For many businesses and charities at present, survival is the only thing on their mind. Let us be blunt right up front; some will not survive. So how do you tilt the odds in your favour. Well you can start by remembering the old adage “don’t spend more than you earn”.

Charities in particular are prone to overspending because “it’s for the beneficiaries”. Those same beneficiaries will not thank you if you are not around to help them in the future. Whether you work in the commercial or “not for profit” world you still have to live within your means.

The Government, whether you agree with its politics or not are trying to plug a hole in the Covid 19 dyke with all sorts of assistance available across the spectrum even though there are some who still fall through the gaps and others who will tell you that it is not enough. There are plenty of sources of material elsewhere to help you access direct financial help. This is not the purpose of this article. This is just a few personal thoughts about what can be done.

1. Think outside the box- Yes, your goods or services may not be vital, but can they be packaged in some other way so that people will buy now for future delivery. A voucher for a birthday treat when this is all over; something uplifting as a treat to cheer up the isolated; something to be delivered by video rather than in person?
2. If you are a charity and you are delivering a service that Covid 19 has stopped, see if there is another way of delivering. Can outreach work and if so, can you deliver it that way? Can some of the emergency funding available help you to keep staff on to deliver this alternative service?
3. If you work on your own, can you mothball the business and seek alternative temporary employment with one of the services that are recruiting extra staff?
4. If you are a charity can you temporarily close down some of your services that can’t be funded and deliver services that can or indeed within your constitution are there other services that you can offer to help in the present crisis that become fundable?
5. Whether you are a business or a charity, can you work collaboratively with another organisation to get the best value for money out of decreased resources? And finally,
6. Whether you are a business or a charity, what reserves can you afford to commit to continuing to work in the same way as previously.?

What you must NOT do is incur debt you cannot afford to repay as then, whether as a company director, a partner, a sole trader or a charity trustee YOU become liable. So cut what you have to cut; think differently about how you are working and think about new products or services you can deliver quickly that people need.

Mothball if you have to but if you do things right you can survive and go on to prosper. Above all, don’t be afraid to ask for help whether it be finance, advice or just to talk to someone. They say a problem shared is a problem halved and sometimes it only takes a moment for someone from the outside to see a way through a problem that you are too close to.

Covid 19 has changed the landscape for many and I for one don’t think things will ever be the same again. I am a glass half-full kind of person and so I firmly believe that such changes will be for the better in the long run if we learn some lessons out of this crisis.

Stay safe