How to manage health and connection remotely tips from 3 entrepreneurs

The task of running a healthy and sustainable small or medium business (SMB) is no small feat, let alone in 2020. This year, many SMB owners have reassessed how they manage their own health, keep connected and create an emotional experience, all whilst keeping apart.

As part of a new webinar series produced in partnership with HP, called Business Not As Usual, I had the opportunity to sit down with three prominent SMB owners and delve into how they have tackled and overcome these issues. HP have a strong focus on supporting SMBs and the series provides actionable tips and insights. I spoke with Scott Gooding, Founder of The Good Place, Tyson Stelzer, Founder of Wine Press and Wendy El-Khoury, Founder of Wedded Wonderland.

As a health expert with over 20 years in the business, you may assume Scott always has his health completely under control. But the author and owner of The Good Place restaurant and The Good Feed ready-made meals was in hospital in February with shingles. As a result, he has doubled down on the four key areas of health which he said everyone, including SMB owners and employees, are in complete control of: nutrition, sleep, movement and meditation.

When it comes to prioritising these essential areas, Scott says nutrition and sleep are crucial. He recommends an all-natural diet and 7-8 hours of sleep a night. “If you predominantly consume all-natural nutrition, you’re way ahead in terms of your health, vitality, immunity and longevity,” he says.

Equally as important is sleep, with Scott recommending putting down technology at least two hours before bed. He says preparing a cool, dark room (17-19 degrees is optimal) is also helpful, along with avoiding alcohol and no food within 1.5-2 hours of sleep. 

Scott described movement as “the cherry on top”. “We have this perception that fitness is the solution to health and weight management, and it leaves people frustrated,” he explained. “It’s more about moving every day, doing something you enjoy and mixing it up.”

Mediation is Scott’s fourth tool, which he admitted can be difficult for SMB owners and employees to begin as they feel they don’t have the time, or can’t clear their mind. He suggested trying just one minute a day, and understanding that it’s very natural to be bombarded with thoughts as a beginner.

I also spoke with Tyson Stelzer, who along with being an award-winning wine communicator and author of 16 books, is a TV, radio and event host. Before COVID, his business Wine Press hosted events around the world. But events were abruptly shut down, two weeks out from what would have been his largest show ever, Taste Champagne in London. 

He focussed squarely on maintaining transparent, open communication with his stakeholders and supporters. “Our priority was to show integrity to our stakeholders, partners and supporters who have given us incredible support over the many years,” he said. He put procedures into place, updated policies and offered a timely refund or credit. “I was surprised and encouraged by how supportive people were and happy to accept a credit,” he said.

Similarly, Wendy El-Khoury, Founder of Wedded Wonderland saw an entire industry flipped, with communication the key to survival. As an industry that primarily did business face-to-face, businesses had to be resourceful and pivot online, fast. 

Wendy said many SMBs who were successful transferred an emotional connection online by implementing a range of communication measures.

This began with streamlining communication and making sure that when a customer reached out, they received a timely response. Business owners needed to become the face of the business, get in front of the camera and have their products and services clearly articulated across their social channels. This included creating and updating a FAQ sheet.

Wendy said that those who were effective were open and honest. “Being as honest as possible as a business owner is what people really want to hear,” she said. “It’s about that rawness and saying this is where we are at and this is what is happening,” she said. 

To tune into my conversations with Scott, Tyson and Wendy, visit https://reinvent.hp.com/business-not-as-usual-recordings.