5 Things You Can Do In Lock-Down To Improve Your Business
So you’re in lock-down again, and you’re feeling the blahs of COVID-19. You’re thinking 'WHY do I have to be stuck at home NOT making any money’, right?!
Well we’re going to remind you that there is a silver lining to this lock-down… the pure opportunity of being unable to leave your house, work, run your business, see your friends… you get the idea.
Firstly, you might realize that because you can’t do most of the things on your to do list, you have time. TIME. Who ever has any of that? And excess time may lead you to pause and THINK. And what a wild, rare feeling that is for anyone running a business. Doesn’t it always feel like there’s too much to do to actually put real, quality thought into something? I bet you’re usually running around every day, putting out fires, too busy to work on the million exciting ideas you’ve had over the last couple of months.
So,
DON’T WASTE THIS PRECIOUS LOCK-DOWN TIME!
Set yourself some goals this week to make the most of being ‘stuck’ at home with a clean slate of nothingness. And because we know what it’s like to have all this time and suddenly wonder what you should be doing with it.. we’re giving you 5 ideas to make the most of this covid-19 -induced-break from the norm and get to work on making your business better, more profitable, more exciting, more visible, more fun, more of whatever you want it to be!
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1. Pick off those dusty fruit!
Write down 3 things you’ve been wanting to do for your business that are easy, low hanging fruit - you just never get around to doing it. Create a new social media page? Check. Read that article that you’ve bookmarked in your inbox? Check. CLEAR and organize your inbox! Check! You get the idea… Not only will it feel great to do but this will get the ball rolling for other things you want to check off that long and dusty list!
2. Holla at people.
You know when you’re in the middle of something and you randomly think of someone you haven’t reached out to in ages and you are annoyed because they were interested in what you were doing and it feels like it may be money left on the table? Or, you suddenly need something and that’s when it hits you that if you had only stayed in touch with that lady Tina, you’d be well-served because you could just send her a quick little “Heyyy” and she’d be thrilled to help you. Now is the time to make that list of all the people you should reach out to. And what better time to do it when you can sincerely ask them how they are doing, what they are watching on Netflix these days and what recipes they can recommend.
3. Plan your next steps.
The best thing about a ‘break’ if we can call it that, is that you have the time to think… and you have the time to PLAN. In marketing most of the work is in the planning. You have to see what’s coming to be well prepared. You have the time to build a marketing calendar, plan what you’ll be selling/when, what promotions you’re offering, and set some nice juicy targets. You can spend time researching/ordering/designing the things you need for that new promotion or new product launch. Once you have a solid plan it’s all about execution… and as we all know, you can execute without thinking too much if it’s just a matter of checking off a list. But - it’s very hard to plan anything properly while you have a million things on the go. So make yourself a nice cup of something or pour yourself a glass of vino (we won’t judge) and get planning!
4. Pas de Bourree - Pivot!
We would be remiss not to mention the perhaps obvious, but often overlooked opportunity of the lock-down. And that is the importance of pivoting your business or tweaking slightly it’s delivery in this ever changing world. The simple way of looking at this is… is your business digital? It should be. Can people purchase online? Order something for delivery to their house? It’s possible that you can’t sell your products at the moment but what can you do to make your products or service more accessible (online shop, website, better Facebook page), easier to buy (better process, online shop, mobile app), easier to find (SEO, google ad words, social media ads, article in the newspaper, industry databases, etc.). Or perhaps you have thought of an opportunity for your business to pivot into a new product or service and just haven’t had the time to make it happen. Now is the time to start.
5. Make content your current product.
You may not be able to sell physical products or services, but you can still sell content. People are online more than ever. They can’t socialize, they can’t go out. You have the opportunity to capture their attention on your social channels, your blog, your website. If you’re not sure where to start… ask yourself what your customers are missing because you aren’t open. Let’s say you run a salon… you know your customers can’t get their nails done, but could teach them to make a homemade mask to hydrate their hands, or inspire them by posting some exciting nail colours you’ll be launching. Engage with your audience online and make them excited to come see you again when you’re open. Be a part of their lives and bring them enjoyment and support. You will see your customer loyalty grow.
Much love,
Rise
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