Small Business Survival Tactics for COVID-19 Challenge

March-April 2020 Volume 17 — Issue 94

Why are small business survival tactics important right now? Some of us have slowly begun to breathe again following the 2008-09 Recession aftermath. People were working again and spending again. Sales and projects are at all time highs for most small businesses. Unemployment is – or was until a week or so ago – at an all-time low.

Then, our latest ‘shock and awe’ challenge hit. It didn’t just hit those of us in the US, but every country around the globe. Hopefully, many retain recession-era cost cutting and savings as well as processes and operations that enhance business practices. The following small business survival tactics are offered to help make changes to keep your company afloat through what hopefully will be a relatively short period of time.

Above all, let customers know how your firm is addressing health issues.

Don’t forget the health issues. Like we could anyway. What have you done or will you do to be sure any customer contact with your firm will be safe? How is your firm taking care of employees? Have signs at your business location for customers to see when they enter your store. Have hand sanitizer available. Keep your surfaces and door knobs sanitized. If your phone system has a message feature at the beginning, include your plans for health and cleanliness.

Post something on your website – a temporary landing page would be best.

Put useful information in front of everyone’s eyes immediately. Include a ‘continue to website’ button to move them on. Is your shop/store/studio open at all? If so, what days? Note changes in hours of operation. If you change the way you will be doing business during this epidemic, let consumers know. Is your style of operations the same or different? Share that information too. Let customers know that they – and their health – are important to your firm. Show that you care.

How can you help customers tolerate the confinement period better?

What if you send a card or note that contains one or two ‘comfort’ tea bags for relaxation? Or a package of gourmet coffee? Add a label with your company brand identity. If they have children, create a virtual, downloadable ‘coloring book’ or craft page you can make from free clip art image sites. There are types for more advanced coloring fanatics, or for younger children. Or, find and send them a list of sites online with kid-friendly craft projects. Be sure to add that company identification to those pages so they remember who thought about them and their needs in this time of crisis.

Recommend a good book they can read, or movie they can download and enjoy with their family. One bookstore in Minnesota put a cart of free books outside their front door. You might send a list of good books out to your customers with links to them on Amazon.com. To generate a modest amount of commissions, set up an Amazon Associate account. Using their links back to their site lets you make a small fee if they use your Associate link to purchase one of the books. That doesn’t limit you to encouraging sales of books either. If something else for sale on Amazon is related to your business, you can get commission on them as well. Check out their Amazon Affiliate Program.

Reach out to your current clients.

This is no time to forget about marketing. Actually, these tactics are all marketing. Stay in touch with your customer base. Give them a personal call. Let them know you are still out there, willing and able to serve them. No sales pitch, just “we’re thinking about you and are grateful for your support over the years.” Remember, it costs 6 or 7 times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. And, the cost of losing a disgruntled customer can be far more than one might imagine.

Small business survival tactic for customers confined to home.

Ask: “How are you holding up during these challenging times?” If you are so inclined, ask if there is anything you can do to help them out. Can you do a grocery store or pharmacy run for them or walk their dog? If you have a stockpile of toilet paper or sanitary wipes you might share, do it. For working customers in desperate need of child care, try to match up high school students stuck at home with families needing sitters. Grateful customers will remember you when this is all past. Hand sanitizer isn’t difficult or expensive to make. If you can access the materials in your area, make up a batch, put it in small spray bottles with a company branded label and give it out.

What if customers and sales disappear?

If business comes to a screeching halt, and your revenue stream with it, reducing payroll may be necessary. Instead of letting anyone go permanently or for an extended period of time – sharing the pain by cutting everyone’s hours. Talk to your staff. There may be some willing to take some time off to help out their own families. With schools and day care centers closed, working parents are desperately seeking child care solutions.

Small business survival tactics to keep your business running

If your staff has work to do and can work from home, let them. There are so many technology applications available now for distance communication. Add a private intranet page to your company website. Staff can access resources and communicate in a private, secure location. The technology is out there, just look up Intranet Software online. Find something that works for you: simple, quick to set up and affordable.

Virtual Communications is Easy-Peasey and affordable

There are any number of virtual ‘conferencing’ apps you can use to communicate with clients, staff and suppliers from a distance. It is pretty simple, and inexpensive, to set up face to face conference calls with customers or staff members via apps like Skype, Zoom, Unlimited Conferencing and Go to Conference. If this is going to be a temporary solution for you, look at the options that offer free trials.

Reach out to customers about ordering your products or services online

Reach out to customers about ordering your products or services online to be picked up locally while your shop is temporarily closed. Offer free delivery if your business is local. Or, offer curbside pickups. Once they order and pay for their purchases online, have them call when they are coming for pickup so you can be ready to pop out quickly with their order.

Help Customers Buy Online

Make it as simple as possible for customers to buy via your website. Consider creating a Q&A page for the website that provides answers to your most common consumer questions. Some customers just want to talk to a live human being before hitting your ‘buy now’ button. There are a couple of features you can use to make that possible. First, you can use a website ‘chat bot’ this feature allows for a live chat with a staff member or typed message requesting a set time. There are tons of apps for this website addition offered through your Email Service Provider (ESP) or your website host.

An alternate method of arranging a specific time for conversation is an appointment scheduling app. There are quite a few of these applications, again, pretty easy and inexpensive to install. Some of the more popular ones you might look at are Calendly and Acuity to set up client phone calls – and appointments – with staff members. Another option, among many is Simply Book.

Small Business Survival Tips Wrap Up

Don’t let yourself feel isolated, you are not fighting this on your own. Communicate with other small businesses in your area to see what you might do together to attract customers. If you can’t invite people into your shop for a free seminar, think about doing it online using applications like Zoom or Go to Meeting. (links above) Set up a face-to-face conference call with others in your area or your industry to do some networking at a safe social distance.

As bizarre as this experience is for most of us, we hope that it is a once in a lifetime occurrence. We have never been asked to confine ourselves and our families to our homes to help slow the progression of a potentially deadly disease. But, we have experienced other situations unique to our lifetime. We survived 9/11 bombings in New York City and Washington DC. Many small businesses survived an unexpected Recession that began in 2008-09. We are strong people and will survive this unexpected crisis as well – if we all do our part. Small businesses are the backbone of America and we will rise back up as conditions are brought under control again. As small business owners we are creative, persistent and resilient.