I know at the moment it's hard to remember what the day is, let alone what month we are in.  But if you don't know already we are now in May and our 6th week of lock down.

For us nothing much has changed, it's as if we have been in practice since 1998 for this moment in time.  Working from home in our individual offices, and using the internet for everything we need, including Face-timing clients as well as friends and family.  Although we are missing our walks to and from The Bull Inn, possibly the best pub in our area.

We have had a number of new projects cancelled or delayed, so we have been able to enjoy a day or two off, here and there, so we both look like we have been on an exotic holiday, and not just walking in circles around the garden to get some daily exercise.

We are confident we will be here after this crisis passes, unless of course the internet gets a virus and is shutdown - that could be a problem...

How are you dealing with the lockdown? Are you looking forward to getting back to normality, or will you be changing the way you work forever?

Facebook is bringing out various new updates to make it easier for people to keep in contact during lockdown.  The new Messenger Rooms allow lots of people to participate in one video chat, in a similar way to Zoom.

The person setting up the chat will be required to have a Facebook account, but others who don't have one can access the chat on mobile devices or desktop computer.  It will also play host to AI-powered immersive 360-degree backgrounds, such as a luxury apartment or the beach.

This service has already started to be rolled out, alongside other expanded live video-focused features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Users can share rooms on Facebook through their News Feed, groups and events, while plans are underway to allow rooms to be created from Instagram and WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Group Calls will soon be able to host a maximum of eight people instead of four.

Zoom has gotten a lot of attention lately, but not for the right reasons.  Their system has a major flaw because of security issues which the company says it is addressing.

Are you finding ways to use Facebook or Zoom more often to talk to staff or clients? Let us know what you are doing to keep connected.

If you are a keen gardener you probably know how tough this industry is finding the lockdown, with many plants being left to rot and no idea if they should continue nurturing summer and autumn plants or when things can get back to normal.

Our local garden centre, who are a small family run business, found a way around this.  They immediately got onto their bank who provided them with a card machine so they could take orders over the phone, and now deliver their flowers to the local area.  It's taken them some time to work out a click and collect system so their local customers can safely drive onto their premises and collect their plants while observing social distancing.

We offered to help them, so their website could process the orders and take payment, while they could do their usual job of checking stocks and handing the plants over to their customers.  However, they declined our help as they have decided they don't want to go online and prefer the old ways which they hope to return to next year.  So right now they continue to pull their hair out because their phone doesn't stop ringing, and they only have one person to take the orders, process the payments, count the stock, check the health of the plants, and prepare the plants for delivery.  Most of this could have been sorted out through their website and made life so much more easier for them.

If you want to streamline your business and think your website could take on some of the jobs you currently do, then give us a call and we will see what we can do for you.

We hope you are all safe, and thinking of ways of keeping your businesses going during lockdown.

David & Christina