The Corona virus has changed the world as we know it, albeit temporarily, and all the measures put in place to protect us have had a very adverse effect on many small businesses!
If you run a business that relies on walk-in customers or one-on-one service, try not to panic. Try these tips to keep your business running:
-Spend some time building your brand online. The whole world is locked in their homes and on the internet right now. Build up your social media, take out some Facebook and GoogleAd adverts, write blog posts, do video tips – get your name and your service out there.
-Don’t just promote your business. Post free tips. Post explainer videos. Give good reviews to other businesses. Buy from other small businesses. Highlight the good work being done by others. See what you can do to help essential businesses and workers. Not only will doing good make you feel better, it will reveal your true colours to a world that has nothing to do right now except watch. Build a good reputation, its priceless. And if all of us reach out to help someone around us, then someone is going to reach out to help you.
-If you can, take your business online. Physical products can be sold on e-commerce sites, deliveries are still happening. The courier companies are being really good about making sure their drivers follow very strict hygiene protocols and don’t come into direct contact with people.
-If you already have an online store, make sure your drivers or courier of choice are following covid hygiene protocols so that people aren’t scared to take deliveries.
-If you sell a service, give some thought on how you can convert it to a virtual service. Use Zoom for meetings and training sessions. Make videos of your training courses. Write manuals and How-To eBooks.
-If you sell a physical service that involves contact, maybe you can offer home-visits with exceptionally strict hygiene protocols – wear a mask and gloves, disinfect your tools between visits, change your clothes between visits, etc
-If you sell a service that cannot be modified for lockdown, sell gift vouchers or redeem-in-store specials that can be used in the future.
-If you are uncertain of how your cashflow is going to be affected over the next couple of weeks or what to do about it, give us a shout. We can help and the Float App is giving people a three month free trial because of corona, even if you only use it for three months it is worth doing.
-Start a conversation with your clients and suppliers. Everybody has cashflow fears right now, we can all be empathetic and understanding. Open communication is the best way to find a solution that suits everyone.
-Do something different on the side: if you are 100% healthy and your home is sterilised, offer childcare services (or petcare for people who are stuck in hospital). Do grocery shopping for people who can’t leave their house, cook meals for the elderly.
Take a good look around you, there are needs EVERYWHERE right now, if you can meet one then you have the makings of a mini business that might get you and your main business through this storm.
