Yesssssss! At last, the vaccine numbers are up, yes, people still get sick but not as bad, death numbers are going down, and ladies and gentleman, I am happy to announce that the world? Is starting to open up again. Let's put on the blue face makeup, and in our best Scottish Accents, do I hear a cry of “freeeedommmmm”.
I was thinking about my blog today and to me it's like, “Wow, we are coming out of hibernation”. You know how animals go to sleep during the winter when it's all snow and no fun, then sometimes seven months later they wake up to sunshine, fun times, beach, and BBQ’s (Yeh, I know animals don't have BBQ but they eat the leftovers so it counts LOL)
So I thought I would quickly study hibernation so I can get all clever and relate it to this blog. Good old google gave me this.
During hibernation an animal lowers its body temperature, slows its breathing rate, heart rate, and metabolic rate - the rate its body uses energy. Waking takes time and uses up an animal's energy reserve. Many animals once thought to hibernate, including bears, really only enter a lighter sleep-state called torpor.
To prepare for this big sleep, animals will eat, eat, and eat so they store lots of body fat to make it through months and months with no food. If we look at a bear as an example? In preparation for hibernation, bears may eat more than 40kg (90 lbs) of food per day before laying down to rest. The top performers may bulk up by a staggering 450–550kg (1000lb-1200lbs), effectively doubling their body weight, in other words they stack it on.
So, if we compare this Covid Hibernation to an Animal Hibernation? Well, bad idea, we can't LOL. You see, it's like the opposite. We all got stuck at home and became Zoom and Netflix junkies. We also went from Trim and Slim to little Baby Bears as we all ate so much and our idea of exercise was picking up and pressing the remote!
But, checking further, hibernation in the dictionary means an extended period of remaining inactive or indoors. So, I’m good, it works. But, we can look at what the animals do when they finally wake up and how they get ready for the sand and sea, good times of summer brings.
So, the animals will wake up, they will do the old bend and stretch, scratch their backsides, put on their sunglasses, and take a walk outside to see what's up. Then? They will start to think about food as they have lost all that weight they put on, do some exercise to get all those muscles working, find a boyfriend, and make babies (I think a lot of babies were made during the Covid Hibernation), and the whole circle of life starts all over again.
For business? Coming out of the Covid hibernation and an animal's long winter sleep have a lot in common.
We have all been locked up for almost a year and a half. Our business went in 99% of cases totally online. Employees, if you have them? Well, they all stayed home, grew hair and beards, wore shorts but put on a shirt and tie or hair and makeup for zoom calls. Customers did the same and all became professional online shoppers, order-makers and zoom-takers. And btw? We all got fat doing it.
But now? We are about to wake from our slumber, bend and stretch, and get back to normal business. And whilst the animals start to potter around, see how things are, look for some food and make baby bears, we have to start to get back into the swing of things.
We have to take the covers off, open the doors, sweep the floors, polish the silverware, vacuum the dust, clean that sign and open up for business. More than that, we have to let our customers know we are back. Check and change our website, update our social media, get out a newsletter, maybe even get all the marketing brains in a huddle to think of new offers and services to offer, “Rise and Shine” to our customers as they also wake from their slumber.
Yes, dear readers of TheCamel good news, it's timeeeeee (Love UFC) and let's get excited. Let's get a hustle in our step and get ready to stock up those cupboards and replenish those bank accounts after this Covid Winter.
And the other good news? You will be so busy you might even lose some of that winter weight you are so unhappy to be carrying around!
Like Captain America waking up after his sleep in the icy waters, grab that shield, open up the doors, and say, “I can do this all day”.
Hugs to all.
Out of Covid Hibernation Checklist
- Take a good look at your Website, might not need a total change but at least give it a bit of a spring clean.
- Think about a Newsletter and Social Media Posts that make announcements that you're back and open and excited for business.
- Join a Gym to help with that Hibernation weight loss (Optional)
- Smile and Be Excited that you made it through the Covid Winter and enjoy the good times ahead.