After closing brick-and-mortar operations for several months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, owners of nonessential small businesses feel that they can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, local governments are rolling back restrictions on social activities and gatherings, meaning that businesses can expect more customers to return in the coming months. These resources will help small business owners use this time to ramp up their sales and work closely with their employees to keep everyone on staff safe.
Adapting Your Business Strategies
Consumer behavior has changed drastically as a result of COVID-19. These resources will help you respond to these changes as an entrepreneur.
- Some people are returning to their usual routines, but many are still staying home. Provide entertainment and education by hosting fun and informative virtual events related to your business.
- If you need a sales boost, make it easier for your customers to place orders for delivery or curbside pickup by developing your own custom mobile app for your business.
- Stumped for other strategy ideas? Check out these tips on entrepreneurship in a time of crisis for some much-needed inspiration.
Remote Work vs. In-House
Perhaps your employees have been working remotely for the past few months, but you’re wondering if it’s time to call everyone back to the office. Here’s how to decide which approach is best for your company and staff.
- Go over the pros and cons of working remotely and bringing your staff back into the office, and decide which arrangement will be best for your business.
- Asking your employees to come back to the office means that you’ll need to be prepared with a plan to keep everyone safe.
- If you want to allow your team to continue working remotely, work together to discuss how you can improve communication and collaboration without meeting face-to-face.
Virtual Tools for Your Team
Will your employees be working remotely for at least the next few months? You’ll want to ensure that your team has access to top-notch software and apps.
- Now is the perfect time to test out different tools for remote workers to see which ones are best suited to your team’s needs.
- From helpful chat bots that can answer urgent questions from customers to VoIP technology that allows you to make phone calls from almost anywhere, find out which business technology is worth the investment.
- Consider hiring a freelance SharePoint developer to assist your team with implementing this popular collaborative digital program.
If you run a nonessential small business, the past few months have probably been quite discouraging. But as public health officials and healthcare providers work hard to slow the spread of this virus, you can expect increased consumer confidence to boost your sales. By preparing well for this transitionary period, you can turn this fiscal year around for your business.
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