Recorded on the 26.03.20
Expert Panel:
- Gillian Costa - The Pier Geelong
- Cam O’Keefe - Westend Geelong
- Debra Nash - Truffleduck
- Mark Butcher - Café Bear & Scoobs
- Lyndsay Sharp - The Sharp Group
- Ty Simons, Ocean Grove Traders Association
- Open communication and supporting your staff especially casual workers is key, many hospitality venues around Geelong have even gone out of their way to find staff other employment temporally. Kindness and caring for staff goes a long way during this tough time.
- We are in an extremely fluid environment with government directions updating almost every two days. In hospitality you just have to try to roll with it and adapted as it is happening.
- Talk, talk, talk! Talk to your bank about the possibility of a debt holiday. Talk to your accountant for financial advice. Talk to your landlord about your rental arrangements. This situation is impacting everyone. Businesses do want to support each other and be in the best position to return to business as usual after the crisis is over.
- Assess your businesses budget - if you have changed your business model to take-away only, revise your stock requirements and assess demand.
- Investigate what your business is eligible for with the Federal government’s economic stimulus package. The better informed you are the better position you will be in the long term.
- Ask your supplier if you can return unopened stock for reimbursement. Many suppliers are open to doing this.
- Now is a great time for reflection and to assess the things in your business – think about what you need in place for when you are busy and the world is flourishing.
- Keep positive connections with your staff; particularly those that have been stood down. When this is all over you will be looking for well trained, highly motivated staff - it could mean an easier transition after the dust has settled.
- Look to other hospitality leaders for advice. Remember we are all is this together and great ideas sometimes come from unlikely places.
- Planning for the end of the disruption is something you must to think about. Like a ship that is passing through a storm there is a bright sunny day at the end of all of this.
