Guide to Conquering a Business Crisis

Many business owners are wondering what they can do (outside of taking on additional debt) to help meet the challenges of COVID-19. The Guide to Conquering a Business Crisis provides suggestions for cash management, pricing and cost containment, supply chain management, and marketing.

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How to “Quarantine” Your Business

We are constantly receiving information on how to manage staying at home, exercise, family time, keep a schedule, and practice social distancing. But how do you “quarantine” your business? This publication provides information on evaluating what you can’t and can control, questions to help you analyze your business and move forward, and how to get help.

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Tips for Marketing Your Business During COVID-19

Many small business owners are in isolation: quarantined with their families, homeschooling their children, and practicing safe social distancing. Suddenly everyone is a pro at Zoom meetings, conference calls and webinars. But, for those who can’t deliver curbside or aren’t considered essential, there is a lot of worry about how to market their business while the doors are closed. In reality, nearly everyone’s business has changed and everyone wants to know what to do as we navigate this new reality. Click here to view the infographic with tips for marketing your business during COVID-19.

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Tips for Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19

Do you feel hopeless or lack initiative? Are you sleeping less and drinking more? Maybe you feel anxious or are worried about the health of your family or your employees’ families. Those are just a few of the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression that might manifest during a prolonged or unexpected crisis like COVID-19. And, these feelings don’t discriminate. Your family, friends, neighbors, and employees are likely struggling with the same pressures. Click here to view the infographic with tips for managing your mental health during COVID-19.

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Tips to Prepare for Reopening

Though your business may be closed, now is the time to start preparing for your next chapter. We recommend you develop a well thought-out plan for when you can open again. While not all businesses are brick and mortar, many of these tips can be applied to your business. Focusing on the highlighted areas below will help make the transition easier for you, your employees, and your customers. People across the country are rooting for the small business community, making this an opportunity for you to solidify existing customer relationships and welcome new customers. Click here to view the infographic with tips to prepare for reopening.

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Managing Your Virtual Office

Just a few weeks ago, only 5.2% of US employees reported working from home all of the time and another 43% said they did so occassionally. By now, that figure has skyrocketed. Most of us are probably juggling cats on keyboards, sharing office hours (and bandwidth) with our spouses and children, and coordinating Zoom meetings rather than carpools. (In fact, Zoom reports their usage is up 649% in the last month!) For some people, this has been a rude awakening. Others are hoping this is a sign of things to come. Click here to view the infographic with tips on how to manage your virtual office.

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Webinar: "Raising Capital in Uncertain Times"

The SBTDC recently hosted a "Raising Capital in Uncertain Times: Q&A with Angel Investors" webinar. Tech Team counselor Mike Carnes and investors Eva Doss from The Launch Place and Mark Friedman from RTP Capital Associates discussed how COVID-19 will impact the ability to raise early-stage investment capital and answered questions from participants. To view the webinar, complete this registration and the 45-minute video will launch automatically.

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Guide for Safely Reopening & Operating Your Business

A collaboration of economic and community development partners in Orange & Chatham Counties have worked together to create a local Guide for Safely Reopening and Operating Your Business (www.ReopeningHelp.com).

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CDC Guidance on Reopening

The CDC has developed a tool to assist business owners and administrators in making decisions regarding reopening youth programs and camps, childcare programs, faith communities, mass transit, restaurants and bars, schools, and workplaces in general.

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Coronavirus Customizable Flyer (US Chamber)

This is a flyer you can customize and post to inform your employees and customers about the steps you are taking to protect against the spread of COVID-19.These are common steps recommended by the CDC, states, and local jurisdictions, as of May 18, 2020. This is not a substitute for guidance from your state or local health departments, so please consult those resources as well.

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Checklist for Managing in Times of Financial Difficulty

The importance of financial management cannot be over emphasized, especially when business conditions become difficult. The Checklist for Managing in Times of Financial Difficulty provides ideas for improving the cash position of your business, controlling costs, managing inventory, and increasing sales.

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After the Lockdown: Pandemic Marketing 2.0

Lockdown marketing advice emphasized the need for a strong on-line presence that included digital communications and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) development. And, most companies that survived, or even thrived during the lockdown, were successful as a result of their digital connections. Successful companies communicated digitally with current customers, expanded their reach to new clients, created partnerships, accepted and fulfilled orders, and monitored their strategies to maximize successful activities and minimize wasted effort. Click here for the full “Pandemic Marketing 2.0” infographic article.

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OSHA Guidance on Returning to Work

OSHA’s Guidance on Returning to Work assists employers reopening non-essential businesses and their employees returning to work during the evolving coronavirus pandemic.