The news in the past few weeks have not been as comforting as we hoped. Covid-19 infection rates are rising in the whole of Europe, and it now looks evident that autumn may bring a second wave. Predictions are still uncertain, as much as safety measures that will be put in place to contain it (unless you believe England’s new three-tier restrictions are enough).
This eventuality is an additional source of worry for many businesses: a new lockdown (taking place in Liverpool as we write this) or a new stop of consumption, could represent a substantial impact on many entrepreneurs and their employees.
If we would assist to a second wave, comparable to the first one, it’s likely the Covid-19 pandemic will influence our way of working in the future. If your business opened post-lockdown, there are a few things you can get ready for a potential second wave in your region.
As much as we try to keep our hopes and spirits high, we want to share with you in this article some tips to get ready for a possible second wave. If it happens, at least we will be better prepared this time.
Rox Event Staff is the only event staffing agency in the UK that helps you take the headache out of staffing and event marketing in one place.
All our Event Staff took the mass gathering course by WHO, which is now mandatory for them to work with us.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL EVENT STAFFING AGENCY LEAVES YOU FREE TO FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS!
Buy PPE in advance
Personal safety is a priority in the workplace. We all remember too well the compulsive stockpile inconvenience – and the consequent unavailability – of all PPE at the beginning of lockdown. It would be useful to make a small stock to avoid finding yourself and your employees in the same situation again, while you can still find gloves easily, face masks and hand gels. The same goes for cleaning and disinfectant products.
Don’t wait for guidelines: establish your business safety measures before the second wave
These days, there are many differences in how different regions are managing the risk of infection. In other words, in addition to Government and authorities guidelines, there are other procedures, based on local rules too. Broadly, a good practice is that of exceeding in caution. For example, even before acknowledging national and local guidelines, it’s useful to:
- implement a rigorous cleaning program,
- providing PPE to your employees if coming back to the office and,
- whenever possible, making changes to the office layout to offer more barriers and room between workers or personnel and clients.
If possible, extend the chance to work from home to all your employees, whose physical presence is not strictly required.
Improve online channels and reduce contacts
To fight against Coronavirus, in lack of a vaccination, it’s not enough to invest in face masks and disinfectants: it’s essential to rethink the way of managing your own business ultimately. If you didn’t improve your online presence, this is the time to upgrade it, getting ready to make it the pillar of your business. Right now is the ideal moment to invest in software, managing internal communication that emerged during the lockdown.
How can you improve clients’ experience and make remote work more efficient? If during the first crisis your company came across a few issues in managing the workflow remotely – for example in providing products or services or interacting with clients – this is the right moment to correct those mistakes. Don’t leave everything behind you, thinking you won’t have to deal with those issues anymore. Rethink your whole business and how you can manage it online to deal with a possible second wave.
Five most famous journeys during recessions
While you may feel that turning off investment and freezing marketing budgets are your only options, history shows us that the brands that thrive after challenging times are those that sustain and even increase marketing spend. Here some inspiring stories of the five most famous journeys to inspire you.
Microsoft: 1975
In the early 1970s, the U.S. entered a 16-month recession when the GDP took its worst hit in nearly two decades. It was during these difficult times that college drop-outs Bill Gates and Paul Allen developed the concept of easy-to-use computing for homes and offices. With a clear and consistent marketing message, it broke down boundaries for businesses to leverage technology and pave a new path for Microsoft to become one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Apple: 2000
While Apple has been around since the 1970s, it transformed itself during the dot-com crash of the early 2000s, and in the wake of 9/11. They launched the iPad backed by a fierce marketing campaign. Tim Cook, Apple’s former COO and current CEO famously has said, “We believe in investing during downturns.”
Netflix: 1997
Netflix was founded in the years leading up to the dot-com bubble. It nearly succumbed to economic hardship in 2000 when it put itself up for sale, only for the $50 million offer to be rebuffed by Blockbuster. Netflix was able to weather the storm and harness its innovation and marketing creativity to transform itself into a pioneer in streaming on-demand consumer video.
“Going dark” can be a counter-productive strategy; it can erode your brand, stunt premium pricing that you’ve taken years to build and allow more agile competitors to grow.
Mailchimp: 2001
Mailchimp was initially focused on large corporate clients with yearly retainers. But when the Great Recession hit, Mailchimp was forced to pivot its business model. It decided to add a freemium business in 2009, and, within a year, its user base had ballooned from 85,000 to 450,000.
Airbnb: 2008
In 2007, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia had the idea of renting out an air mattress in their San Francisco living room. Little did they know that December of that year would be the start of the Great Recession and open the door to an opportunity. Airbnb revamped the market of short-term living quarters for those who were priced out by hotels. In 2009, they received funding from top-tier VCs and experienced explosive growth.
How can we help you take a sustainable, long-term view supporting your messaging in the lead-up and post live exhibitions?
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About Rox Event Staff, Event Staffing Agency in London
Rox Event Staff is the only event staffing agency in London that helps you take the headache out of staffing and event marketing in one place.
We operate nationwide across the UK with over 2,000 dynamic COVID-19 trained events staff on our growing roster. We have dedicated account management, event marketers, staff’s right-to-work checks, training and skills tests on all workers, taking care of payroll too.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL EVENT STAFFING AGENCY LEAVES YOU FREE TO FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS!
Get in touch to let us know your requirements. We will let you know how we can make that happen.
