How small agile businesses can thrive in the new normal and drive the recovery
Covid-19 has changed the way we think, work, and navigate our way through life. For the large majority of us, we have been forced to stop the way we were doing things and instead adopt new routines and strategies. It’s clear that the ‘new normal’ will be around for some time and so it’s time to step up and take hold of the opportunities this situation presents. For small businesses, the ability to adapt and reinvent themselves is pivotal to weathering the storm and thriving in the ‘new normal’ and beyond.
Digital is the answer
Transferring your operations to digital or ramping up your digital presence is a sure-fire way to reinvent yourself and your brand, as well as being the key to survival in both the short and long term. Despite a number of non-essential shops having opened up due to the ease of lockdown restrictions, a large majority of consumers are still shopping online. If your business doesn’t yet have a website, this should be your top priority. If you’re selling products, using an eCommerce platform like Shopify can help you shift to an online business quickly and effectively. And if you’re working face-to-face with customers, make sure to be offering contactless payment options.
Keep customers informed and up-to-date
If you don’t have a Google listing in place, now is the time to get this in order. And if you do, now is the time to make sure the details are up to date. If your listing has the wrong opening hours listed, it’s not a great first impression for a potential customer to arrive at your premises, only to find them closed. Key messages, including new protocols, can also be shared on your website and social media pages. If everything is ‘business as usual’, let your customers know that too. Whenever there is a situation of uncertainty, people require full and detailed information, so make sure you’re providing it.
Prioritise social media management
Now more than ever, consumers are relying on social media to communicate with each other, share information about their experiences with businesses, and voicing their opinions on how different organisations are tackling the pandemic and the ‘new normal’. Make it a priority to set aside some time each day to tune into these sorts of conversations so you can better understand changing consumer expectations and thus implement appropriate strategies to best serve your customers and the local community.
Focus on the customer experience
Think about how your business can pivot to meet demand and these new customer expectations in order to provide the best customer experience. How can you best serve your target audience given the current situation? Instead of accepting defeat and giving up, take on a customer-focused approach, and re-imagine your brand. Ask yourself, what do your customers need from you right now? Now is the time to increase market research and start innovating. Switch up your offerings to alternate delivery channels and think about how you can leverage technology to put your new ideas into motion. If you have a deep understanding of how consumers are thinking and behaving, you can change your fundamental business model and give yourself a competitive edge.
Plan for the long-term
For the last few months, many of us will have been focussing our attention on crisis management and dealing with the fall-out by re-budgeting and re-forecasting. It’s likely that regular reporting fell to the wayside but now is an ideal time to start planning out the rest of the year and shift focus to your longer-term strategy. This is the only way in which you can move forward and start to thrive in this new world, rather than merely surviving.
Businesses have survived hard times before. It’s a case of staying in the game, making changes, and staying open and flexible to change your business model to meet the needs of your consumers. Unlike larger companies, the best thing about small businesses is the ability to pivot at a moment’s notice – take advantage of this and think innovatively so that you can bounce back faster than the competition.
To find out more about how blue umbrella Virtual PA Services can help your business, please contact us anytime on 020 3021 0503, or info@blueumbrella.co.uk
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