Sergey Grybniak September 22, 2020 As companies are opening their doors post-pandemic, small businesses remain unstable, having to balance the need to boost sales with regaining customer trust and loyalty. Presently, most relaunching plans are indefinite. At the beginning of 2020, many entrepreneurs greeted the new decade with a positive outlook. They were confident in their financial prospects and economic security. Now, many express less optimistic predictions.
For most entrepreneurs, the benefits of owning your own business outweigh the risks. But owning a business demands resources, and many businesses will require external help to stay afloat and not go bankrupt. Here are the top 3 steps you can take to reenter the post-pandemic markets based on the best practices.
- Lead with engagement. Interact with the people closest to you, and empathize with workers and clients. Some companies have already established a concrete plan for reopening, but many workers are reluctant to leave home for the workplace. In addition, potential customers may have reservations about visiting your business in person. Modern brands will have to regain their customers’ trust by nurturing relationships between clients and workers. It may be helpful to ask your employees and clients for feedback on what they imagine a successful restarting process looks like. Ask regular customers, followers on social media websites, and individuals from your mailing list what it will take to make them feel secure.
- Be prepared. In the near future, people will continue to use personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, face shields, gloves, goggles, and other protective equipment. Companies that have foreseen this are more likely to reopen their doors sooner. Formerly, PPE was in demand mainly for healthcare workers, but now it is in demand for everyone. Business owners should be ready to supply enough PPE to protect their teams and clients. Every business owner should train their staff to use PPE correctly and engage with clients safely.
- Have a plan. Companies should consider the following factors in their post-pandemic reopening plan:
– Designate daily activities in terms of defined requirements. This applies to everything from how the staff gets to work to how many PPE supplies the small business owner needs to order.
– Revise your inventory and menu items. Now is a good time to update your inventory or give your menu offerings a makeover, and decide which items to introduce to clients.
– Be ready to monitor your employees’ health. Depending on the nature of your business, you may opt to check the body temperatures of your team and clients, provide face coverings and establish social distancing guidelines.
– Define your rules and stick to them. Some industries have specific requirements to follow when reopening after the lockdown.
– Use the fall holidays to optimize your reopening, with special offers and seasonal themes.
Most small business owners have faced the challenges of supporting their employees and customers during the lockdown period. You can improve your chances of a successful reopening by focusing on the needs of your staff and customers, and leveraging seasonal events.
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