You may not be trading, but you are still in business
Summary
The task of the chief executive officer (CEO) is to keep the business in being, by the use of capital reserves, loans, or government assistance for what is hopefully a short term period. For any CEO, the situation is bad enough, necessitating the marshalling of all resources while minimising all costs both fixed and variable, which invariably means reducing the wage bill. Retaining as much of the work force as possible during the shutdown, with Government aid and or reduced salaries should be a priority in order to keep the business in being, ready to resume operations. A small specialist manufacturer and installer of bespoke kitchen units in Bristol, lost 90 per cent of his business through cancellations resulting from the corona virus shut down. The advantage of this is that while general advertising may have to be curtailed for reasons of essential economy, web-sites, and social media can maintain customer and market communications, cost effectively.