may be more receptive to the benefits brought by having a green attitude with resource efficiency measures, green products and services, and a circular economy.
Resource efficiency, for instance, is a straightforward concept. Resource efficiency means increasing your business revenue streams by lowering resource use, environmental impacts, and operating costs.
Christina Kelcourse is Executive Director of the North Florida Green Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at northfloridagreenchamber@gmail.com or (904) 878-3474.
