This week, I had a heart to heart with a local business owner. One of the pandemic warriors who wants to be a community leader yet finds herself in the middle of an epic sh*t show. Frustrated, angry, and overwhelmed – she doesn’t know how to move forward in a more productive manner.

Here in Calgary where I live, many of us are heading into week three or even four of self-isolation. For some it’s business as usual but business has simply moved to the kitchen table. For others, it’s a much, much darker time.

Small business owners are the heart of our economy and many want and need to continue contributing. However, there’s so much resting on their weary shoulders they’re unsure of what to do and how to do it.

They’re worried about their staff, concerned about their own and their family’s health, and – let’s be real – their businesses, the broader economy and their financial security.

On top of all of that, they have to think about their clients – the people they need to be there for them when this is all over. Right now, it can feel like those clients are just one more problem to worry about.

During the last weeks of self-distancing measures, many business owners thought they had to buckle down and weather the short-term storm. Many closed, anticipating reopening in early April. As I write this, news is breaking that the current lockdown is expected to be in place until the summer months or longer, and as the Canadian Prime Minister has just said: “People must expect we will be in this situation for many, many weeks if not months.”

It’s clear – this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint so now is a critical time to scrutinize your business.

As this reality begins to sink in, anxiety levels will increase. The businesses that survive will be the ones that come out as leaders, those that grow their brand’s goodwill, communicate with appropriate pandemic sensitivity, and pivot their business to continue to make some money and implement business improvements during this unprecedented time.

To help businesses do just that, we have launched COVID-19 Communications and have created a package aimed at helping businesses succeed through and immediately following the pandemic. 

We’ll craft messages that will resonate despite the mental noise of the ongoing crisis. The goal is to build trust and credibility, produce appropriate levels of concern and guide customer responses and action.

We’ll also help your business adapt to new realities, analysing business offerings and recommending best-fit changes to support your clients during this unprecedented time. And we’ll help you fight the overwhelm by rolling up our sleeves and working alongside you – updating your website, designing new sales pages and getting active on social media.

COVID-19 support package details are available here. We can personally work through deliverables and customize pricing to align with what you can afford and will offer payment plans. We’re all in this together and we’re committed to do our part – just like you.

Reach out if you’d like to start the conversation. I’m at 403.805.4778. Let’s get to work.

With gratitude,