by Christina Thomar
How do you now deal with such a new unplanned and unwanted time out?
How do you organize yourself so that everyone is satisfied? How do you manage home office and teen carearound the clock?
Clear daily structures are essential: getting up at the same time every day, breakfast together, sports together (running in the forest or gymnastics at home) help. Then the tasks are performed. Everyone withdraws to his computer and works until there is a common snack. Then again to e-learning or zoom calls/webinars to the computers/laptops.
I try to look at the crisis positively, I'm a life-affirming type of person. Now it's time to clean up, tidy up, plan to make the best use of the enforced time off. But also consciously spending time with the family. Because we'll be moving on again soon, it's just not clear when!
The school of our children is well prepared, the system Moodle is used. After initial overload the system works well, the children know what to do and by when. There is almost nothing to print out. I hear from other schools where a lot of forms have to be printed out, filled in by the students, scanned and sent back. This is completely unnecessary with us!
Lunch is prepared more elaborately and healthily (than before the break) together. Detailed discussions during the meals keep everyone up to date. After lunch, it is time to fill up on vitamin D, get out in the sun, get on the trampoline, play football in the garden, take the dog for a walk, do some gardening, read newspapers and magazines.
And in the evenings there is more often than usual a joint movie, as the usual sports facilities are closed. Or the whole family plays cards. We also go to bed at about the same time as usual, so that we all get enough sleep. Because that also strengthens our immune system.
How can I bring my business safely through the crisis?
Diversification versus focusing in times like these
In my studies I learned that only focusing on one area of working life brings real success. However, with me it was soon different in my professional activities. Again and again, new areas fascinated me. In my self-employment I was now able to implement or allow this more easily.
And how does that help in the crisis?
One area continues to operate for me regardless of the crisis. I sell my books mainly online, via publishers, agents and distribution companies. These sales are increasing rather than weakening. Here I can now take action for more sales through targeted marketing campaigns.
A second area has unfortunately come to a complete standstill, direct sales. It is currently prohibited by law to be active in direct sales in Austria. So here we are talking about zero sales. Here I will use the time to contact existing customers and create lists of new customers so that I can start quickly when direct sales are possible again.
The third area - management consultancy/marketing – is not generating any turnover at the moment, but here I can already work out concepts/projects with partners or on my own, so that after the crisis things can move faster again.
Professional networking in the crisis – how does it work?
Since the beginning of 2019 I have been active as an entrepreneur in the international entrepreneurial network BNI (Business Network International), among others. We usually meet weekly to support each other in our business areas. We recommend each other and get to know each other better in private conversations.
The worldwide network BNI has reacted quickly to the global crisis: there are weekly webinars, zoom calls. In addition, members meet online for face-to-face meetings and an attempt is made to continue to make recommendations. Which is currently possible.
During this time, we will all get to know different digital possibilities better, use them more naturally, and there will also be further possibilities and opportunities that we do not even recognize today.
No one knows yet how we will look back on this time out. Let us use this time to create order, in our filing system, in our business. To think about and prepare new concepts and also to finally read a good thick book, cook a new recipe, write a story. If not now, then when?
About the Author
DI (FH) Christina Thomar has been self-employed for more than 10 years and has three trade licences in the Chamber of Commerce:
as management consultant for marketing and international sales development www.ctconsulting.at
as a publisher and author of fasting books – for inner cleansing. www.breuss-kur.de and www.lifestyle-fastenbuch.com
and in the direct sales area for a German air and room cleaning device – for external cleaning www.hyla-austria.at/75332
Christina's husband is also self-employed, the children both go to high school (13 and 15 years old).
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