COVID-19 has hit every business in the UK, some harder than others. Thankfully, the support from the government has made a massive difference on the impact which will be felt by us as a small business. We are confident that we will come out of the other stronger than ever. It is only in times like this where you really appreciate what you have and I can't thank the schools, parents and coaches enough for the support we have had in the last two years.
I wanted to share with you three takeaways which I have learnt from the first two weeks of lockdown:
1. Papa John's is better than Domino's
2. People don't normally wash their hands...
3. NERF Gun battles in a house are unbelievable!
No, in all seriousness, there have been some real lessons which have made me very thankful for where uSports is as a business.
1. The Team is Awesome
The day I sat down and told my team that I wouldn't be able to pay them was one of the worse days in running a business. This was prior to any announcement for financial support from the government.
The conversations I had with every one of the full time team went as well as it possibly could have. They all understood the situation and put me under no pressure to change what was going to have to happen.
Thankfully, 2 days later, the government released the job retention scheme and we aim to use this to support the incomes of our head coaches and office team.
2. An appreciation of what uSports has become
Day to day, running uSports has so many ups and downs and I feel like I'm on a roller coaster without a seatbelt on! The crazy busy days have become the norm for me and I wouldn't want it any other way.
uSports is supported by so many great organisations and individuals:
The support from parents who have been trying out and sharing our daily challenges
The schools who continued to provide work for our coaches for as long as was safe to do so
My bookkeeper and accountant for supporting me through this
The support from friends and family
The coaches that are checking up on me
The children who are still getting involved with uSports on a daily basis, virtually!
3. Making the most of a bad situation
With the lockdown still in place for the foreseeable future, I am focusing on developing not only uSports as a business but also on my personal growth as a coach and as a business person. I have also started to exercise more and use the time to enjoy the comforts of my home with family.
Moving forwards...
uSports will be ready to get straight back into the swing of things once things begin to return to normal. We will return with a new found passion for what we do, for what we have and for who we are surrounded by. We look forward to seeing you in the near future!
Stay safe.
Charlie Hiscox
uSports Director
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