What Should You Be Doing Right Now (COVID-19 series)

 

Marketing and growing your business can be challenging on the best days. It can be downright frustrating or scary during a crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic we’re facing right now. If you’re wondering what to do, is it OK to sell, can you still make money, do you need to slow down, is it time to take a break? We’re going to talk about it and figure it out.

 

Typically, I teach you to plan ahead, batch your content, prepare things ahead of time so that you can be more efficient with your business; however, that’s not the best option today. Since things are changing quickly and we are adjusting almost daily, something you planned or wrote a few weeks or a month ago is likely going to sound tone-deaf. While it’s tempting to keep sending the emails you batched in February, it might not be the best solution. If you're still working on your business actively, take time to review the content you've batched and make any necessary changes. 

 

While we’re working our way through the stay at home orders and homeschooling our children while working from home simultaneously (let’s admit that’s tough) things are going to have to be a bit different. If you don’t have kids at home with you, then maybe the shift isn’t a big as it is for some, but there are still things that are different.

 

What should you be doing right now?

 

Whatever works best for you and your situation today. Life today is not our regular life. It's a new reality that’s temporary. You may have lots of free time; you may have absolutely no free time. You may have lots of drive and desire to work on your business. You may want to binge-watch Netflix and send funny memes. Whatever you’re doing is OK.

 

  • It’s OK to focus on your business.
  • It’s OK not to focus on your business.
  • It’s OK to work fewer hours than you were before this happened.
  • It’s OK to work more hours than you were before this happened.

 

Bottom line, whatever you’re able to do right now is OK. We’re amid a worldwide pandemic, and this is not your normal life.

 

Working from home and homeschooling your kids

 

If you have kids at home and you’re suddenly homeschooling or crisis schooling as I’ve heard it referred to recently, you likely have fewer hours to work on your business. If you were building a side hustle and now laugh when someone mentions all the “free time” you should have due to the fact you’re no longer commuting to work because you feel like you’ve got much less time since you’re suddenly working full-time from home and homeschooling your children full-time and you need to stop working on that side hustle for a bit. It’s OK. Take a breath; this is temporary. It won’t always be like this, and in a few months, the schools will reopen, and you can get back to your dreams. Just don’t quit on them altogether. Allow yourself to put them on hold for right now and try to be OK with that decision.

 

If you’re struggling to keep up or figure out how to keep the kids entertained all day while you work. Trust that you are not alone. If you feel like you’ve served frozen pizza and turned on movies so you can get through a marathon meeting day, know that you’re not alone, no one is judging you, and you’re doing great.

 

Has your world shifted a lot?

 

Maybe, similar to me, you’re suddenly feeling a lot more like a stay-at-home mom than the working mom you’re used to being, and that’s hard. My son will be five next month, so my days at home with him are anything but filled with focused work hours and productivity. They’re filled with reading books, science experiments, learning, baking, swimming, and more. They were filled with long walks through the neighborhood, but I’ve burnt him out, and he refuses to go now. 🤣

 

I went from working 6-7 hours a day to working two hours a day while he watches a movie. Is it ideal, no? Am I behind on everything? Yes. Will I survive. Yes? Do I feel like I’m doing 900 loads of dishes a week? Absolutely. Seriously, the dishes. All.the.time.

 

If you're trying to work or build your business while taking care of your kids, these posts on working from home with kids and building your business in an hour a day may be helpful to you right now. 

 

What if you’ve been laid off?

 

If you are laid off due to coronavirus, and you’ve always wanted to work for yourself, this could be a great time to learn about building a business, decide what you’d like to do, learn about marketing. If you aren’t homeschooling kids and working, you may have lots of time available to work on something. I spoke with a friend recently who’s trying new recipes each week or and looking for new hobbies to keep herself occupied right now because she’s so bored. She says she’s watched almost everything on Netflix already and needs more to do. If you’re interested in starting a business, spend some time thinking about what you’d like to do. I’ve got some resources that might help you like this post on the different types of businesses you can start. Some of them require no start-up costs.

 

If you’re laid off with kids at home, your days may be similar to mine. Remember that it’s OK to take a break and let the kids be bored. Being bored is good for them. It helps them grow and be more independent. My son and I worked out or daily schedule, and I agreed to let him watch a movie rather than have to nap or play quietly in his room for quiet time because he agreed to let me work in my office without interruption for 2 hours. Is it ideal, no? Is it working for us? Yes. And that my friends, is what matters right now.

 

You’re doing what you’re supposed to do right now. 

 

However, you’re navigating this crisis; you’re doing what you need to for your business and your family. Try to remember that you’ll likely get less done each day, and that’s OK. We’ve got new tasks and jobs, and many of us are suddenly being asked to do three full-time jobs with very little help. It’s OK to admit it’s hard. But try to keep moving forward and find the moments of joy in your day. It helps. I promise.