Managing a business in times of change

Over the past three years, small business owners have become well used to change and challenge, and ‘resilience’ has been added to the list of qualities that any business founder will require.  

Another one of those qualities is ‘empathy’, which is a skill needed at this time of managing teams and customers who may be affected personally by the changes occurring around us.  

Undoubtedly along with countless other founders, I called together my management team on Friday to discuss how we should respectfully respond to the Queen’s death.

We asked ourselves: ‘Are team members okay?’, ‘Should we cancel upcoming events?’ and ‘What is the appropriate message to share with the community at this time?’.   

It is a difficult and gentle balance to show our respect to a much-loved monarch while also wanting to support small businesses who continue to face daily to-do lists and tasks to keep trading.  

To that end, we have decided to quietly continue with the schedule of events this week, to cancel events on 19 September, and to share resources with you that we have found helpful over the past few days. That includes this note on marketing and tone by The Copy Club.

I hope you feel we have taken the right approach; to continue serving you, our small business community, while also being respectful at this time of national mourning.  

Emma Jones

Founder, Enterprise Nation