How Your Small Business Can Survive in Spite of COVID-19

​By Elena Stewart

One of the hardest things about the COVID-19 pandemic is that small businesses don’t have the same resources that major corporations have to fall back on. This is a challenge we’re all facing right now, but there is some good news. While we may not have the same resources, we have one thing big businesses can’t compete with: the ability to adapt and innovate quickly. This doesn’t mean that changing up how you do business is a piece of cake, which is why we’ve gathered some of the best resources out there to help you overcome the obstacles.
 
Overcoming Your Biggest Obstacles
The first thing many businesses should do is explore financing options to alleviate the strain of lost income. Then you can focus on the nitty gritty, like getting your team on board with remote work, providing a solution to meet customers’ needs, and reaching customers in a way they’ll really connect with.

• Explore options to make ends meet, including small business loans, tax deferrals, and your own network.
• Save money by taking advantage of free software and digital services.
• Digitize whatever you can, and make the most of cloud accounting.
• Make a smooth transition to working remotely with these tips that promote collaboration and communication.
• Reach customers remotely with these tips for online marketing and SEO.
• Follow these marketing tips to ensure your message hits the right note during the pandemic.
• The “HEART” approach to communication will make your customers feel supported and valued during this time of crisis.
• Focus sales efforts on meeting your customers’ current needs, while building up leads to follow later.
• Using social media and other digital communication tools, some brick-and-mortar businesses now offer a more personalized service.
• Get ready to reopen by finding affordable ways to spruce up your physical location, such as cheap carpet installation.
• Find business solutions that will stay relevant and meet your customers’ needs even after the crisis is over.

 
This crisis will end, but when it does, things will not go back to business as usual. That’s why the smartest solutions are ones that meet current needs, but with the future in mind. Major corporations are too large to adapt as quickly as small business owners can. Use that to your advantage to make sure your business comes out of this crisis stronger than ever!
 
Photo credit: Pixabay

Elena is a certified life coach who offers one-on-one coaching to women and men to help them reach their full potential in their careers, in switching jobs or industries, becoming an entrepreneur, applying for a promotion, achieving work-life balance, and more. Visit her online at elenastewart.com. 
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