The business landscape was changed for sure by the COVID-19 pandemic that rocked the world a year ago. If you’re a business owner, you have to adapt to the “new normal” if you are to keep growing and making money. Have a look below at five ways in which your business can continue adapting to COVID-19 regulations for some ideas you can implement immediately.
Let Your Customers Know
The very first thing you need to do is to spread the word around your neighborhood concerning the steps you’re taking to ensure your clients are safe in your establishment. These may differ by industry, so make sure that the steps you take are relevant and effective. If you have a physical shop, do this both in-person and through your online channels. With 82% of people surveyed saying that the technology at their workplace influences the decisions they make on employment, update your technology to make it easier for your team to spread the word.
Take Stock of The Pivots You Made
Any business trying to stay afloat over the past turbulent year no doubt made some pivots, and now is the right time to take stock of them. These include coming up with delivery systems and methods that better serve customers stuck at home during the lockdowns, and offering a wider variety of virtual solutions. Whatever it is that your business did, your customers may have enjoyed it and expect it to carry on after things get back to normal. If you want to carry on doing some of these things, let your customer base know in advance.
Maintain Safe Practices
A number of safety practices were enacted over the past year, and some of them, like heightened cleaning and social distancing, can stay on as they are beneficial to everyone. Other practices like more signage in-store and encouraging contactless payment options will also be welcome to the patrons who want to keep themselves safe. Also, give your employees the opportunity to work from home if this is an option applicable to your business. This will see a further decrease in the reported incident rate for injuries suffered at the workplace. It fell from 4.51 incidents per 100 full-time workers in the year 2011 to just 3.30 in 2019.
Brainstorm Reopening Promotions
While planning your reopening, brainstorm on the different promotions you could offer. These include offering additional discounts besides any ongoing sales to people who come to your business in person, and holding contests with your services or products as the prize. When you get people talking about your reopening, you will be a lot more likely to have an exciting and successful event for your comeback. It won’t cost as much money as it stands to make, so don’t leave this idea out.
Plan for Long-Term Changes
With 76% of businesses planning to make permanent IT changes due to COVID-19, make yours one among them. The world is constantly marching in a digital direction, so an improved IT setup for your business will be well-timed. With some studies suggesting that the virus could be endemic and stay with us for a long time to come, it’s a good idea to permanently add services and solutions that will make things easier for your customers. Find out if there are any gaps in your industry that your brand can fill, and you may end up making money in a way you had not thought you could before.
Running a business successfully takes good planning and strategy. Take the time right now to find out what your business can do differently from what it did when you started it, and you may experience a better comeback than you anticipated.