Managing a Business During a Crisis

It feels like the last year has been full of crises, both personally and globally. And, to prove Murphy’s Law accurate, the crises continued into the new year.

But the show must go on, despite hiccups and hangups.

The only way I’ve found to continue “business as usual” during a crisis is to have a plan and a team in place to pick up the slack where needed.

Here’s how:

Create a Supportive Team

We can’t do business alone, but having a supportive team doesn’t mean you have to hire a bunch of help (though that IS one way to do it). Rather, a team could be colleagues who you can turn to to pick up the slack.

For me, those team members were other Beachbody coaches who I’ve been working with and supporting for years. Some are actually on my upline and downline; others are coaches who I’ve known and collaborated with for years. They allowed me to go into dark mode and take care of things on my home front. They supported my challenge groups and checked in on customers for me. I’m forever grateful and these coaches know that I will be there for them if ever they need me.

Enlist Help at Home

You aren’t Wonder Woman and you don’t have to do it all. It’s okay to ask your family and friends for help when you need it. This is even easier when you have older children at home who can easily step in and do some of the housework. (Though “easier” is relative when you’re trying to convince children to do chores.)

I made sure that our pantry was full so everyone could make themselves a meal when they needed one. You can also order meal prep services or order in. It’s okay if nutrition isn’t always on-point, but remember that healthier options can give you the energy you need.

Take Time for You

It goes without saying that you need to take care of you before you think about taking on the care of anyone else–whether it’s your partner, your children, your parents, a friend. It might seem counterproductive to step away from all the things that need to be done, but quiet time is probably more important than checking anything off a to-do list.

Time for yourself can be as simple as a morning walk alone, a trip to the pool to swim some laps, or a solo drive in the car to nowhere. You can also take it a step further and take a quiet weekend away by yourself, if possible.

Your business is important, no matter what stage you’re at. And if your household depends on the income, it can feel really stressful to manage the day to day work and a crisis in your life. But you have people in your life who want to help, and it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for it.

Cultivate relationships now with the people you know can support you, and do the same for them.