Practical Tips for Getting Your Small Business Up and Running Again Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

There’s no getting around the fact the COVID-19 pandemic has made life very hard for small businesses around the world, particularly for the ones deemed non-essential. While some are allowed to reopen at a limited capacity and with strict guidelines in place, others remain closed indefinitely. Needless to say, whichever situation you find yourself in, getting your small business back up and running may prove to be your biggest challenge to date. That’s why we’ve provided some practical tips and resources below to help you along the way.

Get Financial Help

Money enables your business to do, well, everything. So, it makes sense that finding new ways to increase your cash flow can help your business survive and grow in these uncertain times.

●      Review your budget, and cut any expenses that are unnecessary to company growth.

●      Research all the government loans and programs developed to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

●      And don’t count out the possibility of crowdfunding; many people still love to help businesses that they believe in. If you’d like to get started, ISQ Crowdfunding can help you plan, prepare, and launch your own campaign.

Embrace Remote Work

Even if you typically work out of a physical location, chances are your business can benefit from adding remote work in your operations.

●      While remote work is proving to be the saving grace for many small businesses right now, be sure to prioritise a smooth transition for your employees.

●      Keep your team(s) productive by fostering effective communication and collaboration.

●      To run a productive remote team, be sure to invest in all the right tools (e.g., chat apps, video conferencing tools, productivity apps, etc.)

●      And make sure that you have a home office for handling your tasks productively.

●      Moreover, consider signing up for profiles on freelancing sites, which can help you expand your reach and open up new streams of revenue for you and/or your business.

Invest in Your Brick-and-Mortar Location

This is important: Don’t let your physical location lose its charm.

●      Start with making improvements that will boost curb appeal, such as power washing and painting the exterior, installing new lighting, and upgrading your signage.

●      Also, invest in the interior of your store, which might include painting the walls, replacing the flooring, and adding new retail displays.

●      To improve your store’s customer experience, install a quality sound system.

●      And be sure to include incentives for customers to visit your store (e.g., discounts, exclusive releases, curbside pickup, etc.)

As if it wasn’t challenging enough before, this is a very difficult time to be a small business owner. Since no one knows how long this pandemic will last, make sure you are taking all the necessary steps to keep your business afloat and growing in the foreseeable future. Acquiring the financial assistance you need, taking advantage of remote work opportunities, and showing your physical location some TLC are all ways that you can do just that.