{"id":25206,"date":"2020-04-16T08:37:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T12:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/blog\/dealing-with-covid19-as-strata-manager\/"},"modified":"2020-07-20T10:33:37","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T14:33:37","slug":"dealing-with-covid19-as-strata-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/blog\/dealing-with-covid19-as-strata-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with COVID-19 as a strata manager"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog post relates to Rockend, one of our previous brands. For more information please <\/strong> read the press release<\/strong>.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The 2019 Coronavirus\u00a0(COVID-19)\u00a0pandemic\u00a0has\u00a0<\/span>brought about rapid changes\u00a0<\/span>across<\/span>\u00a0the strata industry.\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>gencies<\/span>\u00a0now\u00a0have to\u00a0adhere to social di<\/span>stancing measures to stem the spread of the virus, causing many to consider\u00a0<\/span>remote work<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>arrangements\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>nd plan<\/span>\u00a0alternative solutions\u00a0<\/span>to continue with their business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Navigating<\/span>\u00a0your\u00a0<\/span>responsibilities<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as a strata manager<\/span>\u00a0may prove to be\u00a0<\/span>challenging<\/span>\u00a0during this time<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0but there are things you can do to help you stay efficient<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and on top of the situation. Let\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>take a look<\/span>\u00a0at strategies you can use to\u00a0<\/span>help you deal with COVID-19.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Staying productive while working from home<\/h2>\n

Working from home has now\u00a0<\/span>become\u00a0<\/span>the current reality for many\u00a0strata<\/span>\u00a0managers<\/span>\u00a0and staying productive just as you would in your office is important. The first step is to\u00a0<\/span>ensur<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0your systems and tools are\u00a0easily accessible so you can\u00a0still\u00a0work efficiently even\u00a0when at home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using desktop applications like Strata Master,\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0best\u00a0<\/span>way to do this is<\/span> to look into remote hosting through an IT company like ChilliT, or <\/span>use third party remote access software<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>which allows you to access your PC\u00a0<\/span>at the office remotely.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Take advantage of\u00a0<\/span>free trial periods\u00a0<\/span>offered by these software providers\u00a0<\/span>to help you decide which one works best for your needs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember to also follow\u00a0<\/span>work from home best practices<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to ensure you and your team stay productive and motivated during this unprecedented time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Communicating with owners & committee members<\/h2>\n

With social distancing measures put in place,\u00a0<\/span>digital\u00a0<\/span>communications<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>re<\/span>\u00a0more important than ever.\u00a0<\/span>Take\u00a0<\/span>it even further with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>utomated communications<\/span>\u00a0offered by most\u00a0<\/span>strata management software<\/span>\u00a0to help you streamline SMS and email messages and notifications. In Strata Master<\/span>, you can\u00a0<\/span>schedule\u00a0on off and recurring\u00a0<\/a>SMS<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>as well as<\/span>\u00a0send bulk email<\/span>s<\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span>personalise<\/span>\u00a0them with merge fields<\/span>, saving you heaps of time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

C<\/span>hanges to business practices, process<\/span>es and transactions are happening very quickly<\/span>\u00a0during this unusual time<\/span>. Setting up a dedicated page on your website for any updates and news\u00a0<\/span>is a great way to keep owners and committee member on the loop<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0assure them that you are you are on top of the situation<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>C<\/span>heck out our own COVID-19 resources page<\/a> to see<\/span> what <\/span>that can look like \u2013\u00a0<\/span>and also<\/span>\u00a0get some<\/span>\u00a0valuable information\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>yourself<\/span>\u00a0while at it<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Run meetings online<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re a strata manager, holding meetings with owners and committee members – like your AGMs – is a key part of your job.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Video conferencing via Zoom or Microsoft Teams is a great way to turn these all important meetings virtual, and when it comes time to vote on a motion, you can\u00a0<\/span>utilise<\/span>\u00a0an online voting facility to allow your owners and committee members to vote on motions digitally. If you’re using Strata Master, here’s a quick guide to help you\u00a0<\/span>set up<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>use<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>vote<\/a>\u00a0using the online voting feature.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, some\u00a0<\/span>owners<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>committees<\/span>\u00a0may have reservations about running important or large\u00a0<\/span>meetings<\/span>\u00a0online<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>nd pr<\/span>efer face to face. In such cases you may have to defer meetings to comply<\/span>\u00a0with physical distancing guidelines.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Work with committees to defer levies<\/h2>\n

These times will be tough\u00a0financially<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for some<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>owners\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and owners corporations may need to reconsider their levies<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>You can w<\/span><\/span>ork with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>c<\/span><\/span>ommittees to c<\/span><\/span>heck<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>if\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a lower contribution to the admin fund <\/span><\/span>is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>feasible<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or if you can<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>remov<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a quarters levies because the funds are not strictly required. <\/span><\/span>Keep in mind that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0give\u00a0<\/span><\/span>clear instructions to your staff\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on what can and can\u2019t be offered<\/span><\/span> to avoid any confusion and process these requests more efficiently<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider payment plans<\/h2>\n

If levies can’t be reduced or removed, you may need to work with your owners & committee members to help struggling owners pay their levies <\/span><\/span>at a later date<\/span><\/span>\u00a0or over a period of time. In Strata Master, you can create payment plans<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and easily track once they are due with set reminders<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t stop maintenance<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Strata Community Association (SCA) has urged property owners not to cancel maintenance jobs<\/a> in the face of the pandemic. Not only does stopping maintenace affect the livelihoods or tradespeople, it also creates a compounding effect that will make your job harder down the line. There are more issues than ever with so many people working from home, and if these aren’t fixed, we could see some major issues. As long as your trades are following the latest social distancing guidelines, then they pose a minimal threat and should be allowed to work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider implementing new by-laws<\/h2>\n

If need be – particualrly if residents are not complying with social distancing rules – you could consider working with the owners corporation to implement new by-laws. Things like setting out rules for distancing, including how communal faciliaties like pools and gyms can be used (if at all), or allowing pre-meeting electronic voting so residents don’t need to attend face-to-face meetings could be very useful right now.<\/p>\n

Digital marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n

With more and more people staying indoors\u00a0and\u00a0spending time\u00a0online to keep updated, your\u00a0marketing efforts should now\u00a0focus heavily\u00a0on\u00a0digital and social media marketing.\u00a0Content like blog posts and videos\u00a0about topics\u00a0that your audience can relate to\u00a0can\u00a0drive more potential customers to your business. Widen your reach through\u00a0<\/span><\/span>your\u00a0<\/span><\/span>social media\u00a0channels,\u00a0which are\u00a0always a\u00a0great place to promote content and start people engaging with your\u00a0business.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t panic<\/h2>\n

The virus outbreak has\u00a0<\/span><\/span>caused<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rapid changes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that can often lead to panic and confusion<\/span><\/span>, but it is important to note that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you ca<\/span><\/span>n<\/span><\/span>\u00a0always leverage available technolog<\/span><\/span>ies<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to make a less than ideal situation<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>work<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/span> Just remember to take it day by day and keep calm – and always wash your hands<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This blog post relates to Rockend, one of our previous brands. For more information please read the press release.
\nThe 2019 Coronavirus\u00a0(COVID-19)\u00a0pandemic\u00a0has\u00a0brought about rapid changes\u00a0across\u00a0the strata industry.\u00a0Agencies\u00a0now\u00a0have to\u00a0adhere to so…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":25207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[144],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrisoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}