SUBSTITUTE TITLE: A Business Survival Guide for Doing #Biz In the Age of #Coronavirus.
I have re-circulated my now “most read” article about **Storm Proofing Your Business** many times as various parts of the world were faced with snowstorms, hurricanes, etc. The hard truth is that too many small businesses — the ones we run, the ones we depend on — operate on such razor-thin profit margins that when something unexpected hits (like a storm or threats of a rogue virus) it can dramatically impact — or even close — our enterprise.
As Facebook pulls out of a worldwide conference, and Twitter encourages employees to work from home,
I want to talk to the entrepreneurs about OUR game plan…
to — if we choose — stay at home,
avoid large crowds,
and still keep the cash rolling in.
And I am **THE** expert you need to listen to on this matter. 
Because I am about a half step away from being a recluse myself.
I literally never leave my house. I work here. I work out here. I do church here. I host digital events here. I have NEVER networked in the traditional sense and I often walk entrepreneurs through the INCREDIBLY freeing (and even MORE profitable) exercise of going location independent: i.e. Never having to actually physically show up.
So, when a rogue virus threatens to shut down or delay travel, when your income is dependent on you showing up and turning handshakes to bank deposits, when you were counting on being a vendor or speaker at that HUGE event that is now cancelled…
well, I’m your girl.
Let’s go through a few of the things we can do
FROM HOME
in order to keep cash rolling in.
Side Note: As travel continues to be “scary,” plane tickets are going WAY down in price. (This means it’s the BEST POSSIBLE time for you to grab YOUR ticket to this year’s Women Who WOW LIVE! 2020: https://www.bmichellepippin.com/women-who-wow-live-2020/ )
PROBLEM: OMG!! MY NETWORKING GROUP CANCELLED OUR SPRING FLING AND I NEEDED THAT TIME TO GENERATE LEADS.
No sweat. Look, networking takes a lot of time and energy. First, you have to get dressed. Hair, makeup, smile. You’ve got to meet a bunch of people, be “on” and hopefully some of those people are good prospects, RECOGNIZE they’re good prospects and will agree to meet with you later (either by phone or Skype or maybe even ANOTHER in-person coffee date???) to discuss doing business together.
That’s the way it works, right?
Why not host a Digital Spring Fling right on Facebook or Zoom? No need to ask for permission. Just take it upon yourself and schedule it. Host it. Be the gregarious person you are in person on line. Kick it off with a Facebook LIVE featuring YOURS TRULY and then give networking “assignments.” You know, the silly ones like, “In the comments below tag three people you’d like to know more about!”
ANYTHING you can do in person,
you can do from home.
So let’s move on to this:
PROBLEM: I’M OLD SCHOOL. I SELL ACROSS A TABLE, NOT “ONLINE.” I DON’T HAVE AN INTERNET BUSINESS.
Good. I don’t have an internet business either. I DO have a business that uses the internet as a tool. But I don’t have an internet business, so it’s fine that you don’t. “Online” is just a tool, just a modality, just a resource.
And now is the PERFECT time to test it out. Instead of cancelling your sales appointment, CONSIDER moving it online. A simple, “Hey — I’ve never done this before but in light of the fears about the Coronavirus, would you be willing to test out this new “Zoom” thing I’m hearing about? It’s free and if you can just click on the link I give you, I think we’ll be able to talk face to face, exactly as we would have within the office.”
I think you’ll find that a face to face online chat is INCREDIBLY similar to your “real-life chats” and you just MAY fall in love with it. Imagine all of the time you’ll save on the roads, cussing at traffic jams.
PROBLEM: THEY CANCELLED THE EVENT AND NOW I’M NOT GETTING PAID TO TRAIN THEIR TEAM.
Before I begin, you should ALWAYS get paid upfront. ALWAYS.
But now is the perfect time to ask them to TEST an online — but live — training platform. You just have to remind them of why this training they scheduled is mission-critical, why it would be UNWISE to push the training off into the future. Remind them that the coronavirus fears do not negate the need you were coming to relieve. (And depending on your expertise, it may be made even MORE urgent!)
The key really is to allow this shift in the market to stretch you rather than shut you down. We’re entrepreneurs, people… the change-makers, the future creators, the job providers. No matter what this world throws at us, we can navigate it.. and make it profitable! **wink**
