MYOB has put out a really useful guide to help businesses be fully prepared across a variety of areas to help them get through the current crisis.
There’s plenty of helpful information, from tips on how to manage your cash flow, and cut overheads to keep your business going, to the latest information by the government about rulings such as the six-month moratorium on evictions from landlords being made in Australia. You can also check the government packages, and get a checklist of helpful suggestions from looking for alternative revenue streams to cybersecurity tips.
MYOB CEO Greg Ellis says preparing for a crisis to the degree required has resulted in a lot of challenges – even for the most prepared business owner.
“There’s a lot to consider,” he says. “It’s important to keep customers and staff informed, as well as motivated and engaged if your people are working from home. Our guide provides advice on maintaining regular contact through email, chat or video conferencing or establishing a buddy system for larger businesses.
“It’s also worth spending time focused on the future. There will be a recovery and, given how fast the crisis arrived, the upswing might be just as strong as the decline for some businesses – so we’ve included some steps businesses should consider to help them prepare.”
Greg Ellis, MYOB CEO
One of the main recommendations is to work closely with your advisors and accountants during this period so you can focus together on different strategies to take and reminders to keep on top of tax obligations. If your business is being affected by the coronavirus outbreak, there’s also information about whether you are able to get subsidies.
The MYOB Business Preparedness Report says regular meetings and keeping in touch with other staff members are vital during this period. It also makes the point that it is important to accept and respect people’s different situations, especially for those parents working with kids at home.
Some of the top tips for conducting a work meeting from home include making sure you are mindful that you are talking to a real person not just a screen and to always be friendly and engaged. If, like me, you’ve found it often difficult to know where to look during a Zoom meeting. The answer is that there is no hard and fast rule but to ensure you don’t take a call or look away or you’ll appear disengaged.
Here are MYOB’s conversational tips:
MYOB’S CONVERSATIONAL TIPS FOR WORK-FROM-HOME MEETINGS
- Be concise and clear with what you want to say. It’s easy to get bogged down with what you want to say without adding the complication of not strictly doing it in person. You want to get your message across without wasting their time
- Ask questions to keep them engaged
- Give them the space to talk. There may be delays in internet connection so make sure you are giving them the time to talk and avoid talking over them, otherwise, it can end up being a jumbled and confusing mess
- Have good lighting. Be in a well-lit room so that you can be seen easily
- Be in a quiet location so that you can be heard. Try to make sure there aren’t excessive visual distractions moving in the background – including the kids, your cats or your partner walking past to make a cup of tea!
And having done a meeting like this recently myself, I’d like to add that it is advisable to turn the microphone off when you are not speaking.
Finally, make sure you are on top of cybersecurity because there are plenty of scammers trying to exploit businesses in the current situation so you and your team need to be on high alert.
You can DOWNLOAD THE MYOB BUSINESS PREPAREDNESS REPORT, by clicking here.
