In order to ensure optimal business growth, entrepreneurs and small business owners have to constantly innovate to reach their customers. From online ordering for restaurants, to ecommerce for retail, to accepting payments for services online for trades, there are so many companies who have had to learn new tricks.

Learning these new systems, or learning how to attract new customers can be so time consuming and seem overwhelming. But honestly folks, don’t be afraid. True story - There are a variety of easy tools available that small businesses can use to help grow their business. Here is an overview of the 7 major small business tools available to entrepreneurs to elevate their small business to unparalleled heights: -

Google Analytics

Every business, irrespective of its size, should have an online presence. People need to be able to find you, regardless of what type of business you are in. Monitoring where the people who are looking for you are, who they are, and how they are searching for you can help you make great business decisions. Google Analytics is an important free tool that can help you do this. Google Analytics provides insights into website traffic and details how users engage with you. It’s easy to get set up (you don’t need to be a web developer), and you can learn a lot about what is happening with your business online.

JungleScout

For new retailers, selling on Amazon can allow you to service new customers. While it is simple to sign up on Amazon as a seller, it doesn't assure success. JungleScout not only educates new business owners about how to sell on Amazon but also gives them an idea about what to sell on Amazon. If you’re a retailer who already has an ecommerce presence, you’re going to want to look into this.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management tool that will post your social content for you. You don’t need to log in to facebook or twitter every day to post something for your customers, you can literally spend an hour pre-populating specials, or other content and hit go.

Shopify or Woocommerce (it’s up to you)

Shopify necessitates the creation of e-commerce websites and is a selling platform. Shopify is typically for people who don’t already have a website, Woocommerce is for people who do already have a website but want to throw up the ability to sell something on it. Both of these tools are one stop shops to get your retail store set up online and allow you to process payments quickly and easily.

Slack

Communication is necessary for any business's growth and Slack helps small business owners manage that. It is a communication platform designed for businesses to communicate with their team. While it has a paid version, its free plan would be more than enough for small business owners. It’s kind of like text messaging for business – but it keeps all of your messages and files in one place.

Cloud Storage (Google Drive/Dropbox/OneDrive)

Businesses have to store stuff, pictures – documents – files…whatever it may be. If you’re keeping files on your personal computer for your business, you should stop doing that and get yourself some cloud storage (it’s free). You can totally upgrade to a paid account and get unlimited storage for your files, but the free version will do the job. It’s totally secure, and you’ll have access to all the files you might need for your business while not having to be at your computer.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has undeniably changed almost everything about our daily lives, and the business of our local restaurants is no different. During the lockdown, takeout took the place of dinner dates. Ipsos’ Foodservice Monitor (FSM) has been tracking the performance of and the behaviours related to the Canadian Foodservice industry since 2014. The Ipsos data reveals a $3B decline for Full Service Restaurants (FSRs) and Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), combined, from March 2019 compared to March 2020. These numbers are shocking and show devastation in the restaurant industry. There are bright spots in the industry, with many restaurants and bakeries adapting and thriving…So, how have these local bistros, bakeries, and restaurants that are thriving adapted to the new normal?

We did some digging on how these businesses have adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they will continue to change as the worldwide lockdown begins to ease.

Takeout Is the New Normal

 It isn’t just your local fast-food joint that is serving takeout nowadays, in fact, the most upmarket and high-end restaurants are turning to this method to keep loyal customers happy and their businesses moving forward. Even small restaurants are registering on online delivery apps to keep their clientele well fed! Bistros and bakeries across the country have been delivering all their usual goodies including freshly baked bread and hot drinks, which is a far cry from the pre-lockdown morning coffee run – many members of our team have been ordering their coffee ahead and just popping in for a masked up pickup as their morning coffee routine.

Ingredients Delivered

 Another addition to the influx of take outs has been the increase of restaurants offering customers the ingredients and instructions to create dishes from their menu at home. Thousands of businesses have taken to providing their customers with every ingredient and thorough instructions (sometimes through youtube videos) on how to create the perfect meal at home. We recently ordered a meal kit from one of our favorite restaurants that produced 3 dinners for 2 people for only $50. These delivered ingredients are great for consumers and in creating covers for restaurants.

Ordering From Your Phone In Person

 Throughout the pandemic, restaurants have turned to developing their in-person online ordering systems to support socially distanced service. Instead of a server jotting down your order on a small pad of paper to enter into a shared POS system, many restaurants are now providing mobile ordering from your table, and menus are viewed via a quick scan of a QR code on your own device. This way, you can have a contact minimal experience, while still dining out. A great evolution!

Farmer’s Markets

 Local restaurants have also been setting up stalls at local farmer’s markets to shift excess ingredients and supply the local community with their favorite meals. Many more businesses are now offering their customers base this option because it is easier to maintain social distance, and this is typically done outside.

To maintain business growth, many restaurants have even turned to transform their premises into pop-up temporary food stores as well. Where a restaurant may have used fresh produce in its menu, they are now operating as specialist food stores to provide loyal customers with everything they need – especially restaurants that have a more ethnic skewing cusine – many are working to provide access to harder to find ingredients.

Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on small businesses, especially in restaurant and hospitality. However, the ingenuity and hard work of these restaurants and their staff, has meant that thousands of businesses have stayed afloat even in some of the most unlikely circumstances. From organizing delivery, to investing in online ordering services, they have been providing comfort for millions of hungry homebound customers.