Tips for Navigating Conservation in Private Practice During Covid-19 (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Aotearoa New Zealand has made the historical decision to shut down the country for four weeks to everyone except essential services due to the global pandemic Covid-19. The week leading up to the lockdown and the first week during Level 4 measures was a whirlwind. Personal matters of trying to get family quarantined that had been on an overseas vacation while deciding the logistics of no daycare meant that my focus was on family and getting prepared personally for the changes that were coming. Now that we are three weeks into the lockdown, we have a schedule established and are feeling more prepared and in control.As a Conservator in private practice, I felt very unsure and anxious as events unfolded about the future of our business. I imagine that there are many different scenarios that other private practice conservators are facing:
- Having a home studio
- Having a rented studio
- Working solely on site
- Having employees or interns
- Consulting only
Those with home studios that they can still access during the lockdown may be able to finish works that don’t require more supplies and continue to have income. More uncertainty is present for those that can’t access their studio space or their clients. For us, we were in the middle of shifting into a new home and studio space. We had also planned for overseas work during the northern hemisphere summer season, but have since canceled and will miss that window for another year. So with all the unknowns of how travel will change with the reduction of Air New Zealand and how budgets will shift to core operations for many cultural institutions that Conservators in New Zealand rely on as clients, I started to think about how to prepare for a few of those scenarios. We are planning for this to impact us from 6 to 18 months. Here are some ideas that we are using to continue to ensure we can survive (and maybe even flourish) going forward:Scenario #1: Flights and travel around New Zealand will become too expensive or will be limited.
- Road travel will probably be more cost efficient. Be sure to charge mileage and time appropriately.
- Have clients bring the material to you.
- Discuss shipping options. You may have to provide advice to the client about packaging. Pack & Send advertises special assistance for fragile materials: https://www.packsend.co.nz/sending-new-zealand-courier-freight/fragile-freight/.
Scenario #2: Spending on conservation will be reduced.
- In the 2018 Museums Aotearoa survey of museums, art galleries and heritage properties, 61% were run by volunteers so funding for conservation was limited before the Covid-19 crisis! Think about what services these organisations may consider a priority going forward and how you can offer them assistance.
- If cultural institutions were a large part of your income, consider applying to Work and Income for the Covid-19 support: https://workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/covid-19-support.html. The New Zealand government wants you to apply for this support to ensure you do not go out of business!
- Great news! Conservators are eligible to apply for Creative NZ's Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/find-funding/funds/emergency-relief-grant
- Broaden your audience. Advertise to different types of clients. Think outside of the box. Are there services you can offer online that can reach clients internationally?
Scenario #3: You are unable to do any work at the moment, but there will be contracts coming in when the lockdown is lifted.
- Professional development is being promoted really heavily at the moment, but it is hard to justify paying for those opportunities when you may have to reserve all of your funds for employees or to cover other costs, BUT there are a lot of free resources out there. Some are promoted in the NZCCM newsletter and lots are posted to the NZCCM Facebook and Twitter pages. Some ideas are:
- Learn a new software
- Investigate business strategies
- Develop skills in related fields such as chemistry, writing, art history
- Do some of those tasks around the studio that you have been putting off that will allow you to be more efficient when work resumes.
- The IRD is offering options to delay tax payments.
- Can you take a mortgage or rent holiday with your landlord or bank?
Scenario #4: You are unable to do any work at the moment and there are no suggestions of work to come in after lockdown.
- Think about where you can cut your costs and still operate.
- Is it possible to rent some of your studio space out to someone temporarily for art or storage?
- Can you make some payments in installments?
- Consider delaying your membership to NZCCM until 30 June.
- Consider pursuing alternative work for the time being, possibly up to 18 months until the economy recovers. This may include retraining in another field and using your transferable skills to bring a unique perspective. Resources:
- A worst-case scenario may mean that you will need to close your studio. Consider continuing to advertise online so that when the economy does resume you will be positioned to open again.
Above all, it is really important to maintain communication with your clients. Let them know if there will be delays or if you need payment for supplies before commencing work.Still at a loss for where to start? Try these suggestions from https://venturedesign.substack.com/p/a-crisis-is-a-terrible-thing-to-waste:
- Make a list with two columns. List things you can control and things you can’t control.
- What are the immediate and long-term threats?
- What opportunities can you develop from this challenge?
- What skills do you need to gain or improve?
Resources:Covid and Nz Businesses: https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19