We are only three months into 2020 and it will likely be the toughest year many small business owners will ever face. People throughout the world have already felt the impact of isolation and travel restrictions before Australia’s recent lockdown. Many experts are likening the potential impact of this global standstill to another Great Recession. If you’ve not yet been forced to shut your doors, you’re one of the lucky ones. Like the team over at Custom Neon, we have felt the hit hard.
Our entire team across three countries has been advised to work from home. Many of us have never had to work remotely before and many of us have young children at home that need entertaining and schooling. We’re now required to entertain our kids and put in a full day’s work – no small task!. So how exactly does a small business survive in these tough times?
Plan your days – Make sure each week day is thought out ahead of time. Establish what you need to do, deadlines to meet and the activities you want your kids to do. Setting goals help to maximise efficiency and ensures you get more work done throughout the day.
Follow a routine – You may feel uncomfortable in these uncertain times. Not only from external factors, like your news feed, but also being confined within the four walls of your home. It’s important to maintain or establish a stable routine. Be sure to get out of the house, even if it’s to go for a walk or to grab some breakfast – takeaway of course. If you don’t want to spend too much, buying a coffee will get you out of the house. There’s nothing worse than being cooped up at home all day, you start to go stir-crazy. The team at Custom Neon can attest to that.
Start your day early – If you’re at home with kids, it’s best to get a head start on the day before they wake up. The same goes for once they’re down for bed, or when it’s naptime. Work while they’re asleep and you will find that you are a lot less stressed and anxious and can work more efficiently.
Got school kids? – The most troubling part of the current lockdown is ensuring your children keep up with their lessons. Thankfully, schools have sent out at-home schooling packages for parents to utilise at this time. There are also a multitude of modern teaching aids there to help you get through the day, and a number of articles to guide you.
Set boundaries – Lockdown may seem like a holiday. Not having to change out of your pyjama bottoms or wake up early to make the kids lunches and do the school run. We don’t know how long before we’ll be allowed to venture back out into the world, so it’s best to outline clear boundaries for yourself and your children. If you find yourself becoming distracted from your work, or if your children are being too noisy and you can’t concentrate, don’t allow your focus to wander into procrastination. Stop scrolling through your phone and tell your children off for being too loud. There’s no shame in setting healthy boundaries.
Give yourself a break – These are uncertain times and you can’t expect yourself to maintain the same level of performance as you would if the world hadn’t gone topsy turvy. Everyone is experiencing the same hardship in their own way, so don’t feel bad about handling your own stress and drop in productivity in ways that work best for you. Don’t beat yourself up when you fall down. If having your kids sit and watch Netflix for the rest of the afternoon is what you need to get work done, then do it. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend or family member for help because people are willing to help now more than ever.
Treat yourself – While we each need to do our part, we should reward ourselves along the way, even if your wages or hours may have been reduced. Splash out and get a nice meal (take-away of course), or spend a little too much money online shopping. Little rewards like this make you a lot happier and help to maintain a high level of positivity, increasing your overall productivity at work.
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