Business in times of Corona: If you can keep your family safe and team intact in 2020, consider it your profit
4 min read
The writer is the Founder & CEO, Data Xgen Technologies and a mentor for start-ups in India
It was for the first time in forty days when I had taken a day off from work hoping to unwind with family. But the madness outside liquor shops throughout the country took away any comfort I was seeking from my homestay.
We have been engaged 24X7 in delivering services on behalf of the government of Rajasthan since the country was placed under the first lockdown on March 24. We have, therefore, been on the job since. First, our team was servicing customers seeking information and utilities, and is now processing e-passes to for lakhs of people, including migrant labourers, students and those stranded in Rajasthan and distanced from their home.
Life under Lockdown 3.0
It pained me to see the way life was unfolding in utter chaos after we displayed such incredible restraint and character in face of hardships during the period. Welcome to the lockdown 3.0. This new version is far from stable which is why we cannot let our guard down and have to be more cautious than ever before.
We are at more risk now than during the previous lockdowns where the sanctity of the rules was in place. Not anymore. The third phase of the lockdown kicked in yesterday with a spate of relaxations and exemptions. The chaos that unfolded with it is for everyone to see and learn from. We have not yet flattened the curve for the Covid-19 virus in India. The cases are still peaking. The risk is likely to increase everyday hereafter.
I’m thinking the same thing that everyone else is. May be passes are not required in the lockdown. May be there are no guidelines by government. May be it’s free flow for our movement. But the virus is not in maybe mode. It is ruthless and unforgiving and we are at the brink of defeating it or render all our efforts a waste and allow it to invade our families and friends.
That’s why, it is now time to observe a strict lockdown for self, family, friends and team mates.
I say no to physical meetings with anyone whom I haven’t met in the last 40 days. I don’t travel for meetings. But even I have to, I am not going to a place where I haven’t been for the last 40 days.
Dr Ajay Data
It’s NOT networking or party time
In Gujarat, 26 deaths were reported in a day. Corona cases in the state have crossed the 5,000 mark. It is a worrying situation not just in Gujarat but the whole country. The virus took 2 months to infect the first lot of 20,000. The next 20,000 cases were reported in less than two weeks.
This is not the time for socialising or networking.
This is the time to keep your family and friends safe. This is not the time to let go of the progress we have made in defeating the virus over the last six weeks.
The 40-day logbook
Every unprecedented situation calls for a stock-taking exercise and formulating a plan of action based on its assessment. Going forward, I have made a few rules for the safety of my family, friends and colleagues. I am sharing this hoping it will help you make informed choices to keep your homes and workplaces safe.
Let’s get this straight. There is risk, the moment we step out of the house. I have prescribed a 40-day rule for my family and my team. Since I believe in walking the talk, I have implemented it on myself and will continue to do so till the coast is clear for all of us. I keep a 40-day logbook in mind of people I have met and places I have been before the lockdown forced us all indoors.
I say no to physical meetings with anyone whom I haven’t met in the last 40 days. It takes time to trace back the source of the infection. I, therefore, strictly ensure that I haven’t come in physical contact with anyone I haven’t met since the lockdown is in place.
I don’t travel for meetings. But even I have to, I am not going to a place where I haven’t been for the last 40 days. This could be my friend, my business affiliate or my family. It’s a strict no. The only exception to this rule is our own offices, where we are aware of the last contact points.
Limited movement is the key. As I said and I insist, movement of any form carries risk. But if it has to be done, then we should limit our movement because it comes with the lowest risk when there is no option. But again, it should be carried out with the first two rules of the 40-day logbook.
Safety is your net profit in 2020
I have several people asking me how the economy is going to fare in the rest of 2020. It’s dangerous. There is no other way I can put it. It’s not the time to mince words. I believe the IT industry is blessed to be in a position to Work From Home (WFH) and can tide over this Tsunami. But not all businesses will have that advantage.
But there’s the other side to the story. You have to take care of your family and team first. If, in this year, you can do that, keep them safe from any harm, consider it your profit. Because know this, and know this well. If people don’t survive, even Work From office (WFO) won’t be possible when we are out of this. So, let’s take our calculated calls to start our offices and factories bearing this in mind.
