With the end of one of the most traumatic years for small businesses in decades, we see each one is still fighting every day to ensure their doors stay open. Even with small business grants, grassroots fundraising, customer loyalty increased, etc., that help our neighborhood stores stay open, the uphill climb is set to be challenging, as limitations on business operations are still in effect across the states.

And the fight seems to be different on where you live within the U.S. According to the World Economic Forum, the highest number of small businesses hit were in San Francisco, Honolulu, and New Orleans. As much as we use location and demographics to increase success, it can show to be a hindrance.

Is there a mindset change needed?

Like so many that are still in the midst of e-learning, working from home, unemployed, etc., every business is in a different stage as we start 2021.

• Successful, but apprehensive of the ifs or whens
• Surviving, but stuck and scared of any changes to operations
• Struggling and feeling lost on if they can stay open another day

To be in one of the bottom two categories offers a difficult decision on employees and self-preservation. Are there strategy changes that can help lift your business in to the top two categories with a less muddy path through 2021?

Embracing the change might be easier said than done for many business owners. Change is hard for many on a personal level, so to uproot an entire business raises the level of uncertainty for owners. There could be natural changes occurring, that could be implemented on a larger scale or brainstorming with employees to build in new features or processes to begin lifting the business up out of the dark. Small businesses are much more agile than large corporations with less hierarchy and red tape. Knowing your strengths as individuals and as a collective will be your company’s biggest asset.

Increasing customer service and assessing their needs. How are your customers communicating, connecting, and purchasing with your company. Listening to your customers to find a common thread or seeing patterns occur, can possible be the change you need to keep the business doors open.

Both of the company strategy positions bring it to a simple phrase: work smarter, not harder.

We hear this over and over again in life, even pre-pandemic. Thinking about what changes can be embraced, how to achieve and implement that change in a smart, strategic way to alleviate stress or hurdles to allow others to focus on the next issue or large project is how we can work smarter without creating extra work for ourselves or others and increase productivity.

What can our business do specifically in order to keep afloat these difficult times?

Taking a look at a few specific items that can help your business continue to thrive while our world adjusts to a new normal and continues to truck through the mud to emerge stronger and show our resilience.

Business Operations Audit

Can your company go paperless? Are there small, but nagging bills that can be focused on paying off with the revenue in order to increase credit lines for necessary items? Finding small items to cut from your daily expenditures that will not hinder productivity of employees or sales for your business can be a small, but impactful ways to alleviate any financial stress the pandemic is causing.

Online Presence Expansion

With many still working from home and stay-at-home orders coming and going as cases rise or decline seems never ending, which causes a slow paced phased reopening of our world, but businesses can utilize this time to evaluate and execute on creating a larger online presence.

Triage your current website to inform your customers about what your business is conducting during this time and utilize different web forms and features that will allow for how your external business processes have adjusted for interaction with clients. People are looking for transparency now and the more information you can give them in a digestible manner, will increase loyalty. A key component to this will be ensuring your website is mobile friendly, as many users view online items from their smartphones.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will also be very important for users to find your business. When evaluating your website, make sure to include the keywords and phrases that should be included to optimize your site that will allow for preferred placement in search results.

Activating (or re-activating) your social media accounts on channels that are relevant for your business will increase awareness for your current consumer base, but also will create organic traffic of new consumers interested in your company. Being present and engaging on social media with your consumer base and potential consumers will organically help fuel your businesses potential. Even if your post is not a sales-specific post, your consumers will find it interesting enough to like, comment, and share the post to their network.

If there is even the slightest amount of capital there that can be allocated towards digital ads through Google or social media platforms. These are inexpensive, but extremely effective in generating awareness, leads, and sales.

Google Business Directory

Users are looking to see if and when their favorite stores are open, what those times are or information about their COVID safety measures. Having your company located on Google My Business will help inform your customers about necessary information about your company that needs to be shared.

Software Upgrade

This is part of the work smarter, not harder strategy. Investment in a software upgrade could be very beneficial for your company and could mean the difference as many staffs are dwindling down leaving one person to do it all.

Programs that can help schedule appointments, complete billing, include customer relationship management, and other tools could help the “one person show” continue running the business as efficiently as possible.

For many retail and restaurants there has been a hesitation of putting offerings online. This is the time to complete this need. E-commerce sites (Google Merchant, etc.) can kick start your online retail shop, manage inventory, and help inform customers of delivery confirmations or pickups (curbside or in-store).  Restaurants placing their menu online with direct ordering will allow for customers to continue eating at their favorite local spots.  Both industries need to ensure that the feature(s) that will need to be put in place, has a form a no touch payment, whether this is done through the user’s side when placing an order or incorporating devices to swipe cards or phones at delivery or pick-up. Due to enhanced safety measures, the use will immensely increase through the Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Lead Generation & Automation Increase

This marketing tactic will continue to be in demand as workforces decrease for companies that need to reduce overhead in order to stay afloat with the pace of sales. Automation software helps alleviate manual marketing actions that will increase lead generation for your company.

Some of the items that marketing teams choose to automate are: emails, social media postings, and digital ads. With the ability to schedule dates and times your automated activity can include specific variable messaging that is triggered to consumers based on their activity and behaviors in relation to your company’s and purchase history.

Moving Forward

The strategies and tactics above are all pieces of the pie that can help relieve financial stress and set up future success for your business. Listening to your customers, looking at the data, and increasing an online presence are three main points where companies can begin to keep the open sign stay lit. 2020 has proven two things: 1) we are in fact in a digital based world where we put look for the immediate and the easy and 2) we still craze and need the human interaction where a smile and a hug are simple reminders to slow down. Yes, these are hypocritical of each other, but humans are complex creatures. There is no doubt that the road to recovery will not be easy, but at Colleen Eakins Design, we can help consult and execute your business needs as we tread these waters together.