Manage your organization through tough times

Small Business Action Plans

To get downloadable guides to manage your organization  through tough times, click here.

Coronavirus 'Life Boat' Fundraiser!

Help Us Raise Coronavirus 'Life Boat'​ Donations For Small Business Owners!

We will donate 250 Online Communication Apps to help small companies rebuild business they have lost.

We will be rewarding those who donate at least $250 to our Life Boat campaign with https://lnkd.in/dDtHuRg

Go to https://lnkd.in/duH4Cjc

The Amazing Liox Cleaners Story

In this time of hardship for so many, this is an initiative we should all admire and follow if we can!

For the amazing Liox story, read more.

QR Code Update

Talking Business Card Life Boat Offer

Talking Business Card, a proud 'coronavirus Life Boat'  for the small business community, is providing a great discount for its services.

It will charge small business community members a one-time fee of only $97 (discounted from regular rate of $149) PLUS it will  provide its A/V Recording Studio FREE as a special, included
feature.

For details, click here

Coronavirus impact on small business has been devastating,”

Some businesses in San Francisco say they’re seeing a drop in numbers due to growing fears about the coronavirus. More companies are allowing people to work from home. Restaurant patrons said they’re not seeing the foot traffic they used to and rideshare drivers say they’re concerned too.

Said Quinabb drives for Uber and Lyft and he said he’s been sharing hand sanitizer with his riders but is worried about the coronavirus. “I am very scared, especially today,” Quinnab said. “All the mask you know and they’re coughing.”

Pete Sittnick is managing partner at Waterbar on the Embarcadero and said business dinner is down 15%. He also sees an impact as companies, including Facebook and Twitter, have employees work from home. “Where that impacts us is at lunch and after work those people that are working from home would typically be in the neighborhood and would come here after work,” Sittnick said.

“The impact of the coronavirus on small business has been devastating,” said Jay Cheng, from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “Our main messages is you have to support your local business you have to support your local restaurant even if its ordering take out from them and picking it up there if you don’t want to stay in the restaurant.”

Coronavirus -- A perspective

In this coronavirus moment, we should all bear the following in mind:

2000 – Y2K will be the end of us all.

2001 – The terrorists are going to murder us.

2003 – SARS is going to infect us.

2006 – E-coli is going to kill us.

2008 – The recession is going to destroy us.

2009 – Swine flu is going to slaughter us.

2013 – North Korea is going to nuke us.

2015 – ISIS is out to obliterate us.

2020 – Coronavirus is going to kill us.

So, while yes, we all need to calm down, it is nevertheless also true that we need to be diligent, and if you own or work in a small business, you also need to be smart and savvy.

Take China as a cautionary tale. Recent reports coming out of China indicate that millions of small businesses are on the verge of collapse. But that is also because 1) China has been affected and infected to a far greater degree than the U.S. (at least so far), and 2) Whole cities are in lockdown, guaranteeing that people cannot and/or will not venture out into public places like restaurants and stores.

Fortunately, nothing like that is going on here, at least not yet, and so the effects are far smaller. But, that said, smaller is not the same as absent. As the virus spreads, it will increasingly be felt by American businesses and workers.

Indeed, the U.S. and China do have this in common: Both countries are heavily dependent on small business for everyday goods and services. In China, 80% of business is small business, and in the U.S., that number is closer to 95%.

More: Amazon employee in Seattle tests positive for coronavirus, is in quarantine

More:CDC is preparing for the 'likely' spread of coronavirus in the US, officials say

More:Exclusive: Small-business support for Trump ebbs, but experts say he can reclaim voters

Right now, therefore, and not surprisingly, one of the first sectors of the American economy to feel the effects of the virus is the import market, especially those businesses who rely on Asian imports generally and Chinese imports specifically. With Chinese factories shuttered and the supply chain disrupted, many American businesses are starting to feel the brunt. 

The next segment of the economy that surely is going to feel the ripple is the travel, conference, and entertainment sector. Are you thinking of delaying a trip this year? I know that I am, and I know a lot of people who are.

The upshot is that  some small businesses have started planning for a downturn as a result of the coronavirus, even if they don’t feel it yet.

Those are smart moves. Look to change suppliers now, lower your overhead to the extent possible, increase some prices and protect your cash flow.

In addition, fiscal help may help. The Fed cut interest rates Tuesday by the biggest margin since the Great Recession. And the president (typically no friend of small business), is scrambling to find ways to blunt the most severe economic effects of the outbreak.

And while all of this is good to know, let’s not fool ourselves; This event is not insignificant. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the coronavirus outbreak could cause a “severe disruption” to the lives of ordinary Americans.

But, that noted, fear will only make it worse; after all, Y2K turned out to be nothing but a computer glitch. This event will likely end up being somewhat more disruptive than that turn-of-the-century nonstarter, but certainly no 9/11 either.