The jokes about hoarding toilet paper and hand washing are flying, and the news gets more alarming daily. Some people are cancelling their spring break cruises and trips to Disney, and others are relishing the thought of stateroom upgrades, empty middle seats on airplanes and shorter waits in lines at theme parks. Whatever your thoughts, the coronavirus outbreak is causing cancellations and postponements of big events in which people congregate.  It is also causing some companies to encourage their employees to work from home.

The bad news: My daughter lives and works in Seattle. Her company, F5, was one of the first to tell their workforce to stay home. The latest from the company is that employees will work from home for at least three weeks.

The good news: Home is anywhere. She will be coming to her family’s home to work for a week because it doesn’t really matter where she is, as long as she can get her work done. And she can – using her computer, the web, her phone, and all of the tools we all have.

The bad news: This situation may mean it is best for your company, at some point, to encourage people to work from home.

The good news: Your sales team can still do their jobs. Using Efficio as their CRM, they can use their computer, the web, and their phones to keep moving sales forward. Managers can help guide AEs, as they can see what is in the pipeline and offer assistance. While there may be less face-to-face interactions, business can still progress. And that is important!

While we have to be diligent in the prevention and spread of coronavirus, we also have to maintain some normalcy of life – whatever it is at the moment. This may mean business as usual and it may be business as adapted to circumstance. Know that we are willing and able to help with your virtual workplace through our online tools that will get you the information you need about your business. We can also help your team brainstorm ways to keep up sales during this difficult time.

Take the necessary precautions, and we hope the impact to you, to your family, to your friends and coworkers - is minimal. Please know that we can help reduce the effects of coronavirus to your day-to-day business.