KIS & Tell April 2020
So… how's the stay-cation?
Just a few short months ago, we were rushing around to football practices, family gatherings, and all the holiday hubbub. Enter COVID-19 and it’s like the global party got shut down – the music stopped, the lights turned off, and every (non-essential working) person went home. Now, life is eerily domestic.
We’re forced to be still. To stay home. To go back to the fundamentals of family time and home-making.
In our culture, being busy is a sign of ambition, success, and importance. Working from home, or taking forced time off, doesn’t fit with the productive-member-of-society image. But now we’re forced to challenge that assumption, and its a good thing.
Busy-ness doesn't make us better people. It doesn't make us happier or nicer human beings. If anything, it makes us out of touch with the most important things in life.
If you're stuck at home, test if you can be content doing less. Reflect the most important parts of your life. When you’re busy, are you focused on your highest priorities at work and at home?
As one of my favorite yoga teachers (Jo Tastula) shared, “start by stopping.”
I challenge you to reflect on where you're making life more complicated. Contemplate if you’re days are structured so you can focus on what’s most important to you, at work and at home. Can you find busy-work masked in your normal routine? Can you simplify or delegate an activity? I know you can.
It could be that you insist on folding the laundry just so (guilty 🙋♀️) and you won't let others help. Maybe you go to the bank to deposit money because you always have, even though your bank offers mobile deposits.
I just bought a weekly pill box, so I don’t need to open up my whole medicine bag every morning. Two days in and I’m dumbfounded that I didn’t get one sooner.
We create extra work for ourselves because we think we’re supposed to be busy. Just don’t do it.
Do you want to run around and do #allthethings or will you choose to step back and let some go?Because we really don’t need to do more. We need to do more of what matters.
Fresh Content
Hot off the press & onto the blog, website, and beyond.
Surprise,surprise! We’re probably in a recession. Now what?
Do you know how to weather a recession? This may be your first one (it is for me as an entrepreneur). During a normal recession, small businesses have the lowest survival rates. This pandemic may be even more fatal, as many companies literally have $0 in sales.
I don’t bring this up to cause a panic, but instead to inspire you to do what you can. In this blog, I provide several steps you can take now to bolster your finances. We don’t know how long this downturn will last, so let’s prep for the long haul.
On a side note, if you haven’t applied for government stimulus, check out this presentation I gave on the main funding programs available.
App of My Eye
I'm always on the lookout for new apps that help make running business easier! Here are the best finds over the past month.
If you need to setup payroll, I highly recommend Gusto. They are one of the easiest payroll systems to use, offers dozens of helpful features (including employee onboarding and HR), and priced competitively. As a girly CPA, I’m delighted by the cute little piggy bank trotting along as their page-loading icon. Plus, they send out a comical newsletter for us accountants! (Yes, humor is possible for us!)
In normal times, the offer stellar tools. But since the stay-at-home orders started, they’ve gone way above and beyond. They have the normal blog articles, but unlike every other blog or news source, they keep very updated lists of aid programs (government and business programs). A couple of weeks ago, they knocked my socks off when they composed this PPP resource.
In my humble opinion, this company is a treasure for small businesses!
Best Reads
I love to learn. Especially with business, there are always new perspectives and information we can benefit from. Here's my latest fav.
Mindfulness. It’s one of the closest topics to my heart and now it’s more critical than ever.
If you’re struggling with panic attacks, constant anxiety, overwhelm, or feeling isolated, check out Mindful and these free resources. You can find articles, courses, guided meditations, and even a mini retreat. There’s something for all means of media consumption.
Life is not normal and we need to create a new supportive environment. This isn’t just a mental health exercise. It’s a way of not reacting to every impulse. If you feel triggered, give these resources a shot. Even a small reminder a couple times of day is a great start to easing anxiety.
Practicing Simplicity
Practical tips to simplify your business.
Practice: Write down 1 thing your grateful for every day
Rationale: As business owners, partners, parents, it's easy to feel behind or lacking. A proven way to boost your outlook on life is to acknowledge the good. Writing it down forces you to do so. It only takes a few moments, and it shifts your perspective.
Tools: Physical or online journal, Word doc, spreadsheet, anywhere you can make notes
Tax Tips
The world of tax is constantly changing. Here's what you need to know.
These stimulus laws are changing a lot of tax laws, in addition to making the stimulus payments. (If you haven’t received your payment yet, check out this IRS page.) The laws will have to wait until another day, as there’s so much happening!
Congress is likely to pass the latest round of stimulus today and replenish the small business funding. If you haven’t yet applied, please do so now! (Here’s Gusto’s list of PPP lenders again.) It’s first come, first serve. Based on the demand and stress I’m seeing, I expect this round to run out faster than the first.
Out & About
We're going places! Whether it's for networking, client meetings, or personal travels, I love to explore. Here's one recent stop.
You may have heard in the news that Sweden is taking a different approach to the pandemic than most countries. It’s true. No social distancing. No masks. Everything is open. *Some* elderly are staying home.
Only after the pandemic passes will we know if this is a smart approach. It makes me nervous. The virus could be spreading without us knowing. So far, their hospital system is doing well. It isn’t overwhelmed with patients.
To do my part, I’m staying in as much as possible and avoiding personal contact. Since I already worked online, I haven’t had much of a disruption in my day-to-day schedule.
Kitty Corner
It's probably impossible for me to get through a newsletter without mentioning my furbabies!
Presenting Flower Crown Cami! 🌸😻🌸
Cami is going full Swedish.💙💛 The trees are turning green, the flowers are budding. Nowadays, she ventures outside to roll around in young dandelions. After hunkering down for a long winter, Cami's ready to explore.
To blend in, Cami needs to act like a local. Her top priority was a new stylish, collar. She wailed and cried and begged until my ears had enough. Luckily for her (or me?), I was found a fanciful & floral alternative to her collar.
On the Horizon
Here's what we'll be focusing on over the next few weeks.
Let’s take it one day at a time. So much has changed because of the pandemic, it's hard to say what's next.
Most of the country (and world) is under lockdown. Were very likely in a recession and we don't know how severe it will be. The virus is not under control, and the longer it lingers the worse it will be for the economy. I’m watching out for more government aid for small businesses.
If you get anxious or angry, talk to a friend or sign up on Pandemic of Love to connect with others near you. We are a social species, so this isolation is not natural. Now, maybe more than ever, we are reliant upon each other.
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For now, try to enjoy your stay-cation. May you and your family be safe, healthy, and content together at home.