How to help your business in times of crisis?
The current situation comes with challenges not only at an individual level – of adapting to the new travel restrictions and, in general, to the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but also at a professional level. From freelancers and small and medium-sized businesses to large companies, the entire business sector is affected in one way or another. Inevitably, as a business owner, you wonder how to help your business in times of crisis.
Although the time is indeed a critical and difficult one, and its effects on the national and global economy are already being felt, it does not mean that there are no ways to help and grow our business even now. Regardless of the field of activity, you can take into account these 7 recommendations.
Moreover, SEO 365’s specialists are at your disposal for a FREE online CONSULTATION. Schedule a meeting and we’ll discuss in detail »seo365.ro/contact.
1. Move online, as much as possible
Of course, it will be more difficult for some than for others. But if you manage to take this step, you will stay close to your customers (current or potential). Maybe at an early stage you won’t feel like you have the kind of business that can move, even temporarily, online. It’s time to think outside the box and come up with creative ideas. Here are some examples:
- If you own a restaurant or a café, in addition to delivery, you can think of online events: maybe a short cooking workshop, an illustrated recipe, a cooking session together, any kind of workshop on the topic of your business, an online meeting over a coffee, etc.
- If you sell various products, you can present them online through videos and creative photos – maybe even adapted to the context.
- If you offer services and it is possible, continue to offer them online (online appointments). This is how we also do it: we offer free online consulting – efficiently and safely!
- If the services necessarily involve meetings with clients (beauty salons, for example), organize interactive online workshops. Just a small example: “How to cut your own hair as a #stayathome”.
It can be fun, educational and financially profitable. Basically, anything you can’t do now, during this period, ask yourself if you couldn’t teach others online ????
2. Stay close to your partners and employees
Keep in touch with your network of partners, customers or suppliers. Everyone is going through a hard time, just like you. Mutual support now makes a difference. Instead of giving up collaborations and partnerships, although the reason is as solid as possible, we can talk to our partners to find compromise solutions and ways to support each other. The economic deadlock does not help anyone in the long run. We can temporarily stop billing, for example, or rethink some barter partnerships.
Also, stay close to your employees and try to find solutions together to overcome this period. Be open to their suggestions and ideas: you may be surprised by the ingenuity of people in crisis situations.
3. Stay close to the community you belong to!
In short, don’t forget about CSR. Get involved in ongoing campaigns. You do not need to invent the wheel, because there are already at the local level, in most major cities in Romania, a series of initiatives that meet the emergencies of the medical system or the needs of the elderly and vulnerable to coronavirus. Contact them. Get involved as much as possible.
Not only large companies, which have financial resources, can afford this “luxury”. There are many small businesses that get involved in a creative manner, according to their own possibilities. Find your motivation and get honestly involved where you really want to be. Under no circumstances apply this recommendation just as a PR strategy. People immediately feel a lack of real interest.
4. Vouchers, offers & advance sales
One solution that many businesses have already thought of is to create special vouchers that customers can purchase now for services or products that they will be able to enjoy in the future, when things will slowly return to normal. Vouchers can include offers “one cannot refuse” (discounts, freebies included). For example, even if your dentist’s office is currently closed, you can think of special vouchers for certain services that customers would enjoy in the future (e.g. teeth whitening).
5. Develop the online “headquarters” of your business
If you have neglected your business presence in the online environment or let things go chaotically, it is time to refresh your image or lay the foundations of your first online marketing strategies. Our friends from Cluj.com wrote in the article “5 recommendations for entrepreneurs staying at home” about this in more detail. In short, just a few ideas:
- Optimize, update and associate Social Media accounts.
- Develop a Social Media Marketing strategy.
- Familiarize yourself with the basics of Search Engine Optimization. And we have to say: did you know that currently over 90% of business websites in Romania are not Search Engine Optimized? Don’t procrastinate. We can discuss these things during a free consultation. And if you are wondering to what extent it is worth investing in SEO in 2020, we have a detailed answer in this article.
- Make a “change of look” for the web design (if you don’t have a website yet, it’s time to think seriously about this).
6. How is your budget doing?
6. How is your budget doing?If things were still going well on their own, in a time of crisis like this, a careful analysis of the budget becomes vital. You will have to allocate exactly as much time as necessary to find out what your financial situation is. Then try to come up with budget optimization solutions. What expenses can you give up? What activities could you initiate for this budget optimization?
But beware of the long-term impact. Although the trend now is to make decisions with immediate impact, let’s not forget the overall perspective. See point 2.
7. Reassess your business strategies
This is probably the best time to analyze your business strategies and activities in detail. Remember the goals, priorities and values of your business. Analyze the strategies you have implemented in this regard. Do they match your goals? Do they work? To what extent would it be necessary to change your goals and priorities?
This period of crisis challenges us all to filter out the things that are really important to us. Which is why, although it is a difficult time, it may be the best time to reset our old habits that do not bring us satisfaction in business(anymore). Give up everything that doesn’t work and set new priorities.
The SEO 365 team offers you free online consulting during this time! We have strategies that work. It remains to be seen only which one is right for your business!
What other recommendations do you have for entrepreneurs during this period? Tell us in a comment!
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