It can be a chaotic and challenging undertaking to be self employed or running a small business in these unprecedented times of climate change, peak oil and global economic crisis. What does it mean to “surf” the recession? How do we perform this complex balancing act?
Surfing any waves of change and transformation involves:
• Choosing our surf-board and learning our surfing skills – being prepared as best we can.
• Paddling and resting in the shallows, riding the waves, observing currents, ebbs and flows – being courageous in handling circumstances as they arise in the moment. Being open to change.
• Getting back on the board when we fall off – accepting and learning from our mistakes.
To be truthful, I don’t think anyone can be sure of the perfect way to surf the recession that guarantees sustainability. I offer you my ideas for today based on information and experience that I’ve accumulated so far. I’ve stated them in terms that my astrologist friend calls “suitably broad and vague,” leaving you free to interpret and adapt them to your own unique circumstances.
I imagine you will have your own thoughts to add to these, so please do comment and let’s share what we know.
People
1. Remind yourself of your business purpose and mission statement. What’s your core business? Focus on this. If your gut feeling is that your business purpose needs reorienting in the light of recent changes, act now.
2. Educate and inform staff on your business purpose/mission statement and how to hone in on it.
3. Identify firefighting activities (‘urgent but not important’ tasks or distracting activity) and seek to eliminate them through identifying their cause.
4. Learn some conflict resolution skills as personal stress levels are likely to increase. These will help you in your relationships with employees, suppliers and clients. Remember “Fair Trade and Fair Treatment.”
5. Make time for relaxation, spiritual practice, your family and friends in your working week. You still need to nurture your health and wellbeing. This is more, not less, important when handling additional challenges.
6. Pay attention to education and training for your place in a life sustaining society. Formal qualifications and accreditation are likely to be less important in a post peak-oil, post industrial growth society than sustainability and self-sufficiency skills.
7. Devise a power-cut plan. How will your business keep running during a break from energy supplies? Make a contingency plan and test it out.
8. Keep it light when you can – add some fun, lightness and love to each day by noticing the ridiculous, the charming, the tender, the beautiful and the humorous in everyday situations.
Planet
9. Remember that cutting your costs usually cuts carbon too, so make sure the two go hand in hand.
10. Keep reminders in your work space of your connection to nature and how your business benefits your environment – plants, natural light, images, fresh water and herbal teas. Spend some time in your garden, the park, or the great outdoors every day.
11. Review the planet part of your business plan (energy, transport, stationery, packaging, food etc used in your business) for opportunities to collaborate with others, work remotely, piggyback tasks and eliminate waste.
12. Investigate local suppliers of everyday consumables, use them in preference to others and keep their details handy.
Profit
13. Budget at least 6 months ahead and keep on top of your cash flow.
14. If you’re not already banking with an ethical bank, make this a priority now.
15. Review insurance and pension arrangements to make sure they are with sustainable, ethical companies.
16. Increase your supply of ready cash for everyday purchases (petty cash) and receiving cash payment from clients (float) as power cuts and financial shocks are likely to affect the operation of everyday banking, electronic financial transactions and cash machines .
17. Stay in frequent contact with your suppliers and customers and contract for payment in advance with any whose financial position looks tenuous, if this is not already written into your terms and conditions.
18. Maintain margins wherever possible. Add value, durability, flexibility and ease of use rather than reduce prices.
What additional suggestions do you have?
This site seeks to explore the heart and soul of downshifting to a more sustainable, ethical and holistic way of living and working, in keeping with the needs of the planet, humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals. 
No comments yet.