Let’s face it, Covid has caused extreme damage beyond what we see on the news. Businesses and establishments were severely affected, workers were laid off, and mental health has taken a toll on the workforce.
Of the 85% of small businesses who had to temporarily close most are just now trying to get back on track again, and with talks of a second wave coming, stress is high. About 65% of small businesses are concerned about having to temporarily close again or close for good.
Yet, amidst all of this struggle, many businesses and employees managed to stay relevant and even thrived amidst the pandemic. According to ABC News, businesses like teleworking, restaurants & deliveries, and grocery & retails have made extreme changes to adapt amid the health crisis.
How are these businesses able to adapt to change?
This got me thinking about listing out different steps that are beneficial to businesses (may they be small or big) during the pandemic.
Below are the ways on how to adapt your business to Covid-19 and, yes, even thrive amidst the crisis.
Have an online presence
Social media is packed with people ready to buy your services or products. Everyone you see on your social media feeds could be a potential customer, so make sure you don’t shrug them off.
You see, what some of these businesses are lacking is the online presence. They expect these customers to look for their business the old-fashioned way, and with the current state, that is almost impossible to do. If you want to stay relevant, it’s time to adapt to the trend and to the new normal: you must be available online.
Given that 54% of social browsers use social media to research products, and video content is the largest source of desired media by consumers, having an online presence is a no-brain, even without the pandemic.
As someone who started her business largely online, trust me when I say, the Internet is here to help you have a more connected, convenient, and fulfilling life. Make use of it, and let it support your businesses and endeavors the way it should be.
The internet can feel overwhelming, especially if you consider all of the media platforms to choose. Start focused, and then expand. You can begin by creating a Facebook page or a website that can handle high traffic. Understand where your ideal customers tend to spend their time online, and connect with them there. There is no use joining TikTok if you are marketing fly fishing equipment to retired communities.
Whether you own a small business or a big one, an online presence can top every single marketing strategy out there.
Explore & thrive
Many trends had come up during the pandemic. Stagnation breeds curiosity, so it’s no surprise that while people are spending more time at home new ideas and trends have emerged.
As a business owner, you must explore different varieties of activities and opportunities to remain relevant amidst the pandemic. If you were a chef and owned a small food business pre-pandemic, consider making a YouTube channel for recipes and tutorials. Again, online presence will never go out of style.
If you’re a fitness instructor, you might want to make exercise videos viewers can follow along, like Zumba or yoga classes. This can be an effective technique due to people not being able to go to the gym yet or even jog around the village.
Take Disney for example, who pivoted and began making fun face masks to keep up with the current “trend”. While these face masks are cute, they’re also meant to protect you.
If you want to take your skillset and apply it to a completely new industry, here are few that are projected to “boom” even after the pandemic:
- Online meeting platforms. Ever since the pandemic, people from all around the globe have just been fully relied on the internet from doing meetings to classes. Since most of the companies have now adapted to allowing their employees to work from home, these online platforms will be of great use for the unforeseeable future.
- Dating apps. Even before the pandemic, dating apps were already a thing. But with the threat of Covid, these dating apps had thrived and it seems like love is becoming more virtual. According to the survey made in April this year (2020), 50% of US adults confirmed to be frequently on social media, 33% were on virtual meeting sites, and 11% admitted to being on dating sites.
- Video games. With a lot of time in hand to hone their skills, many online gamers have resorted to video games and seem to be much more inclined than usual. In fact, it has been reported that video games sales are exploding due to the pandemic.
There are a lot of ways on how to adapt your business to Covid, you just have to look for inspiration and courage to be on the same page as these giant companies.
Become available
This means become delivery-friendly!
You could say there is nothing new to this service, but with the threat of a pandemic, many customers still wouldn’t risk getting infected by going to packed places.
Most states and countries still follow the stay-at-home protocols, so businesses have a chance to take this opportunity and consider it a successful pivot.
Instead of feeling down about the current situation, businesses can take this moment to get their service to prosper despite the difficulties.
These are just a few of the ways of how to adapt your business to Covid. I know how scary change can be, but with the help of your community and the internet, change can be a very good thing. Your business or brand is your future, make sure you take care of it.
