06. Business Matters

Becoming OK with COVID-19

By Michelle Graeber, CEO, ARCVic

Navigating your way through anxiety and stress during COVID-19.

Anxiety is the most common mental health issue in Australia. On average, one in four people will experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their life, but this is not often talked about.

Anxiety is far more than just a fleeting feeling or thought. For some, it can be extremely debilitating and impact on their ability to work, study, develop meaningful relationships, and it can start to impact on their capacity to function daily.

We are all dealing with unprecedented uncertainty and major changes to the way we live our lives as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Our experiences show these changes are already having a considerable impact on our mental health. We are having to adapt in ways that are completely new and this unfamiliarity, living with mounting uncertainty, can bring unwanted anxiety, stress and worry.

Anxiety is our mind and body essentially responding to a perceived threat which often takes the form of fear. Stress is an expected human response to challenging or dangerous situations. A small amount of anxiety and stress is normal and can be helpful; such as meeting a challenge or deadline can increase our alertness, energy and even productivity. This can work well for the short-term but if this escalates and we start to experience more worry days than not, it can have damaging effects on the mind and body. If our anxiety or stress doesn’t go away and starts to happen without any particular reason, or make it hard to cope with, then it may be the sign of an anxiety condition and time to reach out and ask for help.

It can be common to try to hide or mask our anxiety and stress but in doing so, often the condition can be exacerbated. Acknowledging, paying attention to what is underneath, behind the thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours can be the first step to helping ourselves. Learning as much as possible about your individual experience can help you to discover and learn some evidence-based techniques and management strategies that can be useful in trying to reduce it. Self-management is a key to recovery.

Tips for looking after ourselves during COVID-19

Talking. Talk about how we are feeling allows us to gain perspective and or challenge us. Talking out loud can help us process what’s happening and help us acknowledge how our anxiety or stress is impacting on our body, thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Challenge. Challenge our perspectives gently. Anxiety has a habit of encouraging us to jump to the the worst-case scenario. Acknowledge and develop awareness of negative thoughts and don’t give them too much power. Thoughts are thoughts, not necessarily facts.

Make a routine. Find our new normal. Looking at what you would like to do differently from the previous lockdown. This includes clearly scheduling: boundaries for work, study, family, and leisure; exercise of choice, outside if possible; breaks/eating healthy/ hydrating yourself/good sleep routine; self-care ‘me-time’… see this as an investment in ourselves; and limit screen time, and take time out from technology.

Stay connected. Connect with nature, friends, family, colleagues, etc..

Take your control back. Understand we may not be able to change what’s happening on a global scale right now, but we always have a choice of how we respond to this. We do have the power to influence change and the current situation by following suggested guidelines from credible sources. (i.e., wearing a mask, holding off on making decisions, etc.).

Be mindful. Be careful of self-sabotaging behaviours or thoughts that are fuelling your anxiety and try a different approach.

Limit exposure. Avoid unhelpful media and misinformation. Use credible sources only.

Reach out. Communicate with friends, family or a colleague. Ring them to hear their voice rather than text.

Be creative. Have virtual dinner parties, brunch with friends, family or pets. We don’t need to do this alone. We are all in this thing together in some way. Try a new hobby.

Reconnect with Nature. Step outside and spend some time in the sun or garden. Stretch the legs.

Feed your soul. Nurture yourself so you can look after yourself and the people you love. Stay hydrated.

Breathe deeply. Take some time for yourself. Breathing techniques that can slow down the breath encourage us to breathe deeper into the belly and help reduce the symptoms. Incorporate breathing exercises into your daily routine. Practicing breathing techniques at times of low stress, means that you are better prepared to make use of them at times of high stress. Various techniques can be found in books, online or can be taught in stress management or other courses. Try the following Breathing Waltz: Breath in for the count of three. Hold your breath for the count of three. Breath out for the count of three. Repeat steps one to three for a period of one minute.

A little reminder that, despite our circumstances, we are all experiencing things differently but, for the first time ever in some small way, we are also all vulnerable together, anxious together, sad together, and scared together. Despite the pain right now, we could see this as an opportunity to reset our compass, become more attuned to what’s important to us and hopeful for what lies before us.

The Anxiety Recovery Centre has over 30 years’ experience supporting people who live with anxiety disorders, their family and carers, and their local communities. We are a Victoria-wide specialist service which understands anxiety and is here to help, only a phone call away. 1300 269 438 www.arcvic.org.au

Other, national helplines and websites:

Lifeline 131114 Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 Mensline 1300 789 978 (free counselling) National Debt Helpline 1800 007 007

Mind Spot Clinic

www.mindspot.org.au Free treatment service

Mental Health Online

www.mentalhealthonline.org.au Free treatment service

Personalised self-help tool for your mental health

www.mycompass.org.au

Mind Unwind App Free self-help tool (iTunes app)

Financial support for coronavirus

www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/financial-support-coronavirus-covid-1

Business support

www.business.vic.gov.au/.../business-financial-support

Student support

https://students.unimelb.edu.au/student-support/ coronavirus/financial-support

Michelle’s presentation was part of Design Matters National’s August webinar series: ‘COVID-19 Business Survival Kit: The Second Wave’. The webinar is available to watch for FREE in the Resources/CPD section of our website.

Putting the va-va-voom into Zoom

By Hayden Spencer, The Performologist

Adding professional polish and a competitive edge to your online presence.

The demand for online communication has never been so strong. Here are some of my hottest tips and excellent exercises to make you an absolute gun in the zoom room.

Keep up your energy

My clients often ask me how I maintain my energy level throughout a 45-minute presentation. My answer is: it comes with ‘flying’ hours. If presenting is unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory for you, then rehearsal and preparation will definitely help you build your performance muscles for the event.

S-l-o-w down your speech

I would recommend speaking 20-30% slower than you do in normal life. You will naturally speak faster during a presentation because of the influx of adrenaline, so it’s best to purposely slow down to calm nerves and achieve clarity of message. To illustrate by example, think about how slowly a political leader, or an ABC radio host speaks. They use the sounds and space of their words for maximum impact. You can incorporate this into your presenting. It can save you a lot of nervous energy and audiences will thank you for it. To them, it comes across as confidence and command.

See & connect

Presenting on Zoom can feel like you are presenting in a vacuum. It can be quite an experience. In one-on-one video conferences, you can see and connect with the other person. It’s much like when you’re in the same room, so you know if your messages are landing and resonating.

It’s important as a presenter to be both a speaker and a listener.

Listen actively

It’s important as a presenter to be both a speaker and a listener; actively listening to your audience and reading their body language, like a poker player. This allows you to address any perceived objections. For this reason, I would always suggest encouraging audiences online to keep their videos 'on’, whenever or wherever you can.

It can feel weird

When presenting to larger groups of 20 or more people, Zoom lagging often requires you to have audience videos ‘off’, making it hard to ‘read your audience’. There are no normal cues from people, like nods of approval, interested looks, or laughter at your jokes… You can feel like you’re in your own world, listening to the sound of your own voice, rattling around in your own head. It’s strange and can make you feel a bit paranoid sometimes, which is not what you need when presenting.

Control what you can

It’s important to know that in actual fact, most audiences will really appreciate the lengths you have gone to in presenting for them, in a LIVE setting. Just accept the lack of audience connection, as something that is out of your control. And as they say, control the things that you can control. Don’t worry about things you can’t control. My advice is roll up your sleeves, trust your preparation and your content and have fun.

Master your craft

To improve your online presence, consider a training program that includes ‘content creation’, so you learn how to tell stories authentic to you as an individual, but also in line with your brand. Developing the know-how and confidence to maximise your presence in the ever-increasing online world isn’t rocket science but it requires a collaborative, rather than a one-size-fitsall approach.

Hayden Spencer is The Performologist, a master teacher in the study of performance, bringing together method acting training and perspectives of mime and movement through the eyes of a contemporary clown. He has been a performance coach with Cirque Du Soleil touring shows, the National Institute of Circus Arts, The Starlight Foundation, among others, and in elite circles Hayden is known as a ‘secret weapon’ for CEOs across Australia and abroad, calling upon his expertise for major keynote presentations. He can be reached on 0433 324 929, via haydenspenceractor@gmail.com or via his Facebook page: @Theperformologist.

Hayden’s presentation was part of Design Matters National’s August webinar series: ‘COVID-19 Business Survival Kit: The Second Wave’. The webinar is available to watch for FREE in the Resources/CPD section of our website.

Keeping jobs, boosting business

By Brent Szalay FCPA, Managing Director, SEIVA.

Snapshot of government resources for small businesses, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on businesses throughout Victoria during the second wave and Stage 4 restrictions. The good news is that there is a lot of financial support available to businesses throughout this time, including: JobKeeper, Boosting Cash Flow for Employers, and the Business Support Fund.

To give you some guidance on these initiatives, here are our responses to the top FAQs arising from our recent webinar:

What’s JobKeeper, in a nutshell?

It’s a wage subsidy to assist businesses retain the relationship with their employees during this pandemic. For your business to be eligible, you must experience a 30% downturn in turnover in a particular timeframe (e.g., April 2020), compared to a relevant comparison timeframe (using the same example: April 2019).

Where this condition is met, your business can receive $1,500 per fortnight, per eligible employee payment. Your business must pay eligible employees the $1,500 upfront, after which you will be reimbursed just after month end.

Please Note: the payment amount will change from $1,500 for the December and March quarters (explained below).

What are the recent changes to JobKeeper 1.0?

In the original rules, businesses had to assess employee eligibility at 1 March 2020. Employees who met the eligibility criteria at this point in time, were able to receive JobKeeper. However, this meant some employees missed out on being eligible for JobKeeper.

For JobKeeper fortnight 10 onwards (i.e., 3 August 2020, onwards), you must retest your employees for eligibility as of 1 July 2020. So, if you have new employees eligible at this date, you must include them in JobKeeper moving forward. It’s important that you provided these employees with a nomination form by 21 August 2020.

What’s different in JobKeeper 2.0?

JobKeeper has been extended to March 2021, with some rule alterations for the December and March business quarters.

To be eligible for December quarter: you must have a revenue downturn of 30% in your September quarter.

To be eligible for March quarter: you must have a revenue downturn of 30% in your December quarter.

Another update to JobKeeper 2.0 is a reduction in payment amounts, which are tied to hours worked per week during a test period. This table provides a visual explanation: Dec Quarter March Quarter

Worked < = 20 hours per week

$750 per fortnight

$650 per fortnight

Worked > 20 hours per week

$1,200 per fortnight

$1,000 per fortnight

Do my employees keep accruing leave while stood down, or on JobKeeper?

In short, yes. In most cases where you stand staff down or reduce their hours (even if they’re receiving JobKeeper), your employees will continue to accrue leave as though the stand down or reduction in hours had not occurred. This will usually be at their normal accrual rates. Also, public holidays should continue to be paid when an employee is on a stand down order.

What’s the ‘Business Support Fund’?

The Business Support Fund (BSF) is a Victorian government grant created for Victorian businesses which have been impacted by the Stage 4 restrictions (metropolitan Melbourne) and Stage 3 restrictions (regional Victoria). Melbourne based businesses can access $10,000 grants. Victorian regional businesses can access $5,000 grants. To apply for the BSF, the basic requirements are:

you need to have payroll less than $3 million be registered for GST be receiving JobKeeper, and have WorkCover.

What’s the Cash Flow Boost, and do I have to do anything to receive it?

The ‘Boosting Cash Flow for Employers’ (BCFE) is a payment from the federal government to businesses which employ staff and turnover less than $50 million annually. These businesses are able to access a minimum of $20,000, up to $100,000. This initiative is paid across the March through September Business Activity Statements (BASs). If you meet the eligibility criteria, you just need to make sure you lodge your BAS on time.

Do I have to pay tax on these stimulus measures?

JobKeeper payments are assessable income to businesses, which means tax is payable on them. This is also the case for BSF payments. However, no GST is payable on either. Lastly, the BCFE payment is tax-free income, and no GST is payable.

We understand that the details and rules behind these stimulus measures can be challenging to navigate. There are also even more measures available to businesses beyond the three we have mentioned in this article. If you would like some assistance, we are here to help. Please reach out to us at admin@seiva.com.au

Brent’s presentation was part of Design Matters National’s webinar series: ‘COVID-19 Business Survival Kit: The Second Wave’. The webinar is available to watch for FREE in the Resources/CPD section of our website.