If the worst happens and you fall ill, it’s only natural to be worried about what happens to your business if you’re suddenly unable to work.

While your health should be your number one priority your business, and probably your only source of income, is going to be a very real concern.

If it’s already happened, and you’re wondering what to do, our COVID-19 business support hub explains what support is available to you. But, if you’re still feeling fit, here are some pre-emptive steps to help business carry on if you need to take time out.

Train staff in different areas

If you have staff members, it’s definitely worth spending some time familiarising them with your general responsibilities and day-to-day tasks. This will enable them to take the helm for a while if you become ill and can’t take care of the basics that usually feature in your job list.

It’s a good idea to do the same for your managers and supervisors to ensure all areas of your business have a backup plan. Try to ensure that a department won’t collapse because one person is sick.

Appoint your deputy

On a similar note, while training all your staff is important so they can cover each other if necessary, it’s important to give clear direction. If you become too ill to run your business, it’s a good idea to appoint someone to stand in for you as the boss.

Choose someone who knows you and your business well enough to make decisions and give directions in your absence. This will help your business avoid running without direction.

Outsource to freelancers

If you have a small team or are even going it alone as a solopreneur, it could be worth looking at the freelance market for help if the need arises.

While a freelancer might not be able to run the whole show, they can help by taking care of some of the core operations until you feel well enough to return.

You can outsource tasks such as marketing, accounting, graphic design or even hire a virtual assistant to cover lots of different office-related tasks such as answering the phone and responding to emails.

Take time to recover

If you’re a workaholic like many entrepreneurs, you will be itching to get back to running your business as soon as you feel even slightly better. Just remember, jumping back in too soon is more likely to extend the time period that you’re not at your best. Even if you’re “just a bit ill” working hard will likely only make the recovery process longer and more difficult.

You need to rest to give your body a chance to recover, and that may mean stepping away from your business for longer than you’d like.

With this being such a difficult time and hard to plan for, it’s going to take some adjustment and patience on to get through it. Find out how our online accountancy services can help you keep things running more smoothly>