The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly shaken businesses not just in Australia but globally. It has been particularly rough on many small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) with some forced to close their doors temporarily. In this blog, we discuss how your business can adapt during the COVID-19 Lockdown.
What You Can Do To Adapt During the COVID-19
Adapt During COVID-19: Business Action Items
Strategic Planning With Your Team
Strategic planning is essential to help grow your business. The aim is to reinforce or create new goals, get updates on company progress and come up with a new action plan.
Your priority during a time like this should be to create a strategy you can implement immediately. Involve your team and any coaches, and/or mentors. It is crucial to collectively come up with a detailed and reliable plan of action that you can implement to help the business adapt to the current situation.
Usually, at times like this, you would host a meeting in a boardroom, but if you haven’t already, set up video conferencing using such as GoToMeeting, JoinMe, Webex, Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Use Project Management Tools/Software
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, your team may have worked from the office or your place of trade. Today, we are encouraged to work from home. However, this setting can pose a challenge when it comes to project management and meeting deadlines.
Using project management software can help keep your team on track to smash out of the park your business goals. Check out the best project management tools suited for your business HERE.
Complete Business Tasks (Finally!)
If you’re unable to trade or you’re trading at lower levels, use this quiet time to (finally) tick off important tasks on your to-do list.
Important task examples include:
- Update your website
- Write a case study
- Conduct a financial audit
- Look for automation platforms
- Create a marketing strategy
- Write a series of blogs that you can publish later
- Build a bank of social media content
- Record training videos for your employees
- Take online training and courses
- Provide team workshops
Consider this phase as a time to start and complete activities that will make your business better in the long term.
Adapt During COVID-19: Business Strategy
Whether you’re selling products or providing services, COVID-19 is forcing many businesses to reflect on strategies and how to adapt quickly.
Key Points to Consider:
Set Up Your Business Online.
Having a presence online is an effective way to reach potential clients and customers. If you’re a bricks-and-mortar business, you should consider pivoting your business model if you haven’t already. Perhaps begin by exploring e-commerce platforms such as eBay, Amazon Shopify, Etsy, to sell your products.
Whilst we don’t build websites at Puzzle Media, we have a handful of trusted partners that do and happy to connect you if you need help you set up e-commerce websites via Shopify and WooCommerce.
Take advantage of Technology and Communication Tools
Mobile devices, audio and video conferencing software and other communication tools are the new way. These tools can help you get in touch with your clients and customers. Allow your clients to book virtual consultations via an online calendar service such as Calendly or YouCanBookMe.
Popular phone and video calling software and apps include Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Viber. Click HERE to find remote work tools that we use here at Puzzle Media.
Use Social Media
Eighteen million Australians are now active social media users – 71% of our total population. A number you should not ignore. Your customers and clients are actively hanging out on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Each platform caters to specific demographics, so pick one that works for your business and use it to provide value and promote your services.
Think Business-As-Usual (with a few little tweaks…)
The COVID-19 crisis may have tipped businesses into unchartered territory, but this is only a temporary phase. There are still many people buying products and using services – this will not change! The main goal is to find and create opportunities (and there are many!) to continue your business.
If you need help to implement these action items, please book in for your free half-hour pivot strategy call.