We know that the last few weeks have been extremely stressful and confusing for most small business owners out there. Many businesses are being impacted by the decrease in customer traffic and with many choosing to stay indoors, small business owners can’t rely on consistent cash flow during this time. Another challenge? No one knows when we can expect things to go back to normal!
Helping small businesses survive this season means community effort from all sides. We are committed to helping small businesses through this difficult time and so today, we are sharing some tips on how small businesses can cope in the coming weeks.
1. Stay in touch
Since most people are practicing social distancing during this time, now is an opportunity to reach out and really make use of your social media platforms. Get in contact with your customer base and let them know how Coronavirus will impact your operations over the next few weeks and what steps you are taking to improve the situation. This is also a great opportunity to let your customers know which of your services are still available and how they can get in touch with you!
2. Promote e-services and delivery
Social distancing can be tough, especially in a time when heading out for drinks, coffee and more is part of everyone’s daily routine. If you have e-commerce options like food delivery or online shopping, make sure your customers know about your services. Now is the time to make use of e-commerce and allow your customers access to your products from home.
3. Keep clean
If your doors are open during this period, make sure you and your staff are promoting cleanliness and taking the necessary steps to mitigate spreading the virus. Have hand sanitizing stations available, take extra care to disinfect doorknobs and other commonly touched items and set an example by following the necessary precautions. Plus, keep an eye on the situation and make sure that your customers know that their health and the health of your staff is a top priority.
4. Online vouchers
Online vouchers are a great way to encourage more business flow during this time. Despite the social distancing, birthdays are happening, holidays are going forward, the celebrations don’t stop, they just have to adapt to current social circumstances. That’s why many people may be looking for online gift ideas. Many people are also looking to postpone current celebrations and online vouchers will given them the opportunity to give a gift in the present that can be redeemed in the future. Online vouchers are a perfect way to drive traffic to your business and have customer interactions from home.
5. Find ways that work for you
Keeping employees safe is a number one concern for small business owners. Finding ways to allow your staff to work remotely during this time can help ease the stress of decreased business and still keep operations up. Using online communication tools and virtually interacting may seem challenging initially but may also help you see your business from a new perspective.
This is a period of a lot of uncertainty and few, if any, feel adequately prepared to cope. What we can do right now is learn from this situation, stay safe and make the best of it. We hope that this will be resolved soon and we can go back to enjoying the classic small business experience!
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If you’re looking for any help on social media use and e-commerce, check out some of our previous blog posts:
Should your Business have E-commerce?
How to Standout on Social Media
We’re here to help, please reach out to our support team! You can find all our contact info by clicking here!
