Forget business as usual

Learn how to communicate better and work smarter during the COVID-19 crisis

At least 25% of businesses fail after a major disaster. Given the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, we expect that number to rise dramatically over the coming months.

There are steps business owners can take to protect their business, their employees and themselves, but during a crisis, special rules apply.

I know because I was on the frontlines during the H1N1 pandemic and in preparation for that battle, I wrote Alberta’s Pandemic Communications Plan.  I’ve been trained by the experts from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control.

I care about what happens to our people, our businesses and our economy. I want to help by equipping small to medium-sized businesses with the same access to quality crisis information that larger businesses afford.

To do so, I’m partnering with Jo Williams, a colleague and crisis communications specialist with 25 years of media and public relations experience and an M.A. in Communication Management. Her expertise includes over a decade in public affairs with the Canadian Red Cross as spokesperson on many domestic and international disaster files, which included field assignments at the frontlines of crises in NYC for 9/11, B.C. fires, among others.

Together, we’re assembling a team to support small to medium-sized businesses here in Alberta and around the globe. Our offerings will include:

• Working pandemic communications plans targeted to individual businesses
• Media training to company spokesperson(s) during the crisis
• Client-facing messages, emails, texts and newsletters
• Pandemic-centric employee policies and communications
• Brainstorm-sessions to develop creative ways for you to continue business operations during the pandemic
• Update your website with the right messaging about how you are making changes to support safe environments during the COVID-19 outbreak
• Educating you on the tools that will help bring your business online
• Using our network to ensure you have access to experts like employment lawyers, business process specialists, accountants and more should you need them during this crisis
• Updating clients daily with a COVID-19 newsletter following critical provincial and federal announcements
• Starting an online business support group, so business owners can connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, ask questions, and be provided live updates on breaking news.
  

Together, Jo and I are suspending much of our day-to-day business operations to support as many entrepreneurs as we can through this crisis.

For more details, please contact me directly at 403.805.4778 (phone or text message), Shannon@BlackcoffeeStudio.com or Jo at 403.827.9820 or Jo@NotYourAverageJo.com.

With gratitude,