Covid-19 has turned the world, and the priceless connections between people, upside down.  


There is much to consider right now but I want to reach out to the many entrepreneurs and business owners, who for one reason or another find themselves in a very difficult, stressful situation.


On a personal professional footing and for some context, I have undergone three entrepreneurial reinventions in the last twenty odd years, comprising real estate, debt and finance.  


One of the things I often say to people, and one of the great lesson’s life has taught me thus far, is to avoid complacency at all costs.  

 
My diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2008 taught me this.  I now don’t suffer from complacency. 

In February 2020, the world was hit with a pandemic, a once-in-100-year event, and over the last number of months, the entire planet has gone into a tailspin. 


We have been locked in our homes, forbidden to socialise and meet up with our family and friends, working from home.


The social fabric of living has been firmly put on hold.


It was and continues to be a very traumatic and distressing time for us all.  

Over the last few years I have been speaking to thousands of school kids of all ages about life, dealing with challenges, how to overcome disappointment, rejection and failure.  


It’s a super experience for me and something I love to do.  


The message I always leave the kids with is:


“It’s not what happens to you in life that’s important, more HOW YOU REACT TO WHAT HAPPENS, which determines how your life will play out.


The same can be said to adults and business owners in the midst of a global pandemic.  
We all know what is going on, but how are you going to react to it?  


What changes are you going to make?  


Have you reviewed your business plan?  Your staff requirements?  Your company debt position? Is it affordable? Your overheads?

 
Your unique selling points?  


What value are you now bringing to this new world? 


These are all important and fundamental questions, which now need to be addressed by business owners. 


One of the big lessons life taught me through my diagnosis, was that nobody was going to fix me. 


If I wanted my health to improve, I had to learn how to fix myself.
I did this predominantly by reaching out and asking for help. 


The same can be said of problems facing business owners today. 


For anyone struggling right now, I am urging you to do the same thing.


Reach out, ask for help, don’t procrastinate. 


If the last economic crash taught me anything, it was an observation that it was those people who reached out and asked for help, who tended to have better outcomes. 


I encourage you to do the same. 


Conor Devine is a real estate expert. You can reach him by email or connect on Linkedin or Twitter.