As we all know, the COVID-19 situation has taken over the planet and we don’t know how long it is here to stay. Small-scale businesses are driven to a corner; it is a fight for the survival of the fittest. Fortunately, there are still strategies (and some creativity) we can lean on to stay afloat for the time being.
Let’s take a look at them:
1) Elimination of unnecessary human contact.
Depending on the nature of your business, you may have varying amounts of human contact. It is imperative to reanalyze your logistics cycle and reduce it to minimal human intervention. Using employee shifts and schedules efficiently will allow you to minimize the interactions. Try using apps and online services wherever possible to fill in the gaps between communication. There are many free tools readily available online.
2) Increase of promotional cues
Offer discounts and loyalties to encourage your customers to shop more from your store and try to move them online. Grant an extension on memberships that went unused due to COVID-19. If it fits your business’ nature, provide customers the option to pre-book or purchase discount coupons for when services are back running again in full force. You can collaborate with other businesses as well.
3) Convey to the customers the precautions you take
Offer clear communication to your customers, through mail, text, photos or videos about the steps that you are taking to make sure your employees and your product/ service are safe. You can publicize your protocols, upload videos of the inside of the kitchen, factory, or warehouse to show how the production takes place. Make sure the customers understand their safety is your priority. Customers are only likely to go to businesses they can trust.
4) Build a presence online
Now is the time, more than ever, to turn to Social Media. Everyone is up and online, it is a great place to advertise and gain more customers and local followers that didn’t previously know about your brand. Apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are great examples. Being quarantined has moved everyone online and the traffic of customers looking for entertainment or products on the internet has sky-rocketed. You should pair your brand’s content with trending content that has more potential to be passed around and bring more footfall to your pages.
5) Adapting your business to contemporary needs
Businesses from all kinds of sectors have acknowledged the need to couple their own product/ service with necessity services/products that the general public needs right now. These businesses provide groceries, pickup services, delivery of some specific items, collaboration with laboratories or pharmacies; the benefit of which the customer can reap. This creates an authentic impression that the brand is contemporary and sympathetic to the need of the hour. If it fits the nature of your business, you can move your services and instructions online and monetize that greatly.
Any business looking to survive should have these strategies up and going to survive these rough waters. Do you have any additional tips? Let us know in the comments below.
