You Don’t Have To Self-Isolate Your Business

This self-isolation is something we’ve never considered and, when you realise the implications, it’s hard not to feel completely overwhelmed. Will I be okay? Will my family be okay? My elderly parents, sisters, their families and everyone else that I know and love.

I’ve had to self-isolate for medical reasons and my parents are elderly so they’ve already been self-isolating for the past 7 days. I feel blessed that they have one another, always, but especially right now.

If it ends up 12 weeks isolation (based on current government predictions), my hair will be virtually grey, I’ll definitely need a leg wax and I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ll miss my hairdresser. My nails will be talon like and I’ll run out of nail polish. These may seem like incidentals but our routines reflect our lives, our aspirations and how we feel about ourselves. I suddenly find myself dependent and will need one of my family or friends to get my medicine to me which, luckily, shouldn’t be a problem.

One thing I’ve learnt in life, is that when doors shut, windows open and, although I’m sure this saying was meant for usual circumstances, I am determined to make the best of this most unbelievable situation, we all find ourselves in.

I’m hoping some of the positive aspects will be finally getting round to decluttering my home, catching up on all the TV shows I never usually have time to watch, read lots and do some much delayed DIY. Okay, attempting the DIY may be a touch unrealistic but, in more ways than one, we live in hope.

I’ve been wanting to write blogs since Jan 2016, I know the exact date as it was that year’s New Year resolution. I haven’t written one (until right now), so I’ll have time to do that and some of the online courses I’ve been interested in following up, for the past couple of years!

In some ways I’m lucky, I’ve been freelance for the majority of my working life, some 30 years, and totally used to working from home. Before setting up this group and the directory, I was a Personal Trainer/Pilates Instructor and worked from home – I have a studio gym in my house – so in that way my life won’t change. But working from home and having to stay at home are very different. I find myself with the strangest of feelings, because I can’t go out, I really really want to. I’m a social person, my whole business, in every regard is based on communication; from connecting members, talking to my social media clients, teaching social media and marketing, to hosting face to face networking events. That aside, I am a chatterbox and I love connecting and meeting people and, like everyone else, it’s going to be a challenge not seeing people in the flesh. The positive side is, at least we have technology, we can use Skype or other video platforms to see the face of a family member, or conduct a business meeting without having to travel!

These are unchartered waters and we have to ride the waves coming at us, we musn’t get mentally sucked under. It’s hard not to feel terribly anxious in this situation, a situation that the whole world finds itself in too, and my friends are all feeling as I do; unsure, unsafe and not knowing when this will end or how the world will change. It’s going to be a very odd for a while and a huge adjustment that none of us will escape.

So, what to do to make this imposed confinement manageable. As a Personal Trainer, we are taught that some clients will not be able to manage some conventional exercises and so we adapt exercises to suit them and this is what we all must do, whichever type of service we provide, in these uncertain times. In business, as in all relationships, constant reassessment is vital to stay one step ahead. I do appreciate there will be some businesses that cannot adapt, and I truly hope our government will help anyone in dire circumstances.

We have online portals by way of our Facebook platforms where you can connect with other businesses and potential customers , we’re putting on online social distancing networking events so we can all stay in contact and I urge everyone to keep their brand in the limelight, keep building brand awareness and explore all online marketing opportunities. That window may well open wider.

Stay positive and let’s really make an effort to ensure we support one another during this time of peril.

We now truly appreciate that health is wealth and not much else matters. More than anything else, I wish you, your family and friends well.