What happens when things don’t go as planned? If there’s one thing you can always count on, is things not going as you’ve counted on them to be! So what do you do when there are conflicts and crisis? Problems and Perils? Do you have a Plan B in place? What is your backup plan, or are you hoping to figure it out as you go along? Nope! That’s not us! Not you and not me! We are ready! As ready as possible!! Ok ok, so what does this even mean? What counts as a crisis? Anything that brings on a drastic downturn in sales, in image, in the ability to earn a living, and mainly, things that we have not predicted happening when they happen and we are not prepared for them; they’ve taken you by surprise; And you had better react quickly, or the damage will be greater and greater. It could be a sudden change in political situation: sanctions, terrorist activity It could be that there’s a virus stopping you from accessing your own information on the computer It could be that your competitor came out with an amazing product, similar, but better than yours It could be that you fired somebody now they’re out to get you on social media It could be a natural disaster: earthquake, hurricane, snow storm, stuff like that It could be that you put out a faulty product and you have to recall it and explain it to the world. Or one of your employees does something unforgivable What if your distributor has one of these things happen to them? What are you going to do?? How do you get ready? Have a team in place, know who they are, what their roles are, have them trained properly. Don’t forget about your core beliefs, your mission statement, especially at the time of crisis: this will guide you, give you all the answers you need when you need them. Try to predict the unpredictable: figure out what’s most likely to happen and how you respond, once it’s happened. See what’s happened to others in the past and how they dealt with it; learn from their mistakes and their triumphs. Insurance: Do you have insurance? Go get it! Make sure that you’re insured well, whatever that may mean for your business. But don’t ignore insurance, however boring and confusing it may be Do you need backup equipment? Buy it. Make sure your plan is clear and is simple: It should be clear as to when a crisis happens, and when it’s behind you, and you’re back to business as usual. Try to make these points measurable. And your fix-it plan, make it simple. So that everybody understands who goes where and when. Keep your Plan B up to date: take a look at it at least once a year. You’ll be surprised as what’s changed in that short period of time. Be sure you set a good example: Let your employees know you are with them, support them, and they are with you. Make sure to keep your relationship with your team solid and reliable. They must know you have their back. Budget: Be sure to have rainy day funds ready for when you need them, because you will. Prioritize: What comes first? What doesn’t need attention at all? RESOURCES https://www.mindtools.com https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/business-planning/what-is-a-contingency-plan-and-why-does-your-business-need-one/ https://mikeclayton.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/top-ten-things-to-build-into-your-project-contingency-plan/ https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/biz-contingency-plan/