COVID-19 Pandemic versus my plans

COVID-19 Pandemic versus my plans

You may remember thinking of threats – anything that can negatively affect your business from the outside – when you did your SWOT analysis for your business. Nowhere close to my mind did I have a pandemic as a threat. It was so far from my mind that in January I wrote a blog titled “Face-to-Face (F2F) Networking in 2020.” In it, I discussed how I made more F2F (face-to-face) networking one of my goals for this year and encouraged others to do so as well. I ended the article with “Step out and step up in 2020!”

This is where I pivot. As an entrepreneur, I know firsthand the many risks associated with operating a micro business, but, like most business owners, I have not experienced anything like this. Due to COVID-19, my plans came to a screeching halt and now I am forced to revert to the very act I planned to lessen. Although I typically work from my home office, in-person networking was a big part of my plan. With this setback, I have been analyzing my strengths and weaknesses in order to find the opportunities that may lie within this threat, particularly with regards to the networking aspect of my 2020 growth strategy.

Since I cannot interact in person with others at this time, I have found ways to stay connected and build business relationships while abiding by the Stay-at-Home Order. So far, these have been working for me and my type of business.

Join online chats and happy hours. Many different groups are hosting activities to provide support during these trying times. One such organization is DCfempreneur, a community that supports female entrepreneurs. In addition, a quick search on Eventbrite for online or virtual happy hour will return many options.

Invite colleagues to Microsoft Teams, Slack, and other collaboration tools. In the Microsoft Teams app, for example, a user can invite both internal and external contacts to join and collaborate on projects. Users can also have fun activities, e.g., cutest doggie contest, book/movie discussions, and share clean jokes or inspirational messages.

Engage more on social media. Ha! Yes, I said it. In recent weeks, I have searched Facebook and found some business groups that I did not know existed in my geographic location. Although networking is online, there is a sense of connection when the group members are local. When social distancing ends, new connections will likely meet up in person.

Increase connections on LinkedIn. Now is a good time to connect with like professionals on LinkedIn. Or, you may take on a project to search for leaders in your industry or specialty and upgrade your LinkedIn network with specialists and thought leaders.

The pandemic stopped me in my tracks in many ways like nothing else had done before. However, in a small or micro business, there is flexibility to quickly change directions to meet the challenges imposed on it by external factors. Whether or not the change is successful, this is clearly a learning experience and I intend to be a good student.

Rosemarie Williams Harvey is Principal Talent Acquisition Advisor at RH Business Support focusing on helping employers find top talent to increase their competitiveness.