Being a small business owner can be tough during these times. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the country, many businesses have suffered. 

The overall situation seems to change on a daily basis, and businesses are having to remain nimble and flexible during this weird time we’re in. I certainly won’t pretend to be a small business expert, but I do run this site, have lots of friends going through COVID-19 with their businesses, and work with a lot of small businesses in my full time gig. So, in this article, I wanted to put together a few of my thoughts on surviving, but maybe even thriving during this time.  

List the possible impacts on your business

There are probably a million little things that are worrying you and keeping you up at night in regards to your business. I think that it’s important to start making a list of what’s actually a risk, what’s actually likely and how it could affect you. Bring in your staff, suppliers and customers to think through what will likely be the impact of the pandemic on your business. Should your customers expect your store to be closed? Are you able to provide over-the-phone customer service? How long will this last? What will you do if it lasts long? Are there other methods of running your business?

The effects of the pandemic will likely be most significant in the following areas:

• Sales – especially if you have little or no online presence at all
• Staff availability – now with lockdowns being implemented, your staff’s ability to work could be affected, or being stuck without a work from home strategy
• Supply chain – particularly if your suppliers are from the hardest-hit areas in the world
• Finance – especially if your cash reserves are insufficient

If your business is slowly starting to feel the effects of the pandemic, start listing what those effects are. If you’re not yet impacted, then you’d still have the time to make informed projections and hopefully stabilize the ship.

Anticipate changes in customer service

During this crisis, challenges to product and service delivery abound, causing you to change how your business operates. You may have to pivot and/or change the way your goods and services are delivered.

If your customers are unable to visit your shop because of lockdowns then ramp up your delivery services. You don’t need a fancy delivery van or a food truck to do so, your customers are going through this same pandemic with you and know things are tough. Make your customers’ lives easier by delivering the goods to them, not the other way around. Promote contactless delivery by improving your online business payment capacity. Let customers pay online, or pay using Apple or Google Pay.

Communicate constantly

Constant communication is key to preserving your relationship with your customers and employees. Especially now in this unprecedented situation, try to establish trust with your current and potential customers by checking on them regularly. Make them feel cared for. Craft proactive messages and distribute them via email or social media. Same goes for your employees. Have weekly town halls, send email blasts, and be open and honest.

Also, always update customers on the status of your store. Inform them if you’re able to provide services or not. Make this clear as soon as they come to your website. Ensure you manage your promises to them though. Set realistic expectations about service levels, product launch dates and product availability. Consider taking down ads for products you can’t be sure you can produce and deliver.

Go digital in your business efforts

Over the past years, many small businesses have upped their digital marketing efforts. Now, with more people now stuck at home and glued to their smartphones all day, it’s the perfect time to shift your marketing efforts digitally. You’re likely not getting much traction from print or traditional ads, so keep going digital!

Since the beginning of the outbreak, social media usage has increased significantly (I know, shocker). And according to the Global Web Index, 80 percent of consumers in the US and the UK have consumed more online content. 

Broadcast television and online video streaming platforms like YouTube and TikTok are garnering more screen time for all generations and genders. Use this time to spruce up your social media channels. Social media has been an easy way to reach a large, diverse audience around the world. Even better – maintaining an online social media channel won’t cost you anything but time, you don’t have to use ads to increase your brand awareness and online presence.

Summary

Taking the right actions can be challenging, especially when faced with an unpredictable threat. But with careful planning and adaptability to changing times, you’ll help your small business stay afloat. Small business owners are resilient and creative by nature – it’s what got you into the position you are today. Continue leveraging those skills!

Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links that earn me a commission.