Written by Rashmi Vohra                                                                            May 26, 2021

At the point when the pandemic previously made organizations shut down and go distant, there was a ton of disarray and dread. Presently, very nearly a half year later, there is still a lot of vulnerability concerning how the following next few months, or even the following year, will look for organizations.

Small ventures in India are preparing for the second influx of COVID-19, an infection that seriously affected organizations in 2020. This time, be that as it may, organizations will be more ready for the upcoming trouble. In this blog, we will talk about how your business can battle the infection and keep business going obviously.

IMPACT OF THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID ON BUSINESSES

At present, India has reported more than 15 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID 19). Out of these, over 12.9 million or more patients had recuperated, while 178 thousand or more cases were deadly. The primary wave affected organizations' income, deals, and generally speaking, spirit. More than 73% of small ventures in India saw a deficiency of income during the primary pandemic lockdown. The most affected area was travel, land, and automobile because of movement limitations, decreased spending, and lockdowns. The aviation area alone caused a deficiency of Rs. 85 billion in only one year. 

However, these numbers ought not to demotivate you. If your business is ready for the most exceedingly awful, you don't have anything to fear.

HOW THE SECOND WAVE IS EXPECTED TO ACT ON THE SMALL BUSINESSES?

The nation is in confusion, and for entrepreneurs, this could mean difficulty. States have announced a lockdown and many transportation administrations have been required to be postponed. A year ago, these abrupt changes came as a stun to Indian MSMEs. The Government scrambled to give monetary arrangements to ease business activities, yet it was not sufficient. This time, the subsequent wave could bring:

An unexpected lockdown

According to a few news reports, there are public lockdowns and curfews forced on states. Organizations with an offline store or office should pull shades down and complete work from home till the lockdown is lifted.

1. Assembling units shut down 

 Due to another sluggish decrease in demand, supply will descend and this could bring about assembling units shutting down for some time.

        2.Coronavirus test 

 Everyone hoping to return to work or go across states may require a negative COVID test or a vaccination report.

      3.Delay in transportation administrations 

 Due to the lockdown, a few express shipping administrations will put an interruption on conveyance.

     4.Travel limitations 

 If you need to traverse state lines for work, a subsequent wave could prevent it from occurring.

    5.Lack of working capital 

Once more, unaware organizations may be trapped in a money smash because of vulnerability and abrupt Government forced limitations.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE SECOND WAVE OF COVID?

Is it accurate to say that you are prepared for the second rush of COVID-19? These are the moves you can make right away to assist your small venture with enduring the following, potentially bigger, rush of the pandemic. Regardless of whether COVID-19 returns in rehashed waves or smaller repeating episodes—one thing is clear—the worst may not be finished. A few days back, we were in the eye of the tempest with a second to change before disease rates rise, social separating measures straighten out, and lockdowns strengthen once more. It seemed like the Government and the public had everything in charge as of recently. Presently, hospital beds are scant and lockdowns are being forced quickly. Here's how you can guarantee your small-scale venture doesn't get antagonistically influenced by these conditions.

1. Build up Safety Measures 

As stores and organizations will start to resume, nearby governments will give safety rules to help organizations guard their workers and clients. Aside from your state's rules, ensure you do the accompanying:

• Clean your office more often. Put somebody accountable for consistently cleaning down surfaces and loading up on cleaning supplies. 

• Carry out social distancing at work, and support the utilization of masks where social distancing is possible. Contingent upon your state rules, you might be needed to give individual protective equipment to workers getting back to the workplace. 

• Where possible, permit employees to carry on with work from home.

  2.Track the developing circumstance 

As the quantity of contaminations grows and rigid restrictions return into play, organizations that can remain light-footed and adaptable may be bound to deal with a second wave successfully. This implies keeping track of the infection rate in your area consistently and updating your workers and clients about any changes and your operational status. 

Presently may likewise be a good chance to recognize any territories in your business that could permit you to rotate, so you can keep business going regardless of whether your state or region returns into lockdown. 

   3.Keep cash close by 

Working capital was perhaps the most troublesome things for organizations during the primary wave. There were practically no wages to pay labourers, processing plants shut down and surprisingly immense aggregates didn't pay their labourers their due. To stay away from this, keep cash close by. You can keep a positive income by:  

• Keeping a reasonable record of stock. Keep a close check of all the resources your business holds. Look at these stock administration tools, to begin with. 

• Keeping a record. Maintain a ledger wherein you will record all instalments made by your clients and follow the same.

• Spend less on plant and apparatus and immense resources, and all things considered, centre around transient objectives.

    4.Set up an online store 

A 2020 eCommerce report predicts probably the most well-known patterns MSMEs need to look out for in the wake of the primary influx of COVID. The one that stood out was the fast and relentless development of eCommerce in India. Starting in 2020, eCommerce saw a 200% leap in both sales and volume. 

So, in the event that you don't like seeing the shutters shutting down on your offline store/office, set up your business on the web.

5. Acquire new abilities to maintain your business 

A year ago, numerous entrepreneurs figured out some additional opportunity for themselves because of lockdown. If this ought to happen once more, you need to upskill and learn new skills to develop your business. 

Business people need to remain on the ball without settling on everyday business objectives. For instance – A business exercise from COVID each business visionary can concur upon is – no marketable strategy is conclusive. The pandemic constrained a few organizations to 'turn' and delete the whiteboard.

 6.Track merchants and providers 

A year ago, numerous organizations lost their important seller records because of lost invoices, unpaid fees/charges, and assembling issues. This time, make sure you keep an e-receipt, all things considered, and exchanges with sellers. It comes helpful when you intend to apply for an Input Tax Credit with GST. IT will be difficult to oversee cash in a pandemic, it should not bring about late instalment or penalty for GST on account of fake/incomplete invoices.

7. Check Your Human Resource Protocols 

At this point, you've drafted your crisis readiness design and have set up a rundown of conventions for your staff to follow while chipping away at premises or home. Set aside this effort to audit what you've composed and update it on a case-by-case basis for the upcoming COVID-19 wave.

• Give pandemic protocol cross-training to workers who perform significant assignments. Everybody in your business should understand what comes next in crisis circumstances. 

• Survey and update your strategies on far off work, sick leave, and unpaid leave. 

• Create the worst-case outcome imaginable convention with worker furlough or retrenchments dependent on an order of operational significance. 

• Grow 'always remote' approaches that ensure important staff have PCs, network, and admittance to their work any place they are, whenever.

  8.Reserve Sustainable PPE for Health and Safety 

Numerous deficiencies occurred during the primary wave, and entrepreneurs couldn't track down the right close to personal protective equipment (PPE) for satisfactory wellbeing and security measures. For the subsequent wave, stock up on feasible PPE materials so you can secure your clients and workers.

• Rather than disposable gloves, buy rubber gloves and make a sanitizing convention. It's better for the climate and more reasonable for long haul business practice. 

• For high-hazard workers, expendable N95 face masks should be provided. For every other person, change to fabric veils for spread prevention. These can be washed over and again after use, are practical, and will not flood your business surrounding with disposable PPE contamination. 

• Store the right cleaners and make sure a day-by-day cleaning convention after work is carried out. 

• Quit utilizing sanitiser wipes on surfaces. Proof recommends that it's more viable to wash surfaces with a clean cotton material than it is to clean the surface with a sanitiser.

At the point when you reserve sustainable PPE, you lessen the drawn-out costs for your small-scale venture while securing the climate, your local area, and your workers from COVID-19.

Implement these eight business progression planning steps to ensure that you're ready for the second influx of this pandemic. You have the opportunity to plan for what might be an undeniably more troublesome financial environment toward the year's end.

For more such opportunities and to know more about every brand, visit www.franchisebazar.com. They have plenty of franchise opportunities to offer as per your needs and requirements