During the COVID-19 crisis, most organizations moved to social distancing and a remote working environment, connecting virtually through amazing technologies. However, the need to communicate with your network and provide value to your clients has become even more important and impactful in challenging times.

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt professional and personal lives, how you are staying in touch with your employees, colleagues, clients and prospects?  See below for tips for business owners to consider as they adapt their teams and clients to this new age of virtual collaboration, required to keep the business moving in the right direction:

• Proactively engage your existing network through different means such as LinkedIn, email, phone call, Zoom meeting or other video chat service, etc. and look to expand it through mutually beneficial introductions.
• Demonstrate your ability to provide value through caring and meaningful thought leadership.
• Follow-up with your contacts and continue to cultivate your network on a regular basis
• Focus on the quality of your relationships and networking opportunities rather than the quantity.
• Use professional networking and other social media tools such as LinkedIn to build and maintain your network; offer valuable perspectives and insights on relevant topics and issues your contacts are faced with.
• Use video chats, webinars and old-fashioned phone calls instead of just email and text messages to connect with your clients and colleagues on a personal level. Bringing the human element back into daily communication is so important during times of crisis, especially when so many of us are required to say indoors for pro-longed periods of time.
• Build camaraderie through virtual meetings and happy hours.
• Try to think outside the box and come up with new and creative ways to engage your network.

Given the inevitable changes that have and will continue to result from the COVID-19 crisis, many business owners will be forced to operate, network and develop business in innovative ways. As social distancing becomes more widely adopted in an effort to “flatten the curve,” remote working environments will become our new normal, at least temporarily.  Like so many other issues we faced as individuals and professionals, this too shall pass.  Learning how to survive and adapt during a crisis will better position you and your business to thrive on the other side of it.

DISCLAIMER: This advisory resource is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute business or tax advice, and may not be used and relied upon as a substitute for business or tax advice regarding a specific issue or problem. Advice should be obtained from a qualified accountant, tax practitioner or attorney licensed to practice in the jurisdiction where that advice is sought.