MANAGEMENT
October 2021 - January 2022
place, Ward set about convincing one client to hold a virtual conference instead. “We looked at how we could take a four-day conference and repackage it,” he explains. With a mix of borrowed and older equipment pulled from storage, Ward and the client successfully evolved the event into an entirely digital format. “In just two weeks, they had gone from it being a four-day face-to-face event to a full four-day online event, still retaining all of their sponsors, almost all of their exhibitors and they even picked up a new exhibitor as a result of going virtual,” he says. “Over 500 delegates from all over the world joined us online.” In turn, Ward’s work on this project has since led to new opportunities coming through, as more businesses overcome their panic and realise that life must go on.
“Ultimately, this industry is about connecting people with people, and the only thing we can’t do is meet face-to-face right now.” He urges others to “do what I did”. “How could I still do what I know my client still needs to do? With the skills and abilities I’ve got, how could I make that happen? The key factor was curiosity,” Ward says. “If you’re fearful, then you aren’t in a position of thinking logically… When you’re thinking about someone else, you’re not thinking about yourself to a great extent, and it opens up a huge playing field.” Diversify your offering For Alex and Catherine Watson of Little Bone Broth, the lockdown has given them a chance re-evaluate their operations and explore new product options. The husband-and-wife team were forced to close their two other food-ser-
vices businesses due to the lockdown and have focused their efforts on expanding the range of products they make for Little Bone Broth. Among the shake-up of their operations has been the addition of an organic line, an expanded product offering and reverting back to their early days of making home deliveries (now contactless), which they are doing themselves. The latter has been promoted on new platform delivereat, essentially a directory of independent local food makers. While this diversification is expected to pay longer-term dividends, the Watsons have tapped into rent relief and government support to help cover the immediate hit to their overall cash flow, in order to continue paying themselves and their employees. “If you think you can just go back to business as usual, I think you’re being a little bit naive,” Alex Watson
suggests. “Spending is going to change, the way people are buying things [will change], so you’ve got to adapt,” Catherine Watson adds. “You’ve got to try and make the best of it, because if you don’t, there may not be a business at the end.” Progress is key Regardless of how you choose to prime your business for recovery during the current lockdown, business coach Russell Freeman says one thing is crucial. “The biggest issue is keeping positive and focused,” he says. “The most motivating factor in business ownership is ‘progress’. Currently, that’s hard to quantify. "However, with a focus on re-building and knowing this situation will gradually improve, progress will be found in those business owners who are resourceful and determined to succeed.” safetynews.co.nz 45
