As the number of cases of novel Coronavirus climbs, we are all taking the threat of an outbreak a little more seriously. Like many businesses, we at Scheffey saw this as an opportunity to review how we respond to any kind of threat to normal daily operations. While COVID-19 is the threat du jour, we need to be prepared for delays due to weather, accidents, and illness. The fact is, as a small marketing agency, we have done due diligence to make sure our clients’ interests and our teammates are protected in the face of a variety of challenges. While this normally exists behind the scenes, in response to COVID-19 concerns we are sharing some of our processes with you.

In response to any potential illness, Scheffey is prepared in three primary ways:

• Preventing Illness
• Responding to Illness
• Keeping Projects Moving

PREVENTING ILLNESS

First and foremost, each of us at Scheffey is aware of the threat any illness poses to our personal and professional lives. We don’t want to get sick any more than you do! We are also aware that in our industry, where handshakes and in-person meetings are the norm, we need to have a heightened awareness of hygiene. While we laugh at the memes circulating the web now saying things like, “wash your hands like you just made salsa and now need to remove your contacts,” we know we ALWAYS need to be washing our hands and using hand sanitizer.

In addition to washing hands and covering coughs, high-traffic areas such as the kitchen are constantly getting wiped down. Our office is regularly cleaned with cleaning solutions. We keep disinfectant wipes on hand for additional spot-cleaning at any time. While COVID-19 is a scary threat to our health, Scheffey has been practicing for this threat through every flu and cold season.

RESPONDING TO ILLNESS

Even with the best precautions, people can still get sick. If the worst happens and someone starts to feel a bit iffy, he or she has a couple of options as part of Scheffey’s Sick Day and Work From Home policies.

Scheffey employees have unlimited paid sick days. This means if someone is not feeling well, he or she is encouraged to stay home. Not only does this give people the ability to recover more quickly, but it also helps keep germs out of the office as sick employees do not feel pressured to come into work.

In cases where someone feels well enough to work but might be contagious, he or she might be able to work from home. With today’s technology, clients and coworkers can access people working from home as easily as if they were at their desks. Scheffey’s use of virtual private networks (VPNs); project management software; G-Suite including email, calendars, chat, and hangouts; call-forwarding, and other technologies remove all barriers to communication and collaboration between Scheffey teammates whether they are at the office or working remotely.

KEEPING PROJECTS MOVING

No matter what Scheffey is facing, we are committed to helping our clients meet their business goals. This means projects keep moving even if the office is closed.

Scheffey uses a project management software to keep all teammates on track with projects and individual responsibilities. (Read more about Project Management in Today’s Modern Workplace.) During normal operations, the project management software keeps a log of projects, task statuses, communication between teammates, schedules, and file locations. When faced with a coworker’s absence, other teammates can use the software to quickly assess where a project or task left off and what still needs to be done. This means we are always able to cover for each other should someone need to leave for sickness, emergency, or even extended leave.

We also use the project management software to keep looking ahead at what is coming down the pike. Many times, we are working far in advance of when tactics need to execute. In those situations, we can often set up scheduling so tactics automatically deploy whether or not we are in the office. (Think things like social media posts, Google Ads campaign launches, email campaigns, and some other digital campaigns.)

OUR PROCESSES ARE PROVEN

If you’ve partnered with Scheffey for a couple of years, you would have already experienced these processes in action. For example, Scheffey completely closed the office for a few days in 2016 during a renovation project. Did you notice? Last year, our Project Manager Megan Risser took maternity leave as she welcomed her son, Nolan, to the family, giving us a chance to practice covering for a coworker for extended leave. A sudden emergency called a Scheffey teammate to another state for a period of time. Scheffey processes and that teammate’s dedication kept projects moving on schedule.

Our clients depend on us to execute smart marketing campaigns that help them achieve business goals. While we do everything in our power to keep germs and sickness at bay, we have processes in place that allow us to continue to deliver results for our clients even in the face of illness.

If you are a current Scheffey client and you have questions about how we will continue to meet your needs in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, please reach out! We would love to talk specifics with you. If you are not a Scheffey client and you are facing business challenges as a result of your audience’s response to COVID-19, give us a call. Let’s create a strategy for attracting your audience back to your business.