Pandemic Survival Guide

• Assess your 360 Degree Exposure (all aspects)
• Make a 3-month Financial Plan
• Establish COVID-19 (or pandemic) policies within your organization
• Cut all Unnecessary Operations / perform immediate Financial Triage
  Revenue is likely to be curtailed
  Enact Cost Control
  Trim Staff if needed 

• Be honest with your employees 
  Exercise care in the workplace
  Work from Home - facilitate work-from-home systems
  Don't force workers to show up at the workplace
  Distance when together
  Observe safeguards – Masks, Gloves, Wash hands frequently, Clean Equipment Frequently

• See what Government Help is available (CARE Act, SBA, IDAs, NYS) 
  CARE Act - Apply for Loan / Grant
  SBA Assistance Loan
  Personal Tax Extension to July 15th – take advantage of it
  Here on LI, Campolo, Middleton and McCormick are doing a fantastic job of communicating resources
  https://cmmllp.com/coronavirus/

• Review your 2020 Strategic Plan (or make one)
• Maintain Sales / Marketing efforts (things will be leaner, but happening)
• Might not be getting many new contracts to close for a while – accept it
• Make your own opportunities (try new things / experiment)
  Shift means to other desired goods or services
  ex: Build PPE and other high-demand medical items
  (Mike, the Pillow Guy...50K masks per day)

• eCommerce / Online Store should be a priority if it makes sense
  If you don't have a site, create one
  Is there a way to provide your product or service ONLINE?
  What other Skills or (up-sell) product do you have that could be offered online?

• Revisit unfinished projects / clean up areas that you’ve neglected 
• Cash rules the roost – protect it 
  Secure Liquidity and Ensure access to Capital
  Apply for Small Business Loan / Grant through US CARES Act
  SBA Loans - fees waived (take it if you need it)
  IDAs (Nassau and Suffolk)

• Keep a business and/or personal reserve to draw upon in hard times
• Keep a cache of some basic needs (think TP) – I sound like a survivalist
• Learn and Adapt (if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger)
• Ask yourself: What can you do better (go for small wins)?
• Foster Continuous improvement
  Cut waste
  Document process

• Diversify business 
  Supply chain and Customers
  Products and Services that you offer 

• Remember to keep going
  Fall ten times, stand eleven

• Working remotely can have benefits on savings in the workplace (read: an office) 
  More and more companies are looking at this as a long-term option
  It can be a challenge, but you could extend the workday
  BUT: Can you support 90% of your workforce working remotely?

• Pandemic is accelerating the future of work
  We're having to do some uncomfortable things and change what we've been doing
  That's not necessarily a bad thing!

• Above all - DON'T PANIC!
  We have nothing to fear but fear itself

Closing Remarks

• Be considerate and kind to others (think post-911)
• Remember: Nobody is your competition at a time like this; everyone is just trying to survive
• Ask for patience (and give it) – things will take longer to do
• Reflection of the times: Teams and Xbox – cloud services whose subscriptions are soaring
• Stay alert for the inflection point – this too shall pass 

Planning for the unplannable isn't easy! Respected Sources claim that pandemics will happen again and again; planning will be your best armor against serious disruptions.