LEMONADE

As 2019 came to a close, many small business owners had an optimistic outlook for 2020 and anticipated entering a new year with opportunities for business growth and increased profits. Instead, by the end of the first quarter of 2020, small business owners found themselves fighting to survive. Like a big ‘ole lemon, a worldwide pandemic had descended and threatened to sour the future of businesses everywhere. In an instant, business as usual became business unusual. This was especially true in the travel industry which has been tremendously impacted due to fears and anxieties associated with contracting the coronavirus.  Needless to say, the impact has been devastating.

According to a survey from Mike Cummings, Yale News, small-business owners across the United States were struggling with pandemic-related disruptions and harbored increasingly negative views of the future. The survey also reported that there was a 50% chance of small businesses going bankrupt or out of business within the next six months. It became apparent that if businesses were going to survive, some changes would have to take place- immediately. “Shift” and “Pivot” were suddenly the survival buzzwords in the business world. The ability to implement these key strategies and implement them quickly were crucial and necessary to ensure survival.

As a guest on the Traveltude Podcast, Jandie Smith-Turner, a small business owner of Acuity International LLC which provides boutique event management services that includes leisure travel for golf groups, shared how she had to make some tough decisions that would ultimately determine whether her business would be amongst the survivors. Mrs. Turner, like many other small business owners, found herself holding some pandemic sized lemons. So, what did she do? She took the lemons, did some shifting from in person to online event management, and some pivoting by implementing the new norms and technologies out on the golf course, and she made lemonade. The right recipe is a must for any small business owner who is not just looking to survive a pandemic but strive on the other side.

Create your recipe

Juice from freshly squeezed lemons: What did the pandemic squeeze out of you?

Sugar (Vegans can substitute with Agave nectar):  What sweeteners/strategies did you use to counter the sour effects of the pandemic?

Water to develop the right blend: How are you maintaining balance through this pandemic experience?

Stir up the ingredients: What did the pandemic stir up in you?

Make sure you connect with Jandie. She’d love to share her recipe

Websites: www.jandiesmithturner.com, www.acuitysports.com, www.acuityevents.net

Facebook: Jandie Smith Turner, facebook.com/acuitysports, facebook.com/eventsacuity

Instagram: instagram.com/jandieturner, instagram.com/acuity_events

Twitter: twitter.com/jandieturner, twitter.com/acuity_events

Linked In: linkedin.com/in/jandie/, linkedin.com/company/acuity-sports, linkedin.com/company/acuity-events-acuity-international

Use the comment section below to share your recipe for surviving and striving in a pandemic

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