Business Post COVID - The Emotional Reality

“This is the age of the entrepreneur,” they said, “It will be fun!” they said. 

We were brave to leave the comfort of our paying jobs and follow our dreams. We aimed at revolutionizing industries and the way we functioned in this new economic age. We rallied and hustled every day and every night till we dropped. We smiled through our tears when things didn’t go our way and cried when we achieved small milestones. We encouraged our staff while we stayed awake at night wondering how we will make the next month payments, but we always found a way. “It’s not going to be easy but it will be worth it.” Is the mantra we lived by day in and day out. And so, we forged ahead day in and day out planning strategizing and looking at every aspect of our business and learnt a lot along the way. But NONE OF US saw this coming!

We are a generation of startups and innovators. We always believed that our success was in our hands if we worked hard enough, till we realized that it’s not. No number of motivational videos, pep talks etc. is going to change the current situation. The current economic climate has set us small businesses back at least five years. With every economy down in doldrums the future for some of us looks bleak and for most of us looks tough to say the least. Some of us will not make it out the other side. And to those I say “I am truly sorry, but this is not on you.” 

The reality that most of us have to face is downsizing, closing our doors and going back to jobs to keep food on the table. Some industries will never be the same again, hell, economies will never be the same again. There is a lot of speculation on what is going to happen and what businesses should do physically but let’s for once take a moment – a pause if you will, for everyone and look at the emotional rollercoaster we as business owners aren’t allowed to publically or privately feel. 

Its ok for you to fall apart and withdraw. Uncertainty is plaguing the air but that doesn’t mean for one single moment that you aren’t allowed to feel hollow. Ride through the emotions and feel them. For those of you who don’t know what to say to your employees while letting them go, the only thing I can say is let them see your emotions because you are doing this to survive. For those of us who have to close shop and face the world, remember this “Was not on you”. This was not for a lack of you trying but circumstance and saying goodbye (for now at least) is heart-breaking but necessary. 

Now comes the uncertainty of what to do next. For those of us whose entire industries have gone bust i.e. events and event related service providers to name a few. How do you survive? We have no transferable skills? Do I start working at the bottom of a new industry?

The truth is, only you can answer those questions. But I have a method that might help a few of you to at least, that a very dear cousin of mine gave me. Answer the following questions the best you can and once you do keep asking the question why to get the bottom of your journey to self-discovery. 

1.     What makes you happy?

2.     What gives you peace of mind?

3.     What are you good at?

4.     What do you enjoy doing?

Find a common thread with these questions that will set you of to your new path. 

I know that this time isn’t easy for most of us. Some of us will survive, some will thrive and some will wither. But whatever you do, do not give up. Take a moment or two or five but then get up and find your purpose because we all have one and this is just a curve ball you need to hit right out of the park. 

Until next time, Remember always……. 

Smile, Breathe and Go Slowly – Thich Nhat Hanh