Recovering and rebuilding from 2020

Rebuilding begins with taking a step backwards to determine your financial woes' depth.

In Summary

• On a personal front, individuals struggle to cope with losses and failed businesses. It was a pandemic that caught everyone pants down, with no escape plan.

• You must develop a contingency plan to deal with such pandemics that might cripple your financial stability. 

Piggy bank used to illustrate being broke
Piggy bank used to illustrate being broke
Image: STAR ILLUSTRATED

It is no secret; 2020 was a tough year due to the difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nations are still struggling economically as the virus shows its ugly tail.

To address the effects, the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced that it would be holding a summit before the end of January, themed The Great Reset”. The idea behind the summit will be building foundations for new socio-economic systems out of what was caused by the pandemic.

On a personal front, individuals struggle to cope with losses and failed businesses. It was a pandemic that caught everyone pants down, with no escape plan.

People have resorted to carrying out multiple ventures to find economic balance. Some have moved to try their luck in their favourite online casino, one of the biggest earners during the pandemic period.

To get you back on track, this guide will help you recover and rebuild from where things started going south.

1. Assess the Damage

Rebuilding begins with taking a step backwards to determine your financial woes' depth. Look at the hard numbers, and if you have not updated your financial records, please do. You’ll need details such as profits and loss, or even your cash flow. 

Consider the several ways your business could have been affected besides minimized sales, profits, and cash flow. Identify things you have had to do away with to remain afloat, for example, advertising, laying off workers, or shelving your expansion plan.

2. Revisit Your Business Plan

Chances are, your business model was performing excellently before COVID-19, but you may require some fine-tuning to come out of it. Consider the new structures you might need to adjust to the new normal. For example, if you have over-relied on a physical business location, you probably need to do some digital expansion to reach a bigger customer base. 

3. Do You Need Funding to Get Back on Your Feet?

It depends on how badly the pandemic hit your business, but unless you had some real deep pockets, you might need some external funding to jump-start your operations. 

Fortunately, numerous institutions have come up with structures to help small businesses during the COVID-19 rebuilding process. Ideally, weigh your options before settling for any financial institution. These are desperate times for businesses and individuals, and you might be tricked into falling prey to unscrupulous deals. Consult a financial adviser beforehand.

4. Revamp Your Budget to Accommodate New Spending

Rebuilding takes time, and it could mean your full recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how much you spent. In most cases, it takes spending money to make money. You may need to spend on hiring and training new employees, purchasing a new inventory, or even readvertising. It is important to have a clear idea of what to include in your new budget to eliminate financial waste.

5. Develop a Rebuilding Timeline

It depends on how much recovery you need, not necessarily to get to where you were, but at least to gain some financial stand. Doing everything simultaneously can be a bad idea. Draw a record of priorities and stick to them. Create a schedule for every task and adhere to a specific timeline.

In conclusion, COVID-19 is not the last crisis. You must develop a contingency plan to deal with such pandemics that might cripple your financial stability. Savings is a good way to go, but saving can only be possible once the recovery process is up and running.

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