LegalReader.com  ·  Legal News, Analysis, & Commentary

Business

Protecting Your Business in a Crisis


— April 6, 2020

Be sure to communicate well. A crisis is something that needs to be faced together as a team. With the support of your team members, you will find dealing with issues related to the crisis easier.


Crises happen from time to time. The recent outbreak of Coronavirus is just one of the many examples of a crisis that has the potential of ending businesses across the country. There is no real way to avoid crises; the best thing you can do is prepare for them.

Protecting your business in a crisis isn’t as complicated as you think. There are several things you can do to safeguard your business in a difficult time, and we are going to review them – and some preparations you can make – in this article.

Maintain a Healthy Cash Flow

Having a healthy cash flow is a must if you want to have a strong and robust business. Healthy cash flow will keep your business going, even when it is facing difficult challenges. On top of that, healthy cash flow can be your metric for measuring your business’ strength.

A healthy cashflow means your expenses and revenues are in order, both in terms of amounts and timing. The latter is actually very important. In a time of crisis, you want to liquidate as many of your inventories as possible.

You also want to start cutting unnecessary expenses. Continue reducing your operational costs until you are at a safe level. The goal is to remain cash flow healthy so that your business can survive at least six months of no income.

Leverage insurance

There are some expenses that can be cut to improve your business readiness in a time of crisis, but that doesn’t mean you should reduce ALL expenses. One of the things you can actually leverage to survive a crisis is insurance coverage.

Many business insurance plans can help safeguard your business. Business interruption insurance is a good example. The insurance coverage is designed to protect you against loss of income for various reasons.

Team doing a hands-in huddle; image by Perry Grone, via Unsplash.com.
Team doing a hands-in huddle; image by Perry Grone, via Unsplash.com.

General liability insurance further protects your business from mistakes and third-party liabilities. It is not uncommon for mistakes and human errors to happen in a time of crisis, and the general liability insurance will absorb any financial risk that your business faces. The Hartford offers a range of business insurance, including general liability insurance, and you can obtain a quote online in minutes. 

Invest in People

Many business owners resort to cutting a number of employees or team members to save money. While this may seem like a logical thing to do, letting employees go is counterproductive. You will have more issues once the crisis is over; finding talent is not that easy!

Crises are faced better when you have the best people supporting your operations. You can allow employees to work from home, alternate their work schedules, or let them find personal development programs to take to utilize their time better.

Be sure to communicate well. A crisis is something that needs to be faced together as a team. With the support of your team members, you will find dealing with issues related to the crisis easier. After all, the people in your business are the most important asset, aren’t they?

Legally, we have you covered. Legal Reader is filled with legal tips to help you navigate the most difficult time. Combined with these tips and tricks, you can make your business more resilient in a time of crisis.

Join the conversation!