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Managing Your Small Business in the Time of Coronavirus

douglas hauptman • February 26, 2024

Managing through the virus outbreak and containment crisis

The coronavirus has upended life across the US and the globe. Cancellations and closings along with operational shifts to provide social distancing are coming fast and furious. By thinking through the demands of operating and sustaining your business during the crisis, you'll be better prepared to help your customers, employees, and community.

That leaves business leaders to examine sources of risk and find the most effective actions to sustain business operations, keep staff (and the business) healthy and weather the downturn. There are official sources to keep businesses apprised of the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak and recommended actions. Monitor these sources along with our list of questions and actions to get your planning underway:

Search your state department of health & human services

As you get your planning underway using our compiled list of considerations and actions below, know that the Truist team is here to support you and your business through the coronavirus crisis. Whether it's evaluating your cash needs, planning for the weeks and months ahead or looking for banking services to support you during the crisis, talk to your Truist banker for ideas and ways we can help.

Cash and liquidity

What's your cash coverage?

How can you adjust your needs during a sustained crisis?

What can you do?

  • Estimate the impact of the crisis and adjusted operations on your sales and cash flow. Commit to updating projections frequently as new information about the crisis/your finances emerges.
  • Review your contingency financial plan with your key employees, managers, advisors and board. Check your business disruption insurance for any coverage during the crisis.
  • Confirm fraud protection measures and boost staff vigilance—any disruption to business-as-usual leaves a company vulnerable to fraud
  • Keep an eye on long term goals. Disruptions could bring opportunities for bargains on equipment, purchased services, raw materials or an acquisition that could advance your growth or profitability goals.

Business planning

How can you plan for the changes and opportunities resulting from the crisis?

What can you do?

  • If your business is cash-intensive, try shifting to credit card transactions to address customer concerns about virus transfer via cash
  • Stay in close contact with your courier service to ensure continuity
  • Conserve cash by tightening discretionary spending controls, collections follow-up and payables tracking
  • Prioritize regular weekly/monthly expenses and put a hold on discretionary purchases
  • Create a plan for continued financial processing using electronic processing where possible while using remote access with proper controls
  • Plan for your short- and long-term needs
  • Confirm your borrowing and credit card limits
  • Make sure you have access to capital for payroll, inventory and general business expenses
  • Business and owner finances are often closely tied
  • Plan for the personal financial impact of compensation and distribution reductions as well as your ability to add capital to cover shortfalls
  • Communicate with your bankers, investors and advisors to keep them apprised of your situation; prepare them for future needs for more capital; avoid surprises

Customer engagement

Do customers come to your location(s)?

Do your sales come from face-to-face calls on your customers?

What can you do?

  • Adjust staffing and location hours for projected changes in demand. Few have experienced a crisis of this type, so be ready to adjust assumptions quickly.
  • Promote sales through your website, online and call center channels. Ensure existing technology and e-commerce infrastructure can handle additional traffic.
  • Limit customer access to a section of your facility. Promote advance ordering and pickup to minimize customer/staff contact.
  • Perform extensive environmental cleaning daily. Increase cleaning frequency for high traffic areas and let your customers know you are doing so.
  • Communicate with your customers regularly via social and digital channels to illuminate your business's response to the outbreak. Update them on your operations and stay top-of-mind.

Work environment and staff

Where does your business depend on available staff to maintain operations?

What can you do?

  • Review roles and responsibilities for each staff member with a contingency plan for backups, opportunities for reassigning duties and sharing responsibilities to cover absences.
  • Instruct sick employees to stay home. Consider adjustments to sick time policies to ensure that affected staff has financial incentives to stay home. Identify your employee population most at risk per health guidelines, and make sure you're doing everything to protect them. (CDC(opens in a new tab) is a reliable source.)
  • Prepare staffing policies to handle absences by parents of children released from closed schools, by employees caring for ill family members and by self-quarantined individuals staying isolated after virus contact. Consider ways you can support them.
  • Ramp up work-from-home technologies including remote access to files and core systems; as well as telecommunications and virtual meetings. Extend secure access measures (Virtual Private Network access, encryption, etc.) to protect data and customer information. Update staff instructions and monitoring.
  • Add daily management staff reporting to monitor workforce capacity and identify coverage gaps
  • Eliminate or limit business travel and attending conferences
  • Prepare for increased calls from customers seeking information or support; secure additional staff and technology support
  • Find a back-up remote site for your operations in case of a quarantine

Suppliers and partners

How much inventory do you have on hand and will suppliers continue to be available?

How will your partners continue to function?

What can you do?

  • Contact your key suppliers to understand their plans and impact on order availability, deliveries and reliability. Know where you stand on each supplier's priority list. 
  • Prepare for supply chain delays with plans to anticipate issues, identify secondary sources and adjust your operations for disruption 
  • Understand your partners' business risks, continuity planning and staffing plans. Engage your organization in plans to address shortfalls and gaps. 
  • Encourage your suppliers and partners to limit in-person visits by using technology and operating remotely
  • Let suppliers and partners know your operating plans and keep them up to date on changes in your sales, operations and needs throughout the crisis

Informed leadership

Are you tuned into reliable, unbiased information about the outbreak and economy?

What connections do you have to local and industry guidance?

What can you do?

  • Stay on top of current developments through reliable sources (CDC, state and local government, industry groups). Implement government mandates and orders.
  • Use a diverse set of local and national media to stay up to date on the latest outbreak developments
  • Monitor competitors' and partners' responses to the crisis to inform your actions
  • Set up regular company communications about the crisis, its impact on the business and the actions undertaken. Use digital and internal social media along with text, voice and video formats to reach office and remote staff. Install Skype (Facebook Live; ZOOM, etc.) for video conferencing.
  • Make regular public statements through your company's Facebook page or website 
  • Consider ways you or your organization can offer time or resources to support those in need in your community
By douglas hauptman February 14, 2024
As of January 27 th , Mimosa Salon Suites has all studios leased with only one remaining! We are one step closer to our mission in creating one million square feet of hope for aspiring beauty professionals around the nation. We are leasing luxury studios to entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of the fastest growing industry in the world by opening their own business. The demand for beauty products and services has remained strong through the pandemic, recession, and inflation. Now is the time to invest in taking your professional skills to the next level by leasing with Mimosa Salon Suites!
By douglas hauptman February 4, 2024
Of course, communicating all that you know, and showing empathy for all that is going on around us, is critical for you and your business. Additionally, it is important to formulate a plan! Thankfully, Mimosa Salon Suites management has your back and has created a comprehensive plan to fight back the COVID-19 virus. Our new, post-virus procedure will spell out the actions you should take in order to maintain a clean and safe environment and how to share and communicate with your clients. This process is the first of its kind for Salon Suites and Salons as a whole, this should be implemented quickly and effectively to continue regular operations at Mimosa Salon suites. In this action plan, we will also share with you our aggressive plan to further our efforts to provide every tenant with a fresh and clean work environment daily.
By douglas hauptman January 30, 2024
Mimosa has prepared this document to inform the public and our clients about our COVID-19 procedures to reopen our facilities. We ask that people do not believe the false news reports about increased cases in Georgia. Please look at the State of Georgia Department of Public Health Daily Report for the truth and actual statistics here in the Peach State! Phase 1 Soft Opening Hours - Monday April 27th - May 8th COVID-19 Enhanced Procedures We will follow new procedures that will allow us to keep our clients safe and healthy in the post-virus economy. We will implement a longer sanitation time in-between client by thoroughly sanitizing and sterilizing all treatment rooms. Although we have always followed the sanitation protocols enforced by the state board, we commit to go above and beyond the requirements by adhering closely to the CDC guidelines. Our goal is to continue to give our clients exceptional care while keeping them safe in immaculate conditions. Re-opening Mimosa Facilities As per the latest guidelines set forth by the White House, states may begin to reopen in 3 phases. The guidelines may be found here . Additionally, the State of Georgia Board of Cosmetology has issued a new set of guidelines which we have incorporated into our enhanced opening protocol. You can read the full list here . The states or regions must first meet certain criteria before commencing Phase 1. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has decided to begin Phase 1 reopening on April 24th. Most importantly, we have incorporated all the required procedures and protocols from Governor Kemp's reopening order. You may see the order here . With all that in mind, we have taken the following steps to safely re-open Mimosa. At all phases, employers must develop and implement appropriate policies in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations; as well as by following industry best practices regarding: Social distancing and protective equipment Temperature checks Sanitation Use and disinfection of common and high-traffic areas Business travel We at Mimosa, want to do everything we can to equip our tenants and our community with the necessary tools to fend off any virus -- whether the common cold, the flu, or COVID-19. We will execute our client-screening protocols to this end. Our existing high standards as well as our additional amplified disinfecting and sanitation procedures between each client will be strenuously followed. The next section will provide specifics on this implementation. Client Screening and Fulfilment Additions We will change the way our appointments are scheduled. Our appointments will now be spaced 15 minutes apart. The extra time in-between appointments will allow for our clients to follow social distancing guidelines. This new procedure minimizes traffic flow problems and prevents clients from arriving or departing from the lobby at the same time. Early arrivals may choose to wait in the car until 5 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment time. Temperature Screenings. When a tenant's staff member or client enters the building, they will have their temperature taken with a digital, no-touch thermometer and/or an FDA-approved antibody test. The test will be administered In the Mimosa lobby, by the front door. These procedures will remain in place until deemed no longer necessary. If a tenant's staff member is running a temperature, s/he will not be able to work that day. Additionally, the tenant's staff member must see their doctor and get cleared before returning to work. If a client has a fever (add degrees here), they will have to reschedule their appointment and we will suggest they see their doctor. We will ask to see a clearance before the client can resume services. If an FDA-approved antibody test is administered, the procedures will be as follows: IgM negative, IgG negative: Patient not exposed or too early. A medical professional should observe symptoms and epidemiology of patients. Re-testing should be considered if symptoms appear or persist. There will be no other action needed at this time. IgM positive, IgG positive/negative: Acute or recent infection. This result will require the client to leave the premises immediately. A positive test result will be forwarded to the proper health authorities. Clients and/or staff will not be allowed to return until after a professional medical clearance, 14-day self-isolation, and/or an IGM-negative test result. IgM negative, IgG positive: Previous, distant infection. We will ask the screening questions Mimosa developed to make sure the infection was at least 14 days prior, which conforms with current CDC guidelines for testing medical professionals and for getting medical professionals back to work. Positive antibody results will be forwarded to health authorities through whichever data portal, app or website is required. If the IgM is positive, showing an acute, or recent infection. Clients and/or staff will have to leave our premises immediately. They will also be strongly advised to seek immediate medical attention. Clients and/or staff will not be allowed to return until after a professional medical clearance, 14-day self-isolation and/or an IgM negative test result. Positive antibody results will be forwarded to health authorities, as required. There is more to the testing aspect which involves ascertaining the client's history and potential exposure from travel or COVID-19-positive family members at home. Our staff will interview clients to help determine the risk of exposure and to determine how we can best provide our services. We will not be discussing this portion of our policy publicly. However, the public can rest assured that we have in place an effective, well-thought-out procedure for administering these antibody tests. In this way, we are making prudent decisions about how to proceed in the safest, healthiest way for both clients and staff members. As Dr. Fauci and other medical experts remind the public, antibody testing is not 100 percent effective against any virus, especially COVID-19. However, this kind of testing adds an additional layer of protection over and beyond just taking someone’s temperature. At Mimosa, we believe that adding antibody testing makes our place of business much safer than any gas station, grocery store, liquor store or any other business operating today. Contact Tracing As per the CDC guidelines for re-opening businesses in Georgia, employers must develop and implement policies and procedures for workforce contact tracing following employee COVID+ tests. Contact tracing involves the following steps: If an individual is identified as having tested positive for COVID-19, their case will immediately be reported to public health or any other necessary official. The employee will be interviewed to learn about their movements and interactions with their most recent contacts. If public health officials need any information regarding people who have been in contact with that employee, it will be provided. Employees may be isolated (e.g. required to remain at home) or excluded (e.g. prohibited from attending a particular work location) if deemed necessary for disease control. A 14-day period and a negative COVID-19 test will be a mandatory return-to-work requirement for our employees. Client Screening and Fulfilment Protocol As soon as the client enters the suite, the tenant will greet them. The tenant will give the client a mask and hand sanitizer. Tenant will then get their temperature taken. Temperature Taking Mimosa tenants & staff will follow stringent guidelines in taking client temperatures. This protocol is listed below. The client’s temperature will be taken using a no-touch digital thermometer. If the client has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, s/he will be asked to leave the premises immediately. Clients can reschedule their appointment when they have gone at least 48 hours without fever. (Clients can also return with a physician’s note indicating they are symptom-free. ) After clients leaves, tenant's staff members wearing gloves will immediately sanitize the chair, the door handles, and any other area that the client may have touched. The tenant's staff member will then dispose of the gloves in the hazardous materials disposal receptacle. Hygiene and PPE and Prevention Before opening for the day, staff will have their temperature taken and/or submit to a Covid-19 antibody test. Any staff member who has a temperature will not be allowed to work. They must have gone 48 hours without a fever in order to return to work. Any staff member with an IgM positive test result indicating an acute, or recent infection, will have to leave immediately. They will be recommended to seek medical attention. Positive antibody results will be forwarded to health authorities. Clients and/or staff will not be allowed to return until after a professional medical clearance, 14-day self-isolation and/or an IGM negative test result or a combination of all these. If the IgM test result is negative, the client or staff member will be able to proceed with their services. There will be mandatory use of hand sanitizer by all staff and clients upon entering the building. Estheticians and massage therapists will all wash their hands with antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds before and after each treatment. Estheticians must wear gloves before commencing treatment and dispose of them promptly afterwards. As we will be following CDC recommendations, all of our staff members will wear disposable masks. Masks will be available for any client receiving services that would like to wear one as well. (QUESTION--Is this mandatory for clients?) In addition to these everyday steps, all locations are also required to be extra diligent to ensure associates exhibiting any signs or symptoms of illness (including acute respiratory illness) will remain home. Likewise, if a client with an upcoming appointment is not feeling well, they will be asked to give the Mimosa location a call. We will be happy to reschedule the appointment. Cleaning and Disinfecting Based on research, we have developed the following protocols adhering to the CDC’s guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting our facilities. All tenents will be using EPA-registered disinfectants that are approved for COVID-19 disinfection. After removing the sheets, tenant's staff will spray tables and wipe down headrests. Lotion bottles, skin care product bottles, and stretch equipment are wiped down with a disposable disinfectant and sanitizing cloth. Tenant's staff will wipe down all high-touch areas including interior door knobs and light switches with an industrial-grade disinfectant. Tenant's staff will wipe down the client’s chair and/or clothes’ rack with an industrial-grade disinfectant. Tenant's staff will spray down all work surfaces with disinfectant. After cleaning and disinfecting the room, staff will remake the bed with new sheets and blankets in preparation for new clients. Tenant's staff will use a disposable face cradle for massage. After each use by either client or tenant's staff, the restroom will be completely disinfected. An industrial-grade cleaning solution will be used on toilets, sinks, and mirrors. The door knobs, light switches and wall handles will all be sanitized. After any tenant's staff or client enters or leaves the spa, all door handles inside and out will be wiped down and disinfected. The pos system and front desk will also be wiped down and disinfected after being touched. At the end of each day, tenant's staff will sweep and mop the floors with an industrial-grade disinfectant. All walls, shelves and displays will be cleaned and disinfected. Air filters will be changed regularly according to manufacturer’s directions. Air purifiers will be in use and they will be located in common areas. We intend to provide the leadership needed to help guide all salons and med spas in the State of Georgia to reopen safely. For more information or interview requests contact: Douglas Hauptman 770.265.6407 doughauptman@gmail.com version 6-4.22.2020_mimosa
By douglas hauptman January 8, 2024
We recently did a survey of over 1500 beauty clients and our privately conducted poll tells us exactly what you would expect: 40% are ready to come out shopping and doing things now 30% want to wait 2-4 weeks 30% want to wait 1-3 months Not coincidentally, these statistics match closely to the risk/age groups for COVID-19. 40% are at little to no risk (mostly 18-39) 30% are at light to medium risk (mostly 40-60) 30% are at medium to high risk (mostly 61+) So if your business caters mostly to young healthy people, you can expect almost all of them to resume very soon, if it caters to older people and/or those with other health issues, you can expect them to wait a good while until they feel they are safe, and everywhere in between. So even though most businesses are and have done more than required to make people safe they have NOT done a good enough job making people FEEL safe. The business community needs to conduct intensive messaging targeting the folks who are afraid with images and words designed to help them have courage and confidence. Contact Larry Covington at 404-502-7670 for help with your messaging. We can and will win this fight and together we must not fear! We must help each other find the courage to press on!
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