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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many entrepreneurs to rethink their business strategy. We’re talking to a couple who decided to start a new business after the pandemic.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has had a huge impact on millions of businesses.

While some business owners have had to cut back on their business, others have gone the other way and started a new business venture in response.

We speak to Liz Sexton and her husband Doug Showell about how they adapted to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus: How a Company Adapted to Lockdown and Thriving

“We had to keep the business going”

Sexton founded Stressfree Hire in 1995, which she co-manages with Showell. The company specializes in venue remodeling for a range of events including weddings, parties and corporate events.

Unsurprisingly, business saw a massive decline in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In just one year, the number of wedding bookings dropped from 26 to just four as many people postponed their wedding several times.

While wedding restrictions are slowly being lifted in the UK, it won’t be until June 21st for limits to be completely lifted – and that can change if the vaccine rollout doesn’t go according to plan or if infections increase.

While the couple has plenty of bookings over the next year, that didn’t help last year when the wedding restrictions were in full effect.

Last year they decided to close some premises, some storage rooms and the office, and took advantage of the vacation program to take an employee off.

The couple’s goal was to cut costs where they could, which wasn’t a challenge as they were able to get a government bounce back loan and usually quite frugal to say the least anyway.

Next they decided to start a second company.

“I started my own successful business after taking a vacation.”

“We were involved in everything”

Sexton and Showell both started out as accountants, working for companies with experience in accounting, compliance, health and safety, tax and payroll.

“We have always taken our business in hand,” said Sexton, who believes the couple has a lot to offer up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

“We were involved in everything.”

According to Showell, this was also an opportunity for both of them to monetize their skills by helping people who want to start a business – but don’t know where to start.

After planning the new company, building a website from scratch, and completing the paperwork, Stressfree Business was launched in January.

“We built a hassle-free business in just a few weeks,” commented Sexton, who revealed that the new company could be started on a small budget.

Stressfree Business provides the tools and resources someone needs to build and run their own business. This also includes access to a Facebook group that offers regular live chat and Q&A sessions.

While this is free, the couple charge a fee for one-on-one counseling and counseling services – and plan to offer paid membership for their services and courses in the future.

So far, Sexton has said the company has received “a great response” and that the process of incorporation has been a smooth one based on the couple’s past experiences.

For those considering a new business, Sexton and Showell recommend doing extensive research to determine if there is a need.

It’s also a good idea to understand who your “ideal customer” is so that your messages can be clear to you.

For example, understanding what your ideal customer is buying and what their lifestyle is like and using social media to promote your business is important.

Coronavirus: How one woman changed her career in lockdown

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