At this time of year most of my clients would be hard to find on the phone as they usually are making holiday plans for themselves and their families. In the "new normal" however, I'm on the phone with them daily through the holidays and beyond. The reason is that everything is in a constant state of uncertainty regarding, well, just about everything from taxes to supplies and price increases.
All year I've been warning that things aren't going back to what we once considered normal soon if at all. If there wasn't enough to deal with on the supply chain front we're being overwhelmed with price increases and an ever-changing covid-19 restriction regime complete with unpredictable and unhinged restrictions and even lock downs.
“Small business owners depend on the freedom to decide how to run their business and the Biden Administration’s ETS is an unprecedented intrusion to that freedom,” said Kevin Kuhlman, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations."
How does Applebees create a welcoming eating experience when they have to call the police to arrest un-vaccinated patrons in NYC? They are subject to City Government sanctions if they don't so, it's either comply with arbitrary rules or close the doors. This isn't going away, there will be many, many of these types of confrontations perhaps even violent ones. How many vaccinated patrons will choose not to go just to avoid "trouble"?
If change is the new normal then flexibility is critical for survival. Business models that can change jurisdictions quickly or modify venues efficiently will do better.
Getting involved in local politics is also now more important than ever. The rule-makers and rule-enforcers are usually folks who need to get elected and small business owners not only donate significant sums to those election efforts but they also influence thousands of employees and their families! Make no mistake, a business- friendly political environment is a huge advantage and one which can be built from grassroots activities like sponsoring a little league community team.
Support local politicians who explicitly advocate for protecting jobs growth and limiting restrictions on small business owners. Politics is all local. Small business owners have a stake in what happens in their communities and now more than ever it's critical to be involved. The County Commissioner you vote for today will be making (or more importantly, not making) rules your business will have to comply with.
Case in point:
"A federal appeals court late Friday in a split decision ruled that the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for private employers of companies exceeding 100 people can take effect."
So this on again, off again compliance theater will continue and small businesses like the ones in NYC, Los Angeles and other jurisdictions will have to comply with ever more onerous restrictions on their ability to do business. To add insult to injury, foot traffic and guest numbers are crashing as overhead increases in these situations because nothing says "a night on the town" like having to show your papers or be arrested lol!
Change is the new normal, get used to it.