Key communication guidelines for small businesses and sole traders during the coronavirus crisis

1. Stakeholder mapping: Consider which stakeholder groups you are dealing with, how important they are and what their interests are. Typical stakeholder groups include employees, customers, service providers and partners, as well as banks, public authorities, legal and financial advisers.
2. Inform internally first: Communicate instructions and guidelines to your employees first. This includes, for example, information on short-time working, opening hours, bridging measures and, where applicable, an assessment of your company’s economic situation and outlook.
3. Then inform externally: In the next step, communicate with your customers, partners and suppliers. Provide them, for example, with information on opening hours, deliveries, operational bottlenecks and, where applicable, the challenges you are facing. 
4. Practise ‘process communication’: Do not wait for results. Inform your stakeholders in clear, target-group-appropriate language about the current status, challenges, proposed solutions and prospects. This helps you avoid uncertainty, engage in dialogue and activate your networks to find joint solutions.
5. Emotional management: Be aware that you are always dealing with people. All these people are in an exceptional situation and are most likely just as concerned, overwhelmed and unsettled as you are. Show understanding and solidarity.
6. Important: Communicate only verified information and findings. Position yourself as a reliable and trustworthy partner and avoid rumours and speculation. 

Keep an eye on your business, your environment and all stakeholders

Ask yourself the following questions regularly:

• Impact: How are our stakeholders – first and foremost our business and our employees, and then our customers – directly or indirectly affected by the situation?
• Situation: What is the current state of information according to official sources? What challenges do we face? What is the likely course of events?
• Action: What can I, as an artist or small business owner, do personally right now to minimise my own risks? What support is available to me? What help might I be able to offer myself?

Best Practices: Free text templates and building blocks

Below you will find some best practice examples for free use. 

Concise shop sign:
Dear customers,
it’s a bit sad without you in the [shop]!
Nevertheless, we’re still here for you:
you can reach us by phone: [phone number], by email: [email], via Facebook and Instagram.
We’re happy to advise you and take [orders]. Collection by appointment or delivery to your door [– free of charge]. Of course, [our online shop/our website] is also operating as usual: [URL]. Thank
you very much for supporting local businesses!
Take care, we look forward to seeing you in person again soon!
[Your xy team]

Online information on the website:
Dear customers,
due to current developments, we unfortunately have to temporarily close our [shop] with immediate effect. The health of our customers and staff is our top priority. But don’t worry, we won’t leave you in the lurch. You can reach us for telephone advice as usual during our current opening hours. Or you can book a consultation via the online booking system [Link]. And of course, we are also available to answer all your questions by email: [Email]
We look forward to welcoming you back in person soon.
Until then: stay healthy!
[Your xy team]

Information letter to customers:
Dear Sir or Madam,
due to the spread of the coronavirus, our [business] must remain closed [temporarily/until further notice]. We expect to be able to resume operations [gradually] from [date].
Until then, our staff will be working from home to process your [orders] [as usual/to the usual standard/on time]. We remain available
to you by telephone as usual. As we are operating with a skeleton staff, we ask for your understanding if you are unable to get through straight away. In this case, please send us a request for a callback [to email address/by email].
To protect you and our staff, we will refrain from holding face-to-face meetings for the time being.
We wish you the very best of health!
[Your xy Team]

Get help from communication experts
We know how difficult it is to communicate effectively when you are personally affected and feel powerless in the face of current developments.
Please call us if we can support you with communication in this exceptional situation: Mobile numbers 0171/ 8008006, 0171/ 5630966, 0151/ 28008007 (Munich office), 0170/ 3080777 (Berlin office)
Or send us an email at help[@]kaltwasser.de.
We want to help you with our expertise: free of charge and in a spirit of solidarity – as our contribution to smaller businesses that are truly struggling with existential fears in the current situation.
Stay calm and healthy!

Your Emergency Communications Team

Brigitte Kaltwasser, Philipp Nieberle, Christina Heinickel, Andreas Schauerte, Charlotte Gräfin von Kielmansegg, Dr Andreas Schwarz, Lisa-Katharina Kaltwasser and Ann-Charlott Stegbauer