Crisis Management

This was the emergency plan we never thought we would need! Did your emergency plan include a recovery plan? Most of us only thought about the “physical” aspects of an emergency – flood, fire,
theft, vandalism.

So now we are here, what are we going to do? How are you going to recover? Will you come back the same? These questions are hard to answer and if you break them down into smaller sections, the process of finding those answers is not so overwhelming.

There are 2 different processes that people use.
1 – figure out what the final picture is and determine the steps back or
2 – look at the process one step at a time moving forward and determine where you are.

Whichever process works best for you, here are some suggestions on planning that recovery.

Short Term – what can you do now?
It is a little like a garden. In order to prepare the bed, you need to weed, turn the soil, review what you are planting, start/buy plants, and so on.
A – Assess the impact
    – This is a hard and painful step. But we must turn the soil and pull those weeds!
B – Acknowledge and outline steps for moving forward
    – This is a great opportunity to share with your customers/suppliers what you are doing to move forward. (review your planting!)
    – Appearing proactive instills a feeling of confidence
C – Formulate your response
    – What positive actions can you take? (start/buy plants)
    – Put it in writing! Collaborate with staff
    – Take a look at what you may want to change: processes; marketing; customer base, etc
D – Implement Response (Plant the garden)
    – Rewrite procedures
    – Look at retraining staff

Long term or Short term...remember Communication is key!
Communication with staff, customers, suppliers. Use your website, webinars you attend, email blasts to customers to get the information out...

Long Term – yes there is a long term! Just as gardens do not grow overnight, the business will not just hit the ground running at full speed! Continuous weeding and replanting, maintain and grows the garden. You may have a plan, but remember changes may need to be made as what is planned doesn't give you the result you expected.

Just remember to Communicate, and write down the changes. Write the change and the reason for the change...
A – Make your brand familiar
    – Use your brand in all your marketing
    – Emphasize local! What did your company do to assist your local community? Let people know you care!
    – Yes, toot your own horn!!
B - Emphasize your leadership position
   – Being proactive and looking to a restart shows a positive outlook
C – Safety First!
    – Minimize risk for customers! Even though the pandemic will pass, consumers will be cautious for some time to come
    – Emphasize warranties – how are you going to protect your customers?
    – Emphasize any new procedures that you have put in place to protect your workers and your customers

Welcome to Didsbury A.C. (After COVID)

During this time it seems that things will never be the same. Well, in reality, they won't.
It will be better!

Take the time to review what is happening in your business:
• what would you change if you had the chance?
• how can you improve productivity?
• what new training is needed for your staff?
• have you updated your online presence?

Now is a great chance to get these questions answered and plans implemented.
Not sure how to begin?
Dust off the old Business Plan and review. It is a great reminder of why and how you started.
Haven't got one? Then now is the time to begin! The Chamber has a template available here.

The Chamber also has information on training programs/assistance. Check out our webpage.

Why not take advantage of the downtime to Improve!!
Each week on the Chamber Website there will be a new “Didsbury A.C.” article sharing
different challenges and ideas on how to kick-start a new beginning!

Upcoming Topics:
Crises Management 
Supply chain – how it affects us all!
Online presence
How customers buying will change
Business Ethics