The world continues to face the social and economic consequences brought upon by COVID-19. As governments, along with all relevant health agencies, take the necessary measures to limit physical contact, it‘s no secret that small business owners are facing a number of challenges in maintaining their stability.
To ensure the safety of their employees, many businesses have made it a point to cease operations temporarily. Then, there are other organizations that fortunate enough to resume work by making their process digital. If your business can continue with some adjustments, you may be looking for other ways to remain productive during this challenging period.
Times may be challenging, but always remember that you have the power to improve your situation. The guide below will discuss several tips on how you can successfully manage your business during the pandemic.
1. Provide more flexibility
If the nature of your business allows it, remote work can be helpful in averting this crisis. Other than keeping your employees safe inside their homes, research also shows that more than 2/3rds of employers report a boost in productivity among their remote workers. But, as sweet as working from home may sound, it also has its own set of challenges.
Working from home unconsciously blurs the boundaries between one’s professional and personal life. Aside from being prone to distractions and lacking face-to-face encounters, your employees may end up taking longer shifts because they do not know when to stop working.
Considering that they have other responsibilities to handle, giving them as much flexibility as possible will help them to stay in control over their work and personal needs. This can be done by allowing them to start and end their working hours during the times when they are most productive.
2. Digitize your sales strategy
Product-based businesses must make their sales strategy digital. Now that physical stores and retail establishments are closed, more brands are starting to consider online transactions to keep up with the needs of their customers.
Now that everyone is glued to their laptops and phones, it’s the perfect time to make good use of social media and other digital marketing channels. Being present on Instagram or Facebook won’t just increase your chances for a sale; it will also allow you to have genuine engagements with your audience.
Not to mention that going digital will also allow you to pay off the monthly salaries of your employees easily. Enlisting the help of a Contract Management Software for both your employees and clients will definitely take most of the hassle of a WFH setup. The software will take care of the little details for you like remind you of your KPIs and deadlines.
3. Nourish your relationship with your customers
Consumers don’t just want your company’s service; they want to build a relationship with you, as well. In times of distress, you should let your customers know that you are a partner they can count on. Luckily enough, nourishing your relationship with your audience can be done in several ways.
If content marketing is one of your company’s strong suit, you can produce timely and relevant articles that can provide solutions to their problems. Opening your customer support lines and actively responding to inquiries will also make your customers feel that you appreciate them.
Customers highly value the experience they get from a company. Most people are very vocal about their transactions with brands, and this is the main reason why word–of–mouth marketing is an incredibly powerful tool. Giving them a smooth and seamless transaction will encourage them to speak about your business in a positive light, giving you more opportunities for a sale.
4. Consider your lines of support
When things become too tough to handle, it‘s important to have lines of support ready. While you may feel the need to be complete in control of your organization, there are instances when the best course of action you can take is to look for solutions elsewhere.
If you‘re having trouble with a particular process, you should find an outsourcing partner to ease your workload. In fact, letting another company handle your recruitment, IT, or marketing efforts can be a lucrative investment. Not only does it save you more money as compared to hiring new employees, but it also lets you focus on more critical tasks.
It’s also important to consider your sources of financial assistance. In the worst-case scenario that your sales start to dip, being aware of where you can acquire the best possible loan will help you stay afloat during this crisis.
5. Keep a proactive approach towards cleanliness and the health of your employees
Healthy employees are one of your biggest assets. To keep your staff safe from COVID-19 and all other infectious diseases, it’s important to stay proactive towards cleanliness and educate them about the best hygiene practices.
If you have some employees who are working the front lines, reminding them to wash their hands regularly, avoid handshakes, and disinfect common surfaces will help minimize the risk of them contracting the disease.
For your employees who are working from home, you need to send out friendly reminders to help them stay fit. Now that they’ve gained extra hours from not having their daily commutes to and from the office encourage them to follow a workout program and prepare healthy meals.
This will develop their immune system, prevent all kinds of health complications, and even boost their mood to work.
