Businesswoman Michelle Mone says employees and employers should be ’kind and responsible’ to each other during the coronavirus crisis.

Lady Mone, who first made her name as a lingerie tycoon, has also disclosed she has postponed her wedding to businessman Doug Barrowman who founded the Knox Group of companies in the island.

Here she talks about how she feels companies can cope during the Covid-19 crisis.

She said one of her eight suggestions is for companies to be ’responsible and kind.’

She said: ’Be kind to your employees if you have them, and employees be kind back.

’You all need to work as a team so think about how you can all help the company in order to survive.

’We need to change the way we work now, stick together and stay caring.’

And she issued seven other tips:

Ask for help

If you are struggling speak to your accountant, business adviser or peers and ask for advice.

Don’t be embarrassed

Communicate to your clients or customers, tell them that you would really appreciate their help and to be paid on time.

Small businesses can ask bigger businesses for support. Ask for exposure and shout outs online and chase up some good reviews. If you don’t ask you don’t get!

Diversify

Think of other valuable skills that you have. Ask customers if there is any other type of service you can provide. We all need to be as creative as we can.

Communication

Communication is key with your team and customers. You can still have meetings using Zoom, Blue Jeans and Skype.

I had a very productive meeting yesterday with five people using Zoom.

Change

We all have to change how we work now. Whether we work remotely or not it’s all hands on deck without your usual company hierarchy.

If necessary consider a staggered approach to going in to the office, warehouse or depot to ensure social distancing. Can you sell online or via social media? Just think about new ways you can still trade.

Organise

Are you able to stockpile your products? Use this time to get your office, warehouse or workspace clean and organised. For example do a stock check, organise your files, move your office around.

Think about the things you would love to do but are always too busy. Use this time effectively as this crisis will be over soon.

Think and Plan

You may now have some time to think about the future, focus on innovation and reassess your goals.

Sometimes on the day-to-day hamster wheel of work you don’t get time to think about the future or your goals.

You should also plan how to come back after all of this is over, especially if you predict a bounce in your industry, will you be ready?

Michelle Mone was named the Business Start-Up Tsar by former UK prime minister David Cameron in 2015 and now sits in the House of Lords.

She has also postponed her wedding to island-based businessman Doug Barrowman.

Michelle and her fiance took the decision to move the date of their wedding because of the health crisis.

She said: ’Doug and I were very much looking forward to getting married in the coming weeks but are equally aware of the need to avoid undertaking any unnecessary risks in the current circumstances.

’We are particularly conscious of government advice in relation to both the wellbeing of older family members and large gatherings of people and so in line with that advice for the UK and beyond we are postponing our wedding and have set a new date.’

She added: ’It’s been two years in the planning and of course we’re disappointed but safety comes first. I feel for everyone who is in the same situation and hope that they, like us, will be looking forward to a celebration in the future.’

Meanwhile Mr Barrowman’s home in the island, a ’spectacular, nine-bedroom mansion’ at the Ballakew Estate, St Mark’s, remains for sale, several months after it was first listed by island estate agent Chrystals.