How To Sail With Your Business During Uncertain Times
We are living in unprecedented times, not just in Kenya but all over the world. With governments taking measures to flatten the curve, businesses are also in a state of disarray as they figure out how to navigate the “new normal”. Business, schools, and even places of worship have all gone online. We have all been fully immersed in the digital age whether we like it or not, and it’s now a case of sink or swim.
Adapting is the word of the day. How can my business adapt to the times? How can my life adapt to the new changes? We’re here to give you 3 tips to help you adapt and soar through this wave.
1. Stay Current
The news is constantly changing and you should too. Follow the updates that will affect your business so that you’re not left behind. Do you have a restaurant? Do curfew changes or social distancing measures affect your operations? Would switching to a delivery model help you curb that obstacle? Knowledge is power. So stay informed so that you can know what you are up against. You don’t have to keep mentioning Covid_19 in every marketing post you put out but let your messaging be sensitive to the current situation. Don’t be advertising about wearing clothes to a kick-ass party when no-one is actually partying nowadays.
2. Switch up your products
We have gotten used to changing our product offerings based on the weather. Eg, selling t-shirts during the hot seasons and selling hoodies when the cold kicks in. That’s good but we now have to take a step further. Are your customers buying t-shirts less, not because of the weather, but because they’re not going out as much as they used to? If they’re indoors, then follow them inside. Offer products that they will use from the comfort of their home. Maybe it’s a tea towel; perhaps it’s a tote bag that they’ll use when going on a shopping run.
Study your customer and serve them with items that they will use during this season of their lives.
3. Communicate with your customer
Things are not the same. Your customer understands. Are you facing delays? Is the cost of shipping more expensive? Whatever setbacks you’re facing, don’t leave your customer in the dark. Now’s not the time to be burning bridges. Being honest with your customer helps them to trust you more.
Use your social media to let your customer know you better. If sales are not doing as great as they used to, don’t let it reflect in your marketing. Introduce them to you. Why did you start your business? Give them a sneak peak into what happens behind the scenes. Are you an artist? Share your process with your followers. Whatever you do, don’t stop communicating with your customer. They need that connection.
And finally, breathe
Take a break. Take a minute. Take a breather. You’ve been running non-stop for a few months now and you should allow yourself to rest. Look back at what you’ve done and celebrate the strides that worked. More often than not, business owners can be hard on themselves. So what if you’ve not made the target you’d set for yourself in 2020? Focus on the good things. Your business is still running! That’s a blessing. Pat yourself in the back, pop that champagne and get back to the hustle 😉
