 Image credit: Edward Jenner from Pexels The pandemic has hit millions of businesses around the world, causing them to make major cuts in employment, budget, and for some, permanent closure. If your small business has managed to make it this far, then you’re probably looking for ways to work smarter, decrease expenditure, and appeal to your target audience more than ever. Thankfully, even though the pandemic is still at large, many restrictions are being lifted, which is allowing businesses to continue trading. However, staying smart and vigilant is essential to help your business stay on track. Here are some amazing tips on how to work smarter during the pandemic. Outsource marketing
Cutting back costs in 2020 might have been a priority for your business, and if you had to cut back on marketing costs and begin tackling it yourself, you’ll know how much time and effort it takes. However, you can have the best of both worlds! While a permanent in-house marketing team would be ideal, if your budget doesn’t stretch that far then you may run into issues. Outsourcing marketing allows you to let an experienced professional create and run your marketing campaigns - but only as and when you need them! Paying a freelancer say, once a month, rather than for every day of the month will save you money and prevent your marketing from falling down the drain. Look bigger than you are One of the downsides of being a small business is that quite often, customers would rather entrust their money with larger businesses because they think larger businesses are more trustworthy. While this isn’t necessarily the case, making your business look like a larger corporation may help you attract more customers. You can do this by:
Sell COVID-friendly products or services Finally, we’re living in an age where anything to help survive the pandemic is something people will want. Find ways to incorporate COVID-friendly products or services into your niche. Whether it’s a branded face-mask, an app to help cure boredom, or even hacks to help stay safe, people will be interested in buying from a company they know and love. Appeal to the COVID market and you’ll notice a considerable improvement in sales!
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 Image credit: Chris Montgomery from Unsplash Back in March 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of people around the world began commuting to their kitchen tables and makeshift home office nooks, few believed they'd still be there now, nearly a year later. And yet, here we are.
The big question looming in many employees' and leaders' minds alike is, what does it all mean for the future of work? Some argue that the great work-from-home experiment of 2020 will lead to the end of offices forever. Others say the last year, in fact, proved we need offices for the collaboration, the creativity, and simply the excuse to get out of the house they provide. You can find the five top tips we learnt about remote working over at Inc...  Image credit: Joshua Miranda on Pixabay When lockdown started in March, workers across the UK packed up their office equipment and set up work stations in their own homes. Bedrooms, kitchen counter-tops and dining tables became the new way of working for millions of people. According to the ONS, 30% of adults in the UK were exclusively working from home at the start of July. BBC News has the info...
 Image credit: stokpic on Pixabay Business relocations can occur for a wide range of reasons. Perhaps you're upsizing to a bigger store. Maybe you're downsizing in response to COVID-19 and an increased reliance on remote working. Or it might be that you're starting a whole new life in a new city or country. Whatever the reasons, it's imperative that the transition runs. Otherwise, the business dream could turn into a nightmare. You've probably never completed this assignment before, which is why it's easy to forget key features. Here are five that you must not ignore, #1. You Don't Have To Replace All Items When making a fresh beginning, there is a temptation to start over. However, it would be a little counterproductive to spend money needlessly. After all, the whole purpose of the relocation is to boost your bottom line. Even when dealing with huge items, expert machine movers can transfer equipment to new locations. The moving costs are a fraction of replacing the items. Moreover, any employees following your business to the new setting will be familiar with the products too. It also removes fears of delayed deliveries, allowing you to maintain productivity throughout.  Image credit: geralt on Pixabay #2. You Can Still Leverage Success From The Old Location In addition to carrying over physical items from the old venue, you can look to leverage online success from the previous chapter. Rather than designing a brand new website, editing existing pages is quicker, cheaper, and more effective. Service pages, blog posts, and site features are already indexed for SEO. So, adding the new geographic keywords should give you far quicker results. The fact you can make good use of your testimonials and reviews is a bonus. #3. You Have To Create Positive Surroundings After moving into the new business premises, you will have to accept that it can take time to achieve the perfect surroundings. However, creating a positive vibe is an immediate priority. From improving the design of your office to creating a reception area that sets the right tone, you will see a big impact. It can influence productivity and employee-client interactions. If you want the next chapter of your business journey to start on the right foot, you must not ignore this. Furthermore, you should stamp out any source of wasted capital.  Image credit: 089photoshootings #4. You Only Have To Replace A Percentage Of The Workforce
Employees will continue to provide the backbone of your business in this new era. Once again, you don't have to forget everything that went before. Depending on the distances involved, it may be convenient for staff members to follow you to the new setting. Even if this isn't possible, many jobs from admin to customer care can be completed remotely. Managing a remote team takes some getting used to, but can transform the future of the company. However, if this is entirely possible, you should consider hiring a few employees from the new location your business is settling in. This is an added advantage as local employees have a vast knowledge of what customers want, how stiff the competition is, how to build a positive brand image effectively, what trends are currently taking place and many others. To ensure that you hire the right employees in a new locale, you should give an in-depth job description and advertise various openings. Secondly, interview as many potential employees as possible and ensure you select the right ones based on qualifications. Additionally, don't forget to perform pre employment assessment to identify potential risk factors that may limit a worker from performing the job effectively. Go the extra mile and contact the candidates' references to come up with reliable decisions. Many employers tend to skimp on this part and always select the wrong workforce, which can have adverse effects on the business's operations. #5. You Have To Be Organized Good organizational skills are essential at all stages of the business journey. Still, the need to maintain control is even greater at this time. Aside from updating your website and arranging movers, you'll want to find printers for new business cards and letterheads. Likewise, all utilities, including issues like internet and data management should be done in advance. Otherwise, increased stress levels could lead to very serious consequences. You've got this, but only if you put the right preparations in place. Now is the time to do it.  Image credit: athree23 on Pixbaby The value of effective marketing has always played an integral role in modern business. However, the combo of social distancing limits and the fact that consumers have less money put you under even more pressure. Still, it is possible to keep achieving great things.
Understanding the challenges and building a strategy that keeps them in mind is vital. Here are five key steps to success. 1) Gain Online Visibility In An Offline World Making people aware of your company is the first step to success. The trend towards researching companies with local online searches starting long before Covid-19. Nonetheless, the pandemic has seen even more people use the digital channels like Google maps. Therefore, it's vital that local SEO and your Google My Business resources are used. When your company ranks at the top of the local listings, consumers will assume that your business is trustworthy and capable. 2) Remember That Content Is King Awareness is one thing, but engagement is another. If consumers are going to check out your business ahead of visiting the store or making an online purchase, you must set the right tone. Improving your digital content will strengthen the bond, boost your brand image, and edge clients towards a sale. The fact that this is more cost-effective than many other tactics is a bonus. You can leverage more success by using affiliate marketers and social influencers to reach new audiences. 3) Make Store Exteriors Stand Out The days of people casually walking in and out 50 stores on the high street or shopping mall are gone. If you want to attract passing traffic, you'll need the shop front to do the hard work for you. Using 3d production services for window displays is a particularly wise move. When coupled with better shop signage, your store will stand out from the crowd. Quite frankly, getting people through the door is the toughest challenge of all right now. Make the entrance more appealing, and traffic will soar. 4) Know Your Audience Some of your marketing endeavors will always fall on deaf ears. Sadly, if you persist with the current methods of appealing to the masses, big problems can follow. Identifying your niche can direct everything from target marketing PPCs to the choice of wording on ad materials. Essentially, you need to know that your brand will be shown to the right people, in the right places, and in the right way. When all of the boxes are ticked, the effectiveness will be far greater while it'll be easier to see what works. 5) Focus On Upselling Whatever you do in business right now, the chances are that your active customer base will fall. Therefore, it's essential that you maximize the potential earnings from each client. Investing in staff training modules that encourage sales teams to upsell bundles or extra products can work wonders. If trying to secure bigger transaction values, it may be worth adding the option of repayment plans. This does require credit checks, but the possibilities to grow your client base are incredible.  Image credit: Anna Shvets on Pexels COVID-19 has undoubtedly made it challenging to go about your typical life and routine. It’s more imperative now than ever to take measures into your own hands to stay healthy and well during these uncertain times.
It’s better to be proactive than it is to make poor choices and put yourself at risk for becoming ill. Take the following tips into consideration as you begin to explore how you can maintain your health and happiness even though there’s a lot of chaos happening in the external world. Care for yourself and stay connected so that you can remain healthy and well and avoid any unfortunate turn of events. Follow the Guidelines The WHO guidance recommends FFP2 face masks during outbreaks of infections such as the Coronavirus. Invest in the right PPE equipment to stay healthy and well while traveling to and from work or while you’re out in public running errands. It’ll keep you and others protected and help to ensure that you aren’t contributing to the spread. Also, practise social distancing and be sure to wash your hands often. The guidelines are in place to keep you safe and well, so it’s important to take them seriously. Focus on Your Mental Health Another tip for staying healthy and well in times of uncertainty is to focus on your mental health. Self-isolating and lockdown can be tough on your mind and social life. You may be feeling sad or low because of all the disruptions and bad news that’s going around. Therefore, commit to participating in activities that will boost your mental health and ensure you stay well. It’s all about keeping your thoughts as positive and possible and decreasing the amount of stress you’re feeling. Meditation and deep breathing exercises are usually very useful in helping you to slow racing thoughts so you can feel better fast. Connect with Others Virtually If you’re a social person, then distancing yourself from others may be a real challenge for you. However, it’s what’s going to keep you from contracting COVID-19. While you may not be able to see everyone you want to in-person, there are other ways to stay connected. For example, use virtual methods such as phone, email, and videoconference to help you maintain and nurture your relationships with others during these uncertain times. Take advantage of all the ways technology can keep you interacting with those you love and care about virtually. Invest in Self-Care It’s vital that you also invest in your self-care during uncertain times to stay healthy and well. It includes getting daily exercise, eating well, and going to bed at a decent hour and not getting caught up in negative thought patterns. The better you take care of yourself, the more energy you’re going to have and the better mood you’ll be in most days. Use this extra downtime to invest in yourself and relaxing and resting as much as possible. There may be activities and projects you can take on around the house that you usually wouldn’t have time for before the virus outbreak. |
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