(3 minute read)
Hi there NZ accounting fans! at 11.59pm last night on 17 August 2021, we as a nation once more went into lockdown.
For readers outside of NZ, you might be experiencing the same thing. You probably have gone through more than we have. This is unsurprising as governments around the world struggle to deal with the delta variant. For NZ, that has been a swift and sharp movement to lockdown. We have seen what happens to other countries that have struggled to control the delta variant. We don’t want that here. At the first sign of a possible community case (which is highly suspected to be delta), the whole country has gone into lockdown.
For now, the lockdown is just for 3 days for the rest of the country and 7 days for Auckland and Coromandel. There will be discomfort. Business will experience disruption. Plans will need changing. But remember, in 2020, we’ve gone through the same lockdown, for a longer period. It is because of that initial reaction that we in NZ enjoy a standard of living that few other countries have right now.
So let’s do it again team!
Check your lockdown business continuity plan
If you are a small business owner, now is a good time to review your business continuity plan. If you don’t have one, it may be a good time to talk to a professional to get one sorted out.
A business continuity plan is a comprehensive document that identifies your key processes, personnel and resources which your business relies on. It also contains scenario management plans should things go wrong. One of those scenario should be the increased alert levels due to the pandemic.
If you have a business continuity plan, call up your accountant/person who set it up for you and talk to them about what should happen next.
Keep doing what you can do in lockdown
Lockdown will bring with it several challenges. The biggest one will be the inability to generate income. Dentists, electricians, restaurant owners and other businesses that require on-site presence will be impacted. Other businesses like accountants, lawyers and designers will be less affected, since these businesses can be run from home.
If you can keep running your business – keep doing so. This lockdown should pose no challenge to you.
If you can’t fully run your business, here are some ideas of what to do:
- Read a good business book. I can recommend a few to start with like The E-Myth by Michael Gerber.
- Bulk produce your sales stock. This is especially true if you run a from home food service with a good freezer. This can also apply to small scale manufacturing or crafts based business.
- Spend some time thinking about your marketing and branding strategy. Learn how to use social media properly
- Start documenting your business processes and mapping out your organisational structure.
- Or just take a break. You probably deserve it!
- And obviously – keep reading this blog!
The lockdown gives us a great opportunity to think ahead and plan for future business growth.
Stay positive!
The worst thing you can do right now is to be negative. We’ve gotten through this before, we’ll get through it again!
The best thing that we can do right now is to obey the lockdown rules. Together we can stop the spread! I know that many of you will be experiencing anxiety, and that’s ok. In fact, during the last lockdown, I too had a breakdown. But just remember that, we need to keep pushing on and stay disciplined and motivated so that we can achieve our business goals!
Keep being awesome you awesome person.
And as always:
Stay Positive! (but not COVID positive obviously!)