10 Things Small Business Owners Should Be Doing While in Quarantine
To say that we are in some uncertain times would be an understatement. With things changing almost hourly in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, many business owners are struggling to get a grasp on what is happening and what it means for their business, as streams of income dry up and goal achievement seems less and less likely. We here at The BLM LLC relate to the feelings of anxiety, discomfort and confusion that you are feeling, and because of that, we have curated a shortlist of suggestions that we think will assist you in taking the necessary steps to preserve your business during this storm. We hope that they will mobilize you to action and empower you to secure the future of your business.
1. Contact Your Employees & Partners
It is important that the people who help run your business have confidence in you while you are shut in. Our employees are the backbone of our business and help our business run. We must put forth the extra effort to show that we care and that we value their contributions.
Here are some ways you can take time to show that you appreciate them:
"Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work."
FRIENDLY EMAIL:
Send a “Checking in to make sure you are ok!” email every few days : Every email you send out to your employees shouldn’t only be about business.
“SUGGESTION BOX”:
Take some time to start a conference Call focused on suggestions from employees. It is an opportunity to create a space where new ideas can be shared from the people who are on the front lines.
One-On-One:
Create a Unique opportunity to have one on one conferences with each employee so they can voice any concerns they have. Don’t forget to take notes and fully listen to their concerns so that they feel that they can trust you.
It is also important to keep your partners up to date about the current state of your business and any updates to your operations or services. This is also a good time to reach out to any partners that you have not contacted in a while.
2. Update Your Business Information
Whether you are an online business, or you have a physical location, don’t forget to update your customers with what the current state of your business is. Some business are still open with limited staff, some are by appointment only, some are completely closed until further notice. Even if it sounds like bad news, it is important to keep your customers informed. When they can not readily find out information through either phone, website, Google, or driving up, they lose confidence in your business. It appears as if everything is not organized.
Utilize the following services to assist:
- If you have not already, create and update your business information at business.google.com to keep your contact info/hours of operation/business updates up to date on Google.
- Create pop-ups or lightboxes on your website to let visitors know what is going on. A video or a letter from the CEO would be a good start.
- Utilize a phone service to automate messages for when customers call you such as Robotalker (https://robotalker.com/) or Vonage (https://www.vonage.com/)
- Design quick signs for your business, whether it is window clings or outdoor signs.
Whether you are an online business, or you have a physical location, don’t forget to update your customers with what the current state of your business is. Some business are still open with limited staff, some are by appointment only, some are completely closed until further notice. Even if it sounds like bad news, it is important to keep your customers informed. When they can not readily find out information through either phone, website, Google, or driving up, they lose confidence in your business. It appears as if everything is not organized.
Utilize the following services to assist:
- If you have not already, create and update your business information at business.google.com to keep your contact info/hours of operation/business updates up to date on Google.
- Create pop-ups or lightboxes on your website to let visitors know what is going on. A video or a letter from the CEO would be a good start.
- Utilize a phone service to automate messages for when customers call you such as Robotalker (https://robotalker.com/) or Vonage (https://www.vonage.com/)
- Design quick signs for your business, whether it is window clings or outdoor signs.
3. Become (Even More) Social Media Active
Take the time you didn’t have previously to create a strong social media presence! You want to use social media to give your business a personality and show that you are an expert in your field.
Some ideas when posting are:
- Daily social media posting blasts. #motivationmondays: (motivational quotes) #tuesdaytips (tips to assist your audience) #wednesdaywordsofwisdom (words of wisdom from a popular figure) #thankyouthursday (customer reviews or coupon days) #flashbackfridays (Old photos If your business has been around for a while/old ways that were used to conduct business in your field/People who broke ground in your industry)
- Video (talk to your audience and motivate them with words or give them tips)
- Highlight some of your partners and tag them
- Take time and highlight some of your key employees who went over and beyond. You can create names of awards (most committed. Best dressed, undesignated tech support)
- You should be using 17+ hashtags in your posts
- Utilize a service that enables you to automatically post to multiple platforms and schedule future postings, such as Hootsuite.
4. Research Community Needs
Always keep your ear to the streets! It is important to know what the needs are during these times. Your company might be able to provide a service that is greatly needed. For instance Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, is calling for companies that can create hand sanitizers, masks, cleaning supplies and other necessities to apply for a contract with the State of New York. And, they will pay you to make them to give to the people in need.
Acquiring a government contract does several things:
- It gives you the opportunity to be a big part of helping the people that need it. 47% of global consumers buy brands that support a good cause at least monthly.
- It helps let the government and the public know who you are.
- It will assist open up your business at your time to give you a way to pay your company expenses and payroll, and
- It shows that you are a socially responsible company, which is attractive many of today’s employees.
5. Take a Complete Analysis of Your Business
While your business is on break, it might be good to take time and give your business an honest analysis. Take advantage of this “down time” to assess what works and what does not, so that you can come out of this period as a much stronger business. Some things you should do are:
- Create a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis
- Create a Logic Model
- Observe and research your current competition
- Cut back on the things that are unnecessary
- Invest more time in the things that work
- Review the effectiveness of every part of your business
- Review your up to date finances and set goals for where you would like to be by the end of the year
- Research other suppliers that might give you a better value
- Send out a survey to past customers
- Dream about where you want to take it in 5/10/20 years
- Review your Google Analytics
6. Refresh & Renew
Once you have fully analyzed where you were as a business, it is time to come back out stronger! Find new ways to come back with a fresh look and better ways to connect with your community. The goal is to show that you learned from past weaknesses and reinforced your strengths.
- Redesign your website look
- Get High Quality Stock photos/videos
- Utilize Mockups Minimize your colors on your website to 3-4
- Update ways people can pay you: PayPal, Cash App, Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay.
- Get a Braintree account
- Promotional Items : Hats, T-shirts, Pens, Bags, Water Bottles, Industry-Specific.
- Start a Blog with advice for your customers
- Start a Podcast to address common industry questions
7. Increase Your Contact List
Acquiring emails, phone numbers, and addresses is a great way to increase your chance for future contracts/sales. During this down time, it might be a good idea to look at different ways that you can increase your clients/customers. Here are some ways you can increase your contact list:
- Advertise coupons for subscribing on your social media
- Free Gifts for people who fill out a membership form
- Utilize “Every Door Direct Mail” on the USPS website to advertise to everyone in a specific area
- Create an affiliate program that will give incentive to the people who refer your company
- Ask for customer feedback about your services/products
- Run promotion on partner website
- Host online webinar
- Create a forum or blog that people can subscribe to
8. Take Classes
Take this time to learn some new ways to make your business better. There are a lot of services that are offering classes in many different areas. You can also choose classes for your employees to take. It is known that employees always appreciate classes that assist in their professional development that can take them beyond where they are. Some things you should look into are:
- Coursera – for online courses on a large range of topics. They collaborate with numerous colleges. You can either audit the course for free, or pay to take the test and receive a certificate for the class. You can either have your employees take classes individually, or you can create a Coursera for business account and monitor their learning
- Master Classes – many leaders in different industries have created master classes to instruct people on how they made it in their field effectively
- Investopedia – Have you thought about having your business invest in stocks and other companies? This is a good way to increase your finances beyond your daily profits. I know the stock market is crazy now, but there are some things you should be looking at, and if you invest in it now, will be very beneficial in the future. Investopedia is a great resource to help business owners understand stocks, bonds, and other investments that are crucial in these times.
9. Give Back
It is always important to give back to your community. You support your community and the community supports you! Always find out ways you can support the community during this insane time. Always research different opportunities to make a difference. Remember every opportunity to help out shouldn’t be a press run! Some ways to give back are:
- Donate to www.nokidhungry.org to benefit children who need food at this time
- Donate your food, time, or money a food bank
- Volunteer remotely at www.alone.ie for companionship for the elderly
- Give away groceries to the elderly
- Free or reduced rate daycare service for essential employees
- Volunteer at a community action agency that is providing a myriad of different services for their community
- Offer transportation for people going to the grocery store or hospital
- Donate cleaning supplies, masks, or toilet paper to individuals or organizations that can assist with distribution
10. Relax
Please don’t underestimate what a good rest can do. As business owners we are always running around, so it might be a good time to schedule time to rest.
theblmllc
About Us
The Bonafide Lyrics & Marketing, LLC is a Marketing Consulting Company focused on marketing artists, and other small business owners that are following a passion. The founders and owners understand that creatives are in need of an agency that will assist them in marketing to their fanbase without compromising their art. As artist in our own field, The BLM, LLC understands the importance of staying true to your art. We are here to work with you to create an effective business and marketing strategy made specifically for you. We utilize our knowledge of graphic design, SEO standards, analytics, and the current market, to help you achieve your goals.
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10 Things Small Business Owners Should Be Doing While in Quarantine
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10 Things Small Business Owners Should Be Doing While in Quarantine
To say that we are in some uncertain times would be an understatement. With things changing almost hourly in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, many business owners are struggling to get a grasp on what is happening and what it means for their business, as streams of income dry up and goal achievement seems less and less likely. We here at The BLM LLC relate to the feelings of anxiety, discomfort and confusion that you are feeling, and because of that, we have curated a shortlist of suggestions that we think will assist you in taking the necessary steps to preserve your business during this storm. We hope that they will mobilize you to action and empower you to secure the future of your business.