Weekly Round-Up #247: Support For Small Businesses During the COVID-19 Outbreak
In this week’s weekly round-up we look at a variety of advice for small businesses and freelancers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Wow! It’s been a bit of a strange time, hasn’t it?
You might have noticed that we had paused the Weekly Round-Ups for the past couple of months, this is because of a couple of factors. Firstly, our usual contributors to the content we post (P.R and SEO Agencies) were finding new ways to operate in the current climate and secondly I thought that there were more important things that people would be concentrating on rather than a list of links I was putting out.
Now that lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease, remote working is de rigueur and we are getting back to some semblance of normality I thought I’d reinstate the weekly round-ups so that we all have something to look forward to at the end of a long week.
This week we’re taking a look at some resources for small businesses that have been impacted by the Coronavirus. I live near a small Market Town and a large number of businesses have been massively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. While some of them have been able to adapt by offering collections by appointment or home delivery, some have been unable to adapt due to their premises being a couple of hundred years old and not suitable for social distancing measures.
While governments have stepped in to help, there are more things that businesses can do to ensure that they survive in a post-Coronavirus era – and can adapt to a second wave of the disease if (or when) it happens.
If you have any resources that you think would help useful, please drop us an email, the more people we can help, the better.
What Finance Questions Americans Are Searching During The Pandemic – Money Crashers
While stuck inside, it’s only natural for people to turn to Google to answer some of their most pressing financial questions. Money Crashers took a deep dive into what Americans are searching for to better understand how people are coping with their personal finances during the coronavirus pandemic — and what that means for their future.
Working From Home During Covid-19 And American Sleep Patterns (2020 Data) – Sleep Standards
Sleep Standards surveyed 1020 Americans who were forced to work from home during COVID-19 to see whether their sleep patterns are affected. Here are some interesting results that we found:
- 50.2% of Americans stated that their sleep patterns are negatively affected since they were forced to work from home. The generation witnessing the most impact on sleep pattern is Millennial (60%).
- One third of Americans have to work in their bedroom
- To improve sleep pattern, 38% of Americans have tried reserving their bed only for sleep
- 21% of Americans want to get more sleep in their downtime and more than half of them are people whose sleep patterns are affected since working from home
- 62% of Americans think that their sleep patterns will be better after the lockdown
- Nearly 5 out of 10 Americans prefer working from home to working at the office after the lockdown
You can take a look at the whole study here
What Government Support Is Available For UK Businesses During Coronavirus? – Company Debt
If your business has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, either through complete shutdown or the furlough scheme then you may be interested in this article from CompanyDebt.com. It pulls together a variety of sources from across the UK Government websites to provide a comprehensive guide from UK Businesses during Coronavirus.
Business Process Outsourcing And Its Advantages – Tomedes
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven forward the concept of working from home at a pace that we never would have imagined possible before the outbreak began. Businesses around the globe have had to rejig their operations rapidly in order to accommodate social distancing, sector-wide shutdowns and national lockdowns. In this context, Tomedes looks at the concept of business process outsourcing (BPO) and its multiple advantages. Just like working from home, BPO is possible thanks to technological development.
Smart Goals: Effective Time Management While Working From Home – Ring Central
According to the Office of National Statistics, the number of UK employees working remotely has increased by a quarter of a million in the last ten years. In the last few months, that number has skyrocketed. While it’s true that remote working increases employee satisfaction, happiness, and even productivity in some cases, the best results come with proper planning. Now that many employees are suddenly in a remote environment without warning, it’s up to dedicated team members to find a way of staying productive.
Top 6 Virtual Team Communication Tools – Time Doctor
Teams across the world have switched to remote work in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when you’re used to working in the same office, virtual communication can seem impossible. If you’re in the same boat, here’s some good news: it isn’t. Virtual teams have been collaborating efficiently for decades — and there’s one thing they all have in common. They all use virtual team communication tools. In this article, we’ll highlight the best online communication tools for your team. We’ll go over their features, pricing and even list a few alternatives to help you make the right choice.
A 10-Point Small-Business Survival Plan For Dealing With The Coronavirus – Entrepreneur
It’s safe to say that this current crisis is like none other faced by small business owners in the recent past, and it’s certainly daunting trying to tackle all of the unique issues it presents. Regrettably, the predominant voice we hear hasn’t offered a lot of specific steps to take or advice on how to save our business, let along come out on top.
Marketing Tips For Small Businesses During Coronavirus – BOSS Magazine
If you’re a small business trying to figure out not only how to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic but still be okay after the pandemic is over, you’re certainly not alone. Millions of businesses throughout the world are being threatened due to the worldwide economic shutdown. Still, there are ways to weather this terrible time — and it starts with revisiting your marketing strategy.
7 Tips For Keeping Your Business Going During The Coronavirus Downturn – CNBC
As businesses await more clarity on how long the mass lockdowns will last, and what local and national governments will do to support them, there are a number of things businesses can do now to ready themselves for reopening.
BBB Business Tips: How To Navigate The Coronavirus Crisis – Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau is committed to help business owners manage the current situation of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, currently disrupting supply chains, customers, and the lives of employees. It’s important to remain calm, stay informed and take proactive measures in keeping the health and safety of everyone a top priority. BBB recommends the following tips for businesses in handling customer, employee and business relations in light of coronavirus concerns.
10 Ways For Small Businesses To Weather The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic – GoDaddy Blog
This is an uncertain time for business owners worldwide, but it’s no time to panic. GoDaddy have put together a list of 10 ways for small businesses to weather the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
Inc’s Essential Business Survival Guide For The Covid-19 Crisis – Inc.
INC have put together a brief guide to business continuity to help you steer your company through today’s uncharted territory. You’ll find tips and advice on planning for a range of operational contingencies, including people, facilities, vendors, and systems, such as technology. You’ll also find guidance on issues especially critical to entrepreneurs, such as cash flow, leadership, self-care, and even inspiration.
Covid-19: Nine Tips For Business Survival – MSN
Plenty of SMEs will not see the end of this financial year. There are no easy answers, and for some businesses, no answers at all. Written by someone who’s gritted through some bad times before, here are a few things you can do to make it less horrendous. They’ll increase the odds that you’ll be one of the businesses still standing when the vaccine reinforcements arrive in 12 months or however long it takes.
7 Covid-19 Crisis Management Tips For Small Businesses – ZDNet
A digital commerce data scientist and technology pioneer, who is also a small business owner, shares his advice on what companies can do to survive during the COVID-19 crisis.
Dropshipping And The Covid19 Coronavirus – The eCommerce Manager
The eCommerce Manager takes a look at the challenges that the coronavirus is presenting to drop shippers and how they can mitigate these challenges. They speak to the people on the ground in China who have firsthand experience of these challenges.
Have A Great Week
I hope you have enjoyed this round-up, as always if you have any links you like to share with me and my readers please contact me through the website or send me a tweet.
Until next time, Stay Productive!