Summary

The text describes the challenges faced by a business owner during the Covid pandemic, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and the ability to pivot in response to rapidly changing circumstances.

Abstract

The author, a business owner, reflects on the impact of Covid-19 on their business plans for 2020, which included personal travel and significant company projects. The onset of the pandemic necessitated a shift in operations, including closing sites, laying off staff, and reducing operations to cope with decreased revenue. Despite the challenges, the author expresses a commitment to making informed decisions, acknowledging the responsibility towards employees and their families. The essay underscores the difficulties of business ownership during a crisis, the necessity of resilience, and the continuous need for pivoting strategies to ensure survival.

Opinions

The author believes that the ability to pivot is crucial for business survival, especially during unforeseen events like the Covid pandemic.
They acknowledge the emotional toll and responsibility of decision-making as a business owner, affecting nearly 100 individuals and their families.
The author values being well-informed and adaptable, making decisions based on the latest data available.
There is an understanding that business ownership is not easy and requires thick skin, confidence, and teamwork to succeed.
The author expresses empathy for other businesses that were not able to survive the pandemic.
They intend to continue leading responsibly and to pivot as necessary in the face of ongoing challenges.

Being A Business Owner

The Ability To Pivot

If nothing else, the one thing that Covid has really taught me as a business owner is the importance of the ability to pivot.

I had big plans for 2020.

I was supposed to be going away to the Mediterranean for the first time that summer.

I had several big projects scheduled for my company.

I was interviewing for a board that I was very excited to join.

Things were looking good for 2020!

Then, the world shut down.

I was suddenly doing damage control in every aspect of my life — navigating a new world where the Canadian government was making changes to our lives on a daily basis.

In my company, I was making decisions based on the most up-to-date data available.

Then, sometimes only hours later, I was having to pivot because of more changes.

I was lucky - my business was considered essential.

In theory, my gas stations could all stay open — ensuring that vehicles received the petroleum products they needed.

Ensuring that essential workers were able to get to work.

But, there was so little traffic, that it didn’t make business sense to keep all the sites open.

So, just like many of my colleagues, I shut sites down, temporarily laid off staff, and reduced our operations as much as possible to adjust to the limited revenue coming in.

Working with my team, we were able to pivot quickly and consistently, making and executing decisions to ensure that the business survived.

There are many other businesses that didn’t, and I am so sorry for that.

It’s still not over, and we may have to pivot again.

It’s not an easy task.

The decisions I make affect the lives of almost 100 individuals and their families. I take that very seriously.

But, if being a business owner was easy, everyone would do it. It takes thick skin, confidence, and teamwork to make a company successful.

I intend to continue to make the tough decisions, with the most recent information available, and be a consistent, respectful, responsible leader.

I’ll pivot when necessary.

Until next time………………………………….. XO-JGF