If you have ever opened a business, you know the devotion it takes to open the doors. There is a need to accomplish large projects and prepare for your incoming team.

It’s a unique moment and it rarely happens again…until now.

While your doors are closed, here are three activities you can do from home that will make your time during closure beneficial for your team, the business, and you.

1. Build Culture: Get to know your team

2. Gain Operational Speed: Review training materials

3. Swallow the Frog: Tackle what you have been avoiding

Build Culture: Get to know your team

It may seem like an unconventional place to start, but we are all craving social interactions. This is an ideal moment to get to know your team more personally and understand what they need to be the most successful. Each of us has different ways of working and if your team has never worked remotely, there may need to be some adjustments. Consider using a survey to learn the following:

• Video conference vs. no video

• Current most pressing projects

• Optimal working hours

• Best time for “meetings”

• Length of calls

• Preferred method of contact

Between a survey and a Doodle schedule your team can tell you exactly what would make them successful right now. That’s the goal right?

The more you get to know your team, the larger their buy-in. Now is the time to help your team fall in love with your company’s culture, and that starts with you.

Gain Operational Speed: Review Training Materials

I love training and job aids. What could be more fun than helping people do their job in the best possible way? Maybe that’s just me. No matter what, you have the time to pour through your training materials, best practices, job aids, and SOPs to evaluate their effectiveness. Not only that, but also what’s missing? When you analyze your business’s biggest operational struggles, what comes to mind? Would a new training help? Job aid?

Now let’s think about the future for a moment. We are all going to be in a mad dash to open our businesses. Instead of slapping it together to be the first to open, we can be smart. Training materials and job aids will give your team the running start that you want them to have. They are also a huge benefit to developing company culture. When a person sees that you resolved their issues, or prepared new trainings, they feel valued.

Investing the time to review training materials and job aids will provide a massive payback for you and the business. Plus, when’s the next time you’re going to have the time to do that?

Swallow the Frog: Tackle what you have been avoiding

What’s the one project you constantly kick to the bottom of your task list? Congrats, now is the perfect time to do it. Mark Twain recommended swallowing your live frog first thing in the morning so that the worst is behind you. Well…what’s your frog?

All of our businesses have a weak spot: the one piece that we know we could improve if we just took the time. For better or for worse, that time exists now. Even more impactful is that it exists without the distraction of an operating business. This introduces a whole new level of mental clarity to analyze the problem.

Not sure how to figure it out? Find someone who can. Some of the best minds are looking for jobs right now. This could be an opportunity to partner with them.

Right now, you have the chance to remove obstacles to success. Leverage you time efficiently and you will reopen significantly stronger than before.

Even as I write this, I realize there is an incredible amount of stress and uncertainty when your business is not open. However, instead of operating from a place of fear, consider seeing all of the opportunity available to you.

Eventually it will be time to open the doors again, will your business be ready?

Have you taken action to improve your business during this time? Let me know! @zjellson #whatsnext