Opinion

Spread the ideas, not the virus: Don’t let your small vendors down

As the impact of the coronavirus extends, the global economy is taking a hit. Predictions of recession are page-one news, lockdowns are being announced, events are being cancelled and projects postponed. It affects the entire economy – including small businesses.

Small(er) business in the Fleet & Mobility ecosystem are plentiful: your consultants, your tech start-ups, your mobility providers, your media partners… You buy from them because they deliver a level of creativity, innovation and commitment that is impossible for their big competitors to match.

They have made big investments to comply with the requirements of large international clients: legal support, data privacy expertise, system security, marketing, social proofing, research… In addition, to survive, they need enough funding to cope with corporate payment terms and deal with the seasonality of corporate orders.

If the coronavirus means that all projects, orders or POs will be postponed, it will imply that several smaller businesses will have to close the books. Many of them, especially start-ups, reinvest all revenues back in their companies and don’t have a war chest to get them through rough times. That’s not bad governance, it’s how small companies grow.

I know, because it’s exactly where my own business, Connector, was just a few years ago. We didn’t pay ourselves a salary, every penny earned went back into the company and we worked 16 hours a day to make sure our clients were happy. We’re in a completely different place right now and are solid enough to survive a crisis, but we’ll never forget the start-up stress and feel deeply for all our colleagues small-business owners who are struggling now.

Therefore, dear Corporate Clients, we understand the pressure you’re under due to the coronavirus, but let’s not freeze projects and stop innovating. Perhaps now is the right time to move your projects forward?

Your small businesses are ready to support you.

Yves Helven
MD, Connector KK

With the Blog 'Spread the ideas, not the virus' we aim to support the fleet & mobility industry at times of the global spread of the coronavirus. We give the opportunity to our community to express their opinion, their ideas, their support in the format of a letter of max. 500 words to our community. It’s your personal insight to share with your peers and partners in the industry. Send your letter to Steven Schoefs,sschoefs@nexuscommunication.be