10 Tips For Small Businesses During Covid-19
We are in unprecedented times. The rise of Covid-19 is disrupting the entire world. This is a rapidly developing situation which is changing hour by hour. Due to this, we must adjust our whole lives to mitigate the disaster and develop ways to deal with business continuity.
There are 1.14 million small businesses across Canada and 30.2 million across the United States. Think about this for a moment. They are literally the backbone of the entire economy in North America. They represent everything from restaurants, nightlife, hairdressers, local stores, clothing retailers, brewers, contractors, designers, and the list goes on and on. Some businesses are able to work from home, some are not. We will need to start being creative to keep our economy going.
The bad news
As countries close their borders and regions and cities go on lockdown, the notion that they will open again in a month or two is shortsighted. The truth is, this could last well into the summer. Even if regions become case-free, all it takes is one person from a region where they still have cases to reignite the whole thing all over again. So, creating thriving local economies should be the utmost priority for small businesses and local governments. Even when things begin to settle down, we will find ourselves in a new world.
The good news
What could happen is more and more disruption to large industry, creating opportunities for more nimble local businesses to rise up and provide the goods and services to their local communities. We may have no choice in the matter, especially if the supply of goods from other countries becomes hampered. The businesses who take strides to adapt to this unprecedented situation will be the ones that come out on top.
Without further ado
We present you with our 10 Tips on how to keep your business operational as well as take advantage of the changing world. While the 10 tips we are presenting are not extensive, they are the first round of suggestions of how to prepare. We will continue to provide suggestions over the coming weeks.
Hygiene
1
Wash Your Hands.
We cannot stress this enough. Covid-19 can linger on surfaces for far longer than you might expect. New research is finding that the virus can survive for up to 3 days on plastics, 2 days on steel and 1 day on cardboard. You don't know when the last time a surface has been disinfected, SO WASH YOUR HANDS! Wash for 20 seconds, or about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, with lots of soap.
2
Disinfect Surfaces.
As mentioned before, you can’t know who has contaminated a surface. Depending on the surface material, the virus can survive for up to 3 days. If you run a business that has traffic moving through your storefront or physical establishment, it is critical this is happening frequently. Pay special attention to surfaces with a high volume of touching, like doorknobs and bartops.
Social
3
Social Distancing.
This might be the most critical and most effective method to slow the spread of Covid-19. It must start immediately. Studies are coming out that show the virus spreads most effectively by aerosol transmission through infected individuals coughing, sneezing, or just breathing. Covid-19 is being shown to linger for up to 3 hours in the air. We recommend to not be in any crowds and even limit your exposure to small groups. All it takes to cause a super-spreader event is a few people who are asymptomatic to be in a crowd. Allow your employees to work from home if you can. If your business cannot operate without the physical presence of employees, then take extreme precautions to protect them and your clients.
4
Meet & Socialize Online.
Transition to a total online life. This means all meetings should be conducted via services like Zoom, BlueJeans, Skype etc. This also applies to when you are feeling lonely at home, fire up zoom and have a distance dinner party! Just because we are moving toward a socially isolated scenario, it doesn't mean we have to be alone. You can't catch Covid-19 from the internet!
Strategy
5
Update Your Online Presence.
People are spending more and more time (and money) online as measures ramp up every day. With so many people stuck at home, the population will be looking to keep some form of normalcy in their lives. For business owners, this can look like yoga teachers streaming their yoga class, instructors offering virtual lessons, musicians streaming live performances, naturopaths doing virtual consultations, restaurants offering delivery - the possibilities are endless, but you do need to get creative to reach your customers. Now more than ever, your digital presence is critical. You need to ask yourself the following questions:
Is your website easy to find and navigate?
Is your website mobile responsive?
Is your website visually appealing to your audience?
Are your social media accounts up to date and complementary to your brand?
Are you engaging your audience through social media?
Have you informed your clients the ways that engagement can continue to occur?
Pro tip: if you need help in this area, please give us a shout!
6
E-Commerce.
Sales at physical storefronts in China plummeted while online sales skyrocketed during the local outbreak. Despite the grave situation in Italy, shipping is still occurring internationally and domestically. With this in mind, if you are a small retailer, you should be selling your goods online ASAP! With more and more people working from home and going into self-isolation, the only way to engage and sell to them is online. Do you have an e-commerce store? Does it provide an engaging experience?
7
Offer shipping and delivery.
As people are encouraged (and eventually instructed) to stay inside their homes, they’re going to be relying on purchases being brought to them. You could strike up a deal with a local courier to help get your products to your customers faster. This will also help small local shipping companies which will trickle through your community with their purchases of goods and services.
Behaviour
8
Stay Positive.
While preparation and caution are needed, fear doesn't help anyone. We need to keep a positive mood even in the face of major disruption. We need to continue to engage with our communities in new and creative ways. Hardship can usher in new ways of doing things, new ways to connect, new ideas, new inventions, new art, new community. It is so important for us to think about this. So stay positive, inform your friends and family, and take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.
9
Support Small Local Businesses.
Boutiques, cafes, bars, restaurants, artists, hairdressers and many more are going to feel the hit first. They are the backbone of the community and the local economy. We need to support them, order from them online, and consider buying gift cards for use when things begin to return to normal.
10
Be Kind.
We are in the midst of a serious global situation, and everybody is in it together. Be kind to your fellow humans, set aside your differences, and let's come together in the face of crisis. You might consider helping an elderly or immunocompromised neighbour by delivering groceries, offering emotional support (over a video call) to a distressed community member, and reassuring your team and customers that you’re doing your best to keep them safe.
That’s it for now.
Thanks for reading! We’ll be putting out more tips related to keeping your brand alive during Covid-19 in the coming weeks. Click below to download our handy infographic and sign up for our infrequent newsletter where we’ll be sending further tips as the global situation unfolds. Stay safe out there, friends!