0 (1s):
Well. Hello again everybody. This is Radio Entrepreneurs the new covert edition and we are increasing our listenership and viewership every single week. Why? Because more people want to know how the majority of the economy is going back to work, staying at work, keeping people employed and employed and adjusting to this new reality. Um, and if I'm going to talk about this new reality, uh, you know, one of our regulars on our show is the partner at Gray Gray and Gray a one of the leading CPA firms in new England.

0 (32s):
Rich Hirschen welcome. Rich

1 (34s):
Hey Jeff. Good to see it. Glad you're staying healthy.

0 (36s):
Thank you. I'm trying. We don't know, but we're trying, you know, Rich you must be on the phones and working day and night it all of you and your partners A Gray Gray Gray because you really are focused in on the private sector of our economy, which is the bulk of our economy and everybody is Re tooling and looking at the A how to do business differently. Am I correct in that assumption?

1 (60s):
Yeah, absolutely right. I mean we're consultants and so, you know, this is the time of our clients have questions, they're looking for advice. So it's been a lot of talking with clients and um, you know, just explaining things the best we can. Helping with some of the A cares act and in particular the paycheck protection program loans. That was a big topic. Um, so it kind of, when this first started, it was sort of the panic of what do we do and, and how do we do that? And there's a lot of looking at where the company's at and some cash flow issues and things like that.

1 (1m 33s):
And the PPP loan came out that started to settle down on it. Now it's sort of, Hey, this is our new reality. Um, and businesses starting to look at us saying, we don't think this pandemic is ending anytime soon. Maybe it's six months, 12 months, 18 months, whatever it may be. And so, you know, we were talking to companies, st art, well, how are we going to survive in the next, you know, this timeframe, um, as a business. And so I think businesses have to look at themselves and figure out new ways to do things or reinvent themselves or new products, new delivery methods they need to change because the playing field has changed.

0 (2m 9s):
Well we know retail is going to change. There's a, the whole new retail model. Uh, I think I was telling you offline that I heard from an executive, one of the largest new England, uh, financial investment firms, uh, securities firms that they are planning their executives to be home for the next 18 months. As this all plays out in the economy. Sure. We're gonna, you know, this, this is not going to go away to moral, but we have to start getting back to work. But there will be people who go back to work, but we're going to go back to work in a Phased model on an a different model.

0 (2m 39s):
Right?

1 (2m 40s):
Yeah. I think for the service companies that, you know, can work from home, um, yeah, I think that's going to change. I think it'll be interesting to see longterm how companies view office space and how much space they need. Um, but you know, I'm just seeing a lot of companies that can work from home that they're really pushing that it's the safest for employees. Um, you know, reopening and getting everyone back in the office I think is expensive with added cleaning and getting masks and all the PPE. And you know, for some people I think it's very difficult to work at home.

1 (3m 13s):
For others. I think they can work at home pretty effectively. Um, and so with technology we're seeing a lot of companies just embrace the technology and saying this is how it is. We're going to do it. But you know, I think that's just one aspect of it. I think companies, even though you can work from home, what are the products that you're selling? What are the services you're selling? How do you go about selling those things? You know, just as an accounting firm, we would do a lot of networking and meeting with potential clients and meeting with other service providers and you know, networking like that, that isn't really happening.

1 (3m 45s):
So thinking about new ways to reach out to people, um, cause you can't just go meet for breakfast and catch up and that kind of thing. So I think it's not only where you're working, I think it's what you're doing and how you're doing it. That needs to be Re.

0 (3m 58s):
Right. You know, I actually, you know, personally and you know, I T I tend to talk to you as if there's nobody listening always because I like you so much. But hopefully there are people listening, but we hope, what I actually find is that I'm doing more communicating with people than before. I'm doing more group meetings than ever before. More speaking engagements than ever before. A I'm doing it this way. It's exhausting. But I would tell you I'm communicating at least 50 to a hundred percent more than I did two months ago.

0 (4m 30s):
It's just a new way to communicate.

1 (4m 32s):
That's right. I agree with that. I'm saying that I was talking to a friend of mine who does lectures across the country. Um, and he was saying that they're starting to do them now on zoom and these other, you know, um, online video conferencing type things. Cause people aren't traveling but they still need the information. So, you know, I think it's going to be changing how you did your business for him. He was traveling across the country, you know, giving speeches. Now he's looking at that and figuring out a new way to deliver that same content that I can get the people.

1 (5m 2s):
Um, so I think businesses are going to need the tweak. You see it with a lot of, you know, a lot of companies now offering delivery, even the companies that distributed food to restaurants, they're now offering delivery to consumers. They're doing smaller packaging so that, you know, residential consumers can utilize those services. Um, you know, I saw something yesterday or the day before in the news that there's online babysitting now of just, you sign up for half an hour and it's someone just on a zoom like this watches your kid while you go work or shower or do whatever you need to do.

1 (5m 35s):
So there's new businesses. Um, and I think companies are going to have to reinvent themselves in order to be successful for the next few years because like I said earlier, the Plainfield has changed. The environment that we're working in and living in is different. Um, and just as you know, you look back over the last number of years, technology has evolved and we've changed what we've done business. You've got, you know, all these different businesses just as a result of times changing. And this is a big test for all of us.

0 (6m 5s):
Well we just heard recently that the Supreme court is going to start to hear cases, uh, without meeting at the Supreme court. And that's when you, that they're leading by example, uh, in that way. Now you've always been kind of a chill guy and the, at least

1 (6m 23s):
The patients is getting tested a few times now. But

0 (6m 25s):
Though, you know, you look like you're working out and you're staying chill, what the rules are, are you following that other leaders could follow because you'll do look like you're sorta like taking advantage of this opportunity. You're Working and harder, but you're staying in shape. So what are the Rich Hirschen rules for how to stay in the game?

1 (6m 42s):
I'm not trying to be positive. Look, you, you watch the news. There's a lot of bad stuff going on. No question about it. A lot of, you know, sad things, but I've tried to stay positive. Um, you know, I've been embracing the technology that we've been using and keeping in touch with, you know, people I work with and colleagues that I would never do a video call with before. But now we're doing it all the time. So really trying to embrace that technology and learn how to use it effectively. Um, and do that. I, I didn't have a long commute to work, but I'm saving 45 minutes.

1 (7m 13s):
I've been working out, I've been, you know, steamed my family a lot. Like kids are doing online, studying, my wife's working from home and so, you know, and a lot of the drama and just, it's a very simple way of life right now. You really can't go anywhere. You can't do anything. And, you know, I don't know if I want this forever, but for right now it's, it's not so terrible. And so I think it's just staying positive and looking at the bright side of things and doing that. That's what I've been trying to do. And um, you know, so far so good.

0 (7m 42s):
I've always appreciated having a home, but I don't think I've appreciated it more than I have the last six weeks. Nice. Yeah.

1 (7m 49s):
Yeah. I mean I'm, I'm lucky I've got an office where I can sit and work and I'm comfortable and, um, you know, we've got enough space that the family, we can all distance ourselves a little bit so that, not necessarily to keep us safe from Krone, but to keep us safe from all going after each other. Um, my wife and I have offices in

0 (8m 8s):
The sedans of our house. We both go to our offices in the morning. Someone said to where a couple of weeks ago, what's it like? You know, you know, being with Jeffrey full time, she went full time. I saw more before the virus.

1 (8m 21s):
Right, right. I mean, you know, it's kind of the social distancing within the Home is for different reasons that when you're outside. But you know, I think it's just being positive and saying what can I do differently and what are things that I'm able to do right now by the way, we're working that I couldn't do before and embrace those changes. Um, and looking at how you're doing business and you know, just think of how much time you spent on the road, Jeff going to clients and visiting with them and he's face to face meetings. You know, that's a lot of, you know, in pollution and filling up your car with gas and expense and you're spending that.

1 (8m 57s):
I think people are getting more accustomed to doing these video calls and saying it's just as effective and you know, so that in the long run that can save a lot of hours of your time. That can be put to better use.

0 (9m 8s):
I've put more miles on my bicycle the last six weeks than my car. It's an Island

1 (9m 12s):
Filled up with gas in two months. It's still have half a tank, you know what I mean? So there's a lot of good things that are going on. So I think it's focused on that.

0 (9m 21s):
I've got, when I did go grocery shopping a couple of times I went on my bicycle.

1 (9m 25s):
Cool. Yeah. Yeah. I went and picked up lunch somewhere on my bike. I like it. It's good, you know? And so I couldn't do that. Um, you know, pre Corona. I certainly couldn't do that. And so, um, yeah, look at that as a positive. Right now I'm able to do that kind of stuff and hopefully as the weather gets a little nicer, it'll be even better.

0 (9m 43s):
Well, I will say, you know, I think as a professional it's always good to hire a professional that is kind of chill and it doesn't get you more worked up. I never liked professionals who, when clients call them anxious, made the client more anxious.

1 (9m 56s):
I didn't like that style. Yeah. Our job is to calm him down and let's talk through and let's come up with a good constructive solution that's gonna work and then let's work to implement that.

0 (10m 5s):
What is your overt style? You know, your

1 (10m 8s):
Hey, you know,

0 (10m 10s):
Who knows what it's like to see the real Rich Hirschen but A listen, guess I like to think this is the real Rich Hirschen I do think in this economy more important than ever to be talking to your profession professionals about how do I keep my business going? How do I use Tips technology? How do I keep my finances? And they'll budgets for those who didn't build budgets before and plan this out properly. You know, you're looking at leases, mortgages, A who better to talk to than your accountant and A if someone were looking for you or the services of Gray Gray Gray which is a full service, uh, financial services and consulting firm, how would they find you?

0 (10m 46s):
Rich

1 (10m 47s):
You know, best if you go to our website, which is G, G G C P a s.com. Um, there's a lot of information. We have a special Corona virus page that's got links to a lot of great articles and resources. Um, our firm's been doing a webinar series, we're having one, uh, on Wednesday, may six at 1:00 PM. That's on the PPP loan forgiveness. Um, and doing that, that's a popular topic right now. We've been doing those as new things come up, so that's the best way to get updated on our website is all of our bios and contact information for myself and all of our partners.

0 (11m 23s):
And you're going to be coming back here and bringing some of those topics in a consolidated version of the Radio Entrepreneurs

1 (11m 28s):
Absolutely. I'd love to.

0 (11m 29s):
Well, we're going to, we're looking forward to hopefully seeing you next week because we want to, we want to stay on the front end of our curve of how to go back to business. Let's do it. Okay. Thank you very much. This is Rich Hirschen from, uh, the from of Gray Gray and Gray. We'll be back on Radio Entrepreneurs with more stories after a short break.