Week 2 at home: How can we help?
As we sit here at the beginning of week 2 of the mandated "stay at home," I wanted to check in with you and ask how we can help you?
For many of us, NNEP included, business (and income) has come to a screeching halt. It is a rather terrifying place to be, as a business owner, as an adult, as a person with a mortgage, as a spouse, as a parent who is helping support young adult children financially, pretty much on every level.
And, even when life shifts back into gear, and it will eventually, it is going to take a bit of time for things to get into a rhythm, and level out into the new "normal," whatever that is going to be. I am working on accepting that the way life was before COVID-19 is now a thing of the past. Whatever we experience going forward will be different, and will always be thought of as "after that." In fact, I read something yesterday where they have already coined the term for babies born during this time. They may be known as "Gen C," for coronavirus, COVID-19.
That being said, I am checking in with you to see how YOU are doing? Is work still coming in?
One member shared a story that one of her customers showed up to drop off shirts at her home, unannounced. Because she was not expecting anyone during this "stay at home" order, she was not dressed for business, to say the least. YPIES!
Guys, you have it really, really easy. If you have on sweats and a t-shirt, you are adequately dressed to answer the door. Us ladies, on the other hand, cannot pull this off so easily. If we have not dressed fully, with proper undergarments, dealt with our hair, and maybe added a few touches of mascara, we are a far cry from being ready to answer the door and greet a customer.
If you have no orders to produce, how about taking a deeper look at your business, with an eye to improving it.
Are there things that frustrate you on a regular basis? Right now, you may have time to find a solution that solves this frustration. Do you find yourself walking back and forth excessively when running a job? Move things around during this downtime, so that you have a better workflow. Don't like how you store your threads, as it takes forever to find the right colors for jobs? How can you do it differently? Is the computer space cramped or poorly lit? How could it be changed so that you have the lighting, filing space, printer space, and desk space to improve your administrative processes?
If you want to change something, but you are unsure what or how to change it to achieve the results you want, email me or give NNEP a call at 330-678-4887 (the calls will come through, even as we work from home) or email me at jennifer@nnep.com. I would be happy to brainstorm ways to change it up so that you get results that work better for you.
If you have an idea or way of doing things in your business that you think works well and would like to share it with other NNEP members, email me back with a description and photo. We will start a section for members with these "best practices & hacks!" When things kick back into gear, we will have lean, organized businesses that allow us to surge forward rather than flounder. Does that sound like a good plan?
So, how about it? What is one thing in your business that you can take a look at this week, with an eye to improving it in some way? Post it below, and send me before and after pics to jennifer@nnep.com. I would love to cheer for your progress!
I would love to know what I can help you with - we are here for you, even as we work from our homes.
Stay healthy,
Jennifer
