CategorySocial Responsibility

News platforms have been bursting over the last week with stories about the recession Australia is now in. There are the headline stories based on the numbers and the personal stories of people losing their businesses and homes, dreadful stories, sad stories.

It is easy to get drawn into the doom and gloom news cycle. Unfortunately, news outlets think bad news drives clicks, and, so, they run the stories. The stories feed into themselves and can make matters worse.

In local communities and in local retail businesses, we think it is helpful that we act against feeding the doom and gloom stories. It is helpful that we do nothing to negatively impact consumer confidence. In fact, we think it is valuable to do the opposite, to encourage happiness and optimism.

Our suggestion is: focus on what has been working for you in 2020, present as business as usual, bring in new product, change displays, host in-store events, be active on social media, play happy music, run competitions, be a good local retailer.

It is these types of activities that distance your business from negative perceptions relating to the recession.

Yes, this is a tough time. Worrying about it being a tough time will not help you move through it.

You can’t control that there is a recession.

You can control what your business does. That has to be the focus.

As a business, we have been through two recessions. Each was different. This time around it is expected to be worse because of the global Covid situation. The reality is that for many small business retailers, there are elements of Covid that help your businesses. In many retail businesses we see, revenue is up in 2020 so far. This is good news. Indeed, there is plenty of good news out there.

Be attuned to opportunity. Also, keep a low profile as no one likes a bragger during times of adversity.

Sure, the economy is in recession. Our businesses, while part of the economy, are not the economy. Many of us are doing well, many of us have plenty to be optimistic about.

Let’s be positive. Let’s manage for optimism. Happiness feeds stronger and more appreciated businesses.

Offshore web development is cheap, that is for sure.

Buyer beware, though. You get what you pay for in this world. That is especially true when it comes to website development.

Offshore website development is cheap because people are paid little. A web developer in some overseas countries get in a month what some web developers get in a day in Australia.

Money is not always the best guide as to who is best. No, there are other reasons to NOT have your retail; business website developed offshore.

1. The understanding of local business is not as good.
2. Terminology is different.
3. Social mores are not the same.
4. Support access is not in your time zone – if it is they are working overnight and may not be on their game.
5. Access is not the same.
6. Money sent offshore is not supporting the local community on which local retailers rely.
7. Pursuing an offshore business in the event of a dispute is much harder.

If you want a website for your retail business, especially if you want your POS software connected to the website for your retail business, go local, go expert, go with the tech business that itself is supporting the local community in which you live and operate.

We are grateful for the business we have won replacing an offshore developed website with a website we have created ourselves. This is good business, which is helpful for local retailers.

While we understand the importance of offshore revenue for some countries, the revenue has to be for good products and services that are genuinely useful for businesses. This is problematic in the website space given that a website is a deep reflection of a local business and getting this, encoding this and reflecting this is a website is a challenge, something that is best done through local and genuine understanding of the business.

We develop websites for local retail businesses in Australia and New Zealand, websites that are usually connected to our POS software, websites that help local businesses serve local communities and folks further afield. Our portfolio is strong and growing. We are grateful for terrific support from local retailers.

This week has been particularly challenging in this 2020 time of COVID-19, especially in small business retail where impacts have been considerable. From the challenges of masks in some locations to supply chain issues elsewhere, COVID-19 is imp-acting everyday retail.

We have shared with our customers some thoughts, revisiting past comments and advice…

With the second wave in Victoria now 3 weeks old and problematic infections in NSW and SE Queensland, and with restrictions being tightened as a result, retailers are noticing a fall in foot traffic, with Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory the exceptions.

With foot traffic down, it can be disheartening. You can push back on this by having projects in the business on the go, working on the business. We are reminded on earlier advice on day to day operations:

1. For inventory purchase decisions, be safe and frugal, stick to winners.
2. Be aware of changes in what will sell now compared to what might be usual for this time of the year.
3. Look at your data and focus on moving stock that’s not been selling.
4. Reset the look and feel of the business from existing products and resources.
5. Be positive on social media.
6. Tap into any state government grants that may be available.
7. Keep the business clean and safe, and your employees safe.

In our own business, our approach is to look at corona being with us for the long term. The moves we made re working from home, remote training, remote installs were all for the long term. In our own retail shops our focus has very much been about being online with a terrific surge in sales being experienced.

2020 is a tough year, on the back of plenty of tough years for small business retailers.

Drought, bushfires, corona, these and other factors have been impacting communities and small businesses serving those communities.

Small business retailers, their employees and their customers are on the front line, impacted often all to regularly by the mental health challenge.

We think it is timely to pause for a moment in any business and consider how it approaches the issue of mental health, to ensure it has up to date information and leverages the appropriate practices in the business and with all team members.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reinforce why mental health is a 365 day a year challenge:

The stat for suicide among young people is horrifying.

While we are not mental health professionals, we have been in the software and retail businesses for many years and have had experiences working with and supporting people.

We share here today a revised version of information we have shared here before on this.

There are wonderful resources from government departments available. For example, The Victorian Government has a page online on this topic, which includes good practical advice, advice we remind our own team members of regularly:

1. Make time to exercise each day: For example, a simple daily lunch time walk can help maintain a positive outlook.
2. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness means being aware of your reactions/feelings/thoughts as you have them. This helps you choose how to manage matters as they arise. Mindfulness is a great tool to help lower stress and anxiety levels.
3. Adopt work/life boundaries: Don’t let work overtake your life. Set some boundaries to ensure you have time for both work and a social life. You might decide not to discuss work from 5pm Friday night to 8am Monday morning because weekends are for family time only.
4. Connect with others: Find someone worthy of your stories – a confidant or mentor you can talk to about your business experiences. Make sure this person is supportive, a good listener and someone whose opinion you value.

This government website also lists indicators that are helpful for business owners and managers to be across:

1. Physical signs: For example, a constant knot in your stomach, tense neck and shoulders, feeling nauseous, heart palpitations or chest pains.
2. Changes in behaviour: For example, being unable to sleep, crying regularly, feeling moody or often irritable, increase or loss of appetite.
3. Unclear thinking: For example, not being able to make decisions, not understanding directions, not being able to focus, being inattentive.
4. Feeling sad or anxious regularly: We all have bad days – they’re a normal part of life. This flag needs attention if you begin to notice feeling like this regularly.
5. Disconnecting from others: This may include not joining in social activities, choosing to spend time away from family and friends or stopping hobbies/sporting activities.
6. Feeling overwhelmed: It is difficult to find solutions to problems, and in some instances it feels like they are insurmountable. Problem solving becomes difficult

There are links to some excellent resources too:

1. Business In Mind: An online resource specifically designed to support business owners who may be experiencing mental health challenges.
2. Beyond Blue:  beyondblue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
3. The Ripple Effect: A resource for rural communities that addresses suicide in rural areas.(Ph: 03 5551 8587)
4. Sane provides online information, support and connection for every Australian affected by complex mental illness through its website, peer-to-peer forums and helpline. SANE also has a range of factsheets on managing mental health in the workplace. (Ph: 1800 18 7263)

Our approach to mental health as business owners has to be continuous, on-going. It can’t be a one day of the year focus or a stunt. It has to be part of how we run our businesses, everyday.

In our experience, talking is key – offering an environment where people can talk, where they know it is safe to talk, where they are encouraged to talk and where active listening happens. While it is not always perfect and does not always achieve what is hoped for, it is documented as being valuable.

Retailers are loving that they can record customer mobile phone numbers in our POS software at the sales counter as well as easily track shopper postcodes in the POS screen.

With the obligation for accurate tracking of critical data that can help with contact tracing, having these and other tools in our POS software is good for business’s good for the community and good for suppression.

We are grateful to have these tools in our POS software for years and for them to now have a public health benefit in this ear of corona.

This is engaging and smart POS software serving community health needs, doing good for the community and those who shop in each shop using our software.

In Victoria recently we have seen the value of the data capture and tracking tools, to enable easier management for the retailers needing to control those who are shop[ping in the shops where our POS software is in use.

Recording a mobile phone number at the time of sale is easy. recording shopper postcode is easy too. This can be particularly helpful is law enforcement are tasked with checking the data, that it is available, accurate and able to show if there is an issue with people accessing a business who should not because of corona lockdown restrictions.

Outside of the corona need / benefit, these tracking tools provide wonderful business insights for small business retailers using our POS software. They can demonstrate the reach of the business as well as provide post-visit marketing opportunities based on purchase items and more. This is clever and valuable all in one.

The postcode data has helped retailers realise that their shopper base is less immediately local than they imagined and through this they have re-cast their inventory mix to help even further broaden the appeal of the business. This is what happens once you know how far someone will travel for what you sell. Data is gold, as they say.

Tower Systems is proud to serve local small business retailers with locally made and supported POS software,. helping these businesses compete with online, get online themselves and compete with big businesses.

It can be challenging for any retailer to receive advice that a shopper who visited their shop has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The protocols in such a situation will depend on your location as each state and territory has different approaches. If you are formally notified of such contact, ask the notifying authority for recommended actions. They should have protocols for you to follow regarding cleaning and staff management.

Here is a list of state and territory helplines. This is from the the Safe Work Australia website:

• New South Wales - 1300 066 055
• Queensland – 13 432 584
• Victoria – 1800 675 398
• South Australia – 1800 253 787
• Tasmania – 1800 671 738
• Western Australia – 13 26843
• Australian Capital Territory – (02) 6207 7244
• Northern Territory – (08) 8922 8044

Here is what Safe Work Australia says about cleaning following advice that someone diagnosed was in your workplace:

There is no automatic requirement to close an entire workplace following a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19. It may be unnecessary if the person has only visited parts of your workplace or if government health officials advise you the risk of others being exposed are low.

Whether you need to suspend operations in your workplace will depend on factors such as the size of the workplace, nature of work, number of people and suspected areas of contamination in your workplace.

Click here to access the cleaning advice for any workplace where someone has been diagnosed.

Our advice re cleaning is as follows, this is the advice for our own shops too:

1. Regularly, hourly or at least twice a day, clean all touchable surfaces (EFTPOS machine, doors, door handles, counter, newspaper stand, anywhere someone is likely to touch) with high grade anti-bacterial wipes that are known to kill germs. The major supermarket protocol in Victoria is to clean each checkout counter between each shopper. Double bag all cleaning materials and discard right away.
2. Install and keep clean splash screens at the counter.
3. Require all staff to wear a face mask, which you provide daily.
4. Encourage all staff to wear gloves.
5. Ask all customers entering the shop to hand sanitise using sanitiser you have at the entrance.

Here is what Safe Work Australia says about routine cleaning:

Workplaces should clean surfaces at least daily. Special attention should be given to frequently touched surfaces (e.g. tabletops, door handles, light switches, desks, toilets, taps, TV remotes, kitchen surfaces and cupboard handles). Ideally, once clean, surfaces should also be disinfected regularly. Alternatively, you may be able to do a 2-in-1 clean and disinfection by using a combined detergent and disinfectant.

Surfaces and fittings should be cleaned more frequently when:

• visibly soiled
• used repeatedly by a number of people (e.g. trolleys, checkouts, EFTPOS machines), and
• after any spillage.

For routine cleaning, disinfectants are usually only necessary if a surface has been contaminated with potentially infectious material. For this reason, when and how often a workplace should undertake disinfection as part of routine cleaning will depend on the likelihood of contaminated material being present at the workplace. For example, in a busy retail environment with many customers and others entering a workplace each day, more frequent disinfection is recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By contrast, for a small work crew operating the same item of plant each day with little interaction with other people, routine disinfection in addition to daily cleaning may not be reasonably practicable.

We have shared this here not as experts. rather as retailers ourselves, supporting other retailers.

This is an up to date (as at July 13, 2020) list of state and territory government Covid related grants. There are some new opportunities in this mix. Click on the state / territory name for their landing page. Then, where possible, I have links to specific current grants.

• VIC. Local lockdown support grants – up to $5K. This is a new grant, just announced. The criteria are broad. I urge all Victorian business owners to check it out.
• NSW. Covid recovery – up to $3K.
• QLD. Covid adaptation grant – up to $10K. Regional QLD allocation under 50% of available funds applied for.
• ACT. No current grants.
• TAS. No current grants.
• SA. The Jobs Support Fund may be of interest: businessandjobssupportfund@sa.gov.au.
• WA. No grants but several one-off assistances.
• NT. Business Survival Fund – some grants still available.

Do your research as to eligibility. If you are eligible, do it now as waiting could see you miss out and there will be no point complaining then.

As Victoria heads into lockdown, again, tonight, here at Tower Systems it will be business as usual.

While our head office is in Melbourne and most of our team live in Victoria, we have been operating remotely since March this year. So, in short, no change for us from the start of lockdown.

At our office we have a skeleton team because there are some things that can only be done at the office in a business like ours. Those here all live close to the office.

The office itself is safe and secure. We have not accepted visitors since March.

Our new VoIP phone system has been terrific. It has given is seamless flexibility. Our commercial Zoom account has been terrific too as it offers secure access for video calls. Our regular customer Zoom meetings are working a treat.

Internally, Microsoft Teams helps us keep connected with each other as well as other platforms we are using in different parts of the business for specialty needs.

From a business perspective, we have a full schedule of new customers to bring on as plenty of business are joining our user community, for which we are sincerely grateful. Our installation specialists started doing remote installations, installations where they work from home and customer businesses could be in another state or country, over a year ago. The process has been finessed and is working well.

In lockdown, retailers seek to pivot. We are well placed to help with this – by helping businesses get online, helping them to make data based decisions into allied product categories, by stopping doing what is not working and by backing more certain winners.

At the start of Covid we told our customers that some things that had a charge previously would now be free, that a any price increases planned for 2020 would not proceed and that some products would be free – to help people have a more flexible approach to doing business.

We are energised and well-resourced to help small business retailers in this unusual 2020. While a second lockdown is frustrating and disappointing, it is what it is and we are help to help small business retailers take steps forward … a step at a time, a day at a time.