Sustaining your business through COVID-19

What a month it has been!

As soon as we thought we were on top of coronavirus, things changed and didn’t they change rapidly!

The effect of COVID-19 has had a massive financial impact on all of us in some way and I fear that the impact of the virus will have an even greater impact on everyone.

The threat is that small, medium and large businesses will face challenges at levels that can’t even be imagined.

These challenges will be immense and there will be periods, as business owners, where we will be required to take action and it won’t be easy!

With businesses around the country closing for public safety reasons and supplies short across all industries, how does the now officially declared pandemic of COVID-19 affect business cash, cash flow forecasting and the ability to make a living through challenging business times?

The short answer is that it absolutely does. But, as I see it, there are 10 key areas where we must pay close attention now:

  1. Take action
  2. Implement
  3. Understand the cash impact of any closures, limitations in stock and/or lack of customers
  4. Plan for the future and ration your cash
  5. Determine the needs of your team
  6. Pinpoint the cash restrictions you do have
  7. Implement cost-cutting techniques
  8. Keep others up to date about what is happening
  9. If possible, deliver your service(s) remotely; think of different options
  10. Modify the way you operate

Any decisions we take in during this period will need to take into consideration our most important assets – our teams, our customers and any other key stakeholders.

In the end, we should be planning to come out of the disruption with a solid business.

Most of all, we want you and your team to be safe. Good luck and please do not hesitate to contact our team at Omnis Group if you need advice about accessing the government’s economic stimulus package or a more general perspective to help you to get your head around how best to sustain your business through this difficult period.

Please note: As the changes brought on by COVID-19 rapidly changed over the weekend we have decided to move the majority of our team away from the office. The majority of Omnis Group team members are now working from home and are ready to assist you in navigating your way through the toughest period in Australian business history.

Related reading

Working together during COVID-19 – UPDATE

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Justin Flavel

Managing Director

Justin’s experience spans across 20 years in accounting, financial analysis and general business practice.

Although born and bred on the land, Justin’s interest was more in spreadsheets, ledgers, and finance which led him to attend university. In 1992, Justin graduated with a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting and Finance. As well as qualifying as a CPA member and becoming a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia, he began gaining practical experience in small and mid-tier accounting practices.

During the late 90s, Justin decided to expand his horizons and travel through Europe. It was during this time that he seized the opportunity to expand his knowledge on the workings of large organisations by taking on roles in multinational corporations.

Today, Justin’s passion is in facilitating businesses to grow and evolve. His focus is on acting in the role of business mentor to help clients develop the full potential of their businesses. He joins clients on their unique journey, and provides the tools and knowledge they need along the way to make the right decisions.

Justin’s aim for his clients parallels his own philosophy and personal journey—focusing on his own career growth and business success while maintaining balance in his life with his wife and three daughters.

Omnis Group Managing Director - Justin Flavel