5 Reasons you should just quit

It’s hit like a tonne of bricks, total lock down & I’m totally with you. The feelings of anxiety that can be overwhelming, so the only option is to bury your head in the sand & try to ignore the voices.

But those voices can shout so loud, telling you over & over all the reasons you should just pack it in.

That it’s all too much & you just can’t do it.

1. This could go on for months & months. No business can ever recover from that.
2. It’s too much, all the admin, things being postponed, cancelled & refunded. Add to that the fact your children are now home full time & you just cant deal with it all.
3. Even when we come out of this, no one will have any money to book in/buy from you anyway.
4. Your social media is going to die a death as you have nothing to post, so even when the market comes back you’ll have to work from scratch to build back up your marketing & client base.
5. I can’t afford to keep my premises when I’m making no income.

I hear these voices, if I sit & think about it all then these voices start whispering, then get louder & louder to the point that I can’t hear anything else.

I can’t hear logic, I can’t hear sense.

But breathe, stop & breathe. Do something else, anything else just to take your mind off it in any way you can.

Because things will be ok & we’re all in the same boat, you’re never alone in feeling this way.

So block out those voices, which are just our fear & anxiety taking over.

& instead try thinking of things with a clear, sensible mind.

1. This could go on for months & months. No business can ever recover from that.

• Yes this could & in all honestly I’m now expecting it will. But it’s a break, one which your business can absolutely come back from & not only that, it could come back stronger. Take time to think about strategies you could employ to help your business when, not if, when this all ends. Think of seasonal things you could tie into – we may be out of lockdown for fathers day, or something to tie into children going back to school. Beauticians could create an “out of quarantine” beauty package, restaurants or cafes could run an evening just for mums, or just for dads.

2. It’s too much, all the admin, things being postponed, cancelled & refunded. Add to that the fact you’re children are now home full time & you just cant deal with it all.

• It is too much & no one can deal with all that at once. But no one is expecting you to & the pressure is only coming from one place, your head. Take a breath, you have time & we’re all dealing with the same things, so don’t panic, people will understand if things are a bit delayed.

3. Even when we come out of this, no one will have any money to book in/buy from you anyway.

• You had a market before this & you’ll have one after. But if this worry is keeping you up at night then make some plans that could help if you need them e.g. a payment plan that clients/customers could use.

4. Your social media is going to die a death as you have nothing to post, so even when the market comes back you’ll have to work from scratch to build back up your marketing & client base.

• Your social media & marketing isn’t going to vanish, so if you need a break then absolutely take it. But when you’re ready, even if you may think it’s pointless, keep plugging away with your marketing. For one thing it can be a really welcome distraction, plus help put your mind at ease, but it will also mean you can come out of this whole situation on your front foot. Brainstorm things you can post, even if you’re not actively working. If your target market is mums, then come up with ideas that they can use to entertain their children, or if you’re a cafe why not post daily ideas on fun lunches for the kids.

5. I can’t afford to keep my premises when I’m making no income.

• Now this is a real concern & I can completely understand why many have now given up their premises. But please don’t view that as the end, bigger & better opportunities could be waiting for you when we come out of this. Plus for those in crisis over this, please please speak to people, as many people as you can & not in that crazed, anxious, blurt it all out, way we all do. Talk to them when you’re actually feeling calm, grab a notebook & think openly on things you can do. Having a clear action plan in terms of agencies you can call & things you can try will help set your mind at ease e.g. call mortgage company for 3 month break, speak to landlord, contact the council ref council tax, speak to suppliers.

It’s a scary time for everyone & if you could take anything from this I hope it’s that you’re not alone.

Thinking of you all & sending a massive hug x