Tag: covid

Test Before Events

I test for COVID
before events.

I do this
because I don’t want
to get other people
sick.

I would feel horrible
about that.

Plus being the spreader
of illness and death
wouldn’t help my branding.
At all.

I also test
because
I know,
based on the numbers
that COVID
will be at the event
and people will become ill.

When that happens,
accusations will fly.

And I’ll have photo proof
I am less likely
to be the person
who spread the illness.

(Because I also mask
at events,
I get asked if I’m ill
and I can say
I tested that morning
and I was all clear.)

Consider testing
for COVID
before events.

September 11th And The Normalizing Of Death

Mass death
has been normalized
during the pandemic.

Over a million Americans
have died
from COVID directly.

Doctors talk
about the death of the vulnerable
like it is nothing
that should be actively avoided.

It is no longer
a sad occurrence
for many people.
It is the cost
of doing business.

In the past,
I haven’t scheduled promotions
for my books (products)
before noon EST on September 11th
out of respect
for American customers.

This year,
I’m scheduling promotions
that morning.

I doubt I’ll receive
any complaints.

Mass death
has been normalized.

I don’t like that
AT ALL
but it IS reality.

Expectations have changed
and product marketing
should change also.

Waiting For Someone To Save Us

We read these stories
all the time.
People ignore
evacuation notices
and
then they expect
other people
to put their lives in danger
to rescue them.

And in the past,
they HAVE done that.

But in the past,
there wasn’t a labor shortage.

There wasn’t an ongoing pandemic
causing every organization
everywhere
to be constantly
understaffed.

There wasn’t a voting population
who were now okay
with a certain percentage
of people dying.

Times are changing.

We can’t assume,
in the future,
someone else will save us
or our families
or our businesses.

Act accordingly.

Changes Take Resources

Many companies
are reinstating mask mandates
due to COVID.

They are spending time
and resources
to reinstate these mandates.

As they spent time
and resources
to remove these mandates.

A couple months from now,
I suspect they will
spend time
and resources
to remove them again.

And then a few months later,
they’ll spend time
and resources to reinforce
the mandates again.

Until the vaccines arrive
that stop the spread of COVID
(which ARE in development),
COVID isn’t going anywhere.

Save time and money
and keep the mask mandates.

Change distracts
everyone.

And mask mandates send
a signal
you care about your employees.

A Small Business Owner’s Risk Is Not Everyone’s Risk

I was chatting with
an online buddy
and she told me
she insists every customer
entering her store
wears a mask
because she can’t afford to get sick.

She is a small business owner.
If she’s ill,
her income drops to next to nothing.
She doesn’t have paid sick leave.
She doesn’t have insurance
to cover her illness.
She is on her own.

The calculation of risk
for us,
for business builders,
is significantly different
than the calculation of risk
for other people.

We can’t afford to do
things other people do,
like run around unmasked,
not have an alternative power supply,
etc.

Factor that
into your decision making.

Constantly Ill

A dear friend caught COVID
two weeks ago.
It took her a week
to semi-recover.

Now, she’s caught COVID
AGAIN.

Some of the newest variants
can be caught
every two weeks.

Think about that.
We might be infected
every two weeks.
It takes a week
to semi-recover.

Even without considering
long term impacts,
that means being ill
50% or half the time.

That would REALLY
f*ck with our productivity
and our value of life.

While we’re waiting
for society
to take action
on cleaning the air
in indoor spaces,
we should wear
masks.

We have businesses
to build.
We can’t afford
to be ill 50% of the time.

Starting A Business Has Always Been Hard

Starting a business
in today’s
pandemic, climate change,
and
fascist
stricken world
is
admittedly a challenge.

But starting a business
has NEVER been easy.

In one of my niches,
I started
before there was
a market for the niche.
I started with
a couple readers (customers)
and the same number
of competitors.

I would approach readers
one by one
in other niches
and sell them
on my niche
and my books.

Today,
the challenge is
the market for the niche
is TOO crowded.

But the market also
has quite a few readers (customers).
And I no longer have to convince
prospects
that the niche is worth trying.

Don’t allow
the challenges
of today’s business environment
to stop you
from making your dreams
a reality.

They CAN be overcome.
As different challenges
have been overcome
by others
in the past.

If The Situation Changes…

Some dumba$$es are refusing
to wear masks
in areas thick with smoke.

They took a
no mask stance
for COVID
and
they’re applying that
to EVERY situation.

They’re f*cking up
their health
because they won’t
reevaluate their decisions
when situations change.

We do this in business also.

We decide never to use
a supplier,
for exampl,e
because we don’t like the owner.

The ownership changes
and we continue
to not use the supplier.

Because we are too stubborn
or lazy
to reevaluate the situation.
And that might cost us
money and/or other resources.

When a situation changes,
revisit decisions
related to that situation.

Have Alternatives

With all the disruptions
happening in the world,
it is essential
to have alternatives.

If you’re planning
an outdoor marketing event,
for example,
have an indoor alternative
in case of climate change
weather extremes.
Have signs designed to point
to that indoor alternative.

If you’re planning
an in-person promo,
have a virtual promo alternative
in case of a pandemic flare up.
Have a way
to contact attendees.

If you’re serving appetizers
made with eggs,
have an alternative appetizer
recipe
that doesn’t use eggs
in case of a bird flu egg shortage
or customer concerns.

Have alternatives.
Switch to these alternatives
if you need to do that.

The Revival Of The Travel Agent

Four years ago,
many people declared
travel agencies to be
a dead business.

It was super easy
to book flights
and hotels
and other vacations
online.
There was no need
to pay a middle person
to handle that.

In today’s environment
of climate change
and pandemics,
wars
and strike actions,
that has all changed.

Many people would love
to pay extra
not to have to worry
about all of that.
They would pay
to have someone else
monitor situations
and quickly rebook travel
and accommodations.

The key words
there are quickly
and monitor.

But those two requirements
are made easier
with AI.
Alerts can be set up.
Alternatives can be offered.

Dead industries
aren’t always dead forever.

Consider basing a new business
on one of them.