The global coronavirus pandemic has captured headlines the world over, and businesses are fighting to protect their employees and the public alike as best they can.
As a small business owner, you may be feeling particularly overwhelmed with this responsibility and challenge, as well as concerned for the future of your business and the livelihood of your staff. We have gathered some resources in this post to offer guidance and clarity, to help you adapt to this ‘new normal’, and to assist you in accessing necessary aid during the crisis.
As news of the outbreak continues to rapidly develop, this post is designed to compile official resources and websites to help you stay up to date and explore your options for managing the ongoing change.
Official Resources
These sources offer the latest officially-approved information, as well as access to government agencies dealing with issues around health and business.
Office for National Statistics Coronavirus page (ONS): On their COVID-19 page, they offer a wide range of datasets and publications detailing the latest information on the virus.
World Health Organisation COVID-19 resources (WHO): The WHO offers everything from public advice for health and travel to videos of press conference updates to a myth-busters section.
Coronavirus response (European Commission): The European Commission is coordinating a common European response to the coronavirus outbreak. We are taking resolute action to reinforce our public health sectors and mitigate the socio-economic impact in the European Union.
Scientific advice from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): ECDC is an EU agency aimed at strengthening Europe's defences against infectious diseases.
Timeline of the European Commission’s response (EU Commission) and instructions to specific member states around availability of medicines and medical equipment
For specific medical advice, please refer to the information from your government.
Resources for Small Businesses
These resources offer information on the ways coronavirus directly affects small business and offers advice on preparing for and mitigating these effects.
Supporting your business during coronavirus (Europa): The site of this organisation links small businesses to funding opportunities, such as grants, available through the European Union
The European Economic and Social Committee official press statement on COVID-19
For more information, please refer to specific packages offered by your local government
Salesforce Initiatives and Resources
Salesforce has launched several initiatives to help our customers, partners, and community handle the current crisis – and small businesses are an important part of this community we are hoping to help.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Data Resource Hub: Tableau is offering a free resource page that includes relevant data visualisations about the spread of COVID-19 and the public health response.
Salesforce Leading Through Change programme: This collection of articles offers insights and tips for managing business through crisis from Trailblazers. Our goal is to provide thought leadership, tips, and resources from Salesforce and our community of Trailblazers for business leaders and to offer a forum for community and conversation.
Salesforce Cares: To help companies of any size navigate this time, Salesforce is offering our Salesforce Care solutions free for 90 days, backed by:
Live sessions and onboarding
Trails, webinars, guides, and an expert community
Technical support for new customers
Stories of Resilience Webinar Series: A series of monthly live webinars for Small Businesses featuring experienced entrepreneurs and thought leaders from the small business community who share their stories of how they have navigated their businesses through challenging times.
Additional Resources and Information
We also found these articles offered coronavirus business perspectives helpful for navigating the reality of the pandemic.
Lead Your Business through the Coronavirus Crisis (Harvard Business Review): Three business leaders from Boston Consulting Group offer advice distilled from clients around the world.
How to avoid small business scams during the coronavirus crisis (smallbusiness.co.uk): Avoid scammers hoping to prey on the financially vulnerable during the global crisis.
European Commission small business advice (European commission): Links to facilities, networks and finance for small business in the EU.
How the European Commission has helped soften the blow of Coronavirus (The World Economic Forum)
What measures have been put in place to help Europe’s 25 million SMEs (Euronews)
Coronavirus small business advice (Startups): Sound advice on getting financial support, working from home effectively, and shifting your small business strategy to respond to pressures caused by COVID-19.
