Travel restrictions, limits on numbers of people in one place and concerns for public health have all created constraints for a lot of businesses. Here we look at some options that may help you continue to function through this time, but also are things that you should probably implement and add to your offering anyway!
- Video Conferencing
Instead of travelling to meet your clients, use video call instead. There are plenty of free options available if you don’t already use one, GlobalMeet, Skype or even Zoom. You can actually save yourself some travel time and share any presentations you may have through the tool as well.
- Online appointment setting.
If your business requires clients to call and wait to be seen, you could implement an appointment booking system on your website. You can then use this to spread your appointments out throughout the day rather than have several people arriving at once and waiting around.
- Gifts Cards and Vouchers
Gift cards and vouchers are a great way to get some revenue coming in if you are a service business that has had to close or curtail your hours. Your regular customers especially, will likely be very happy to purchase now to use later. Offering a discount can give an added incentive.
- Online Courses
Businesses like personal training or fitness classes can record sessions from the instructor and deliver these sessions to their class members either via an online portal that requires members to sign into, or by sending pre-recorded sessions, or you could also deliver via live feed at the usual class time and have people join in from their own homes.
- Add e-commerce
If your business sells physical products and you are not already selling online, you could quickly implement an online store for your top selling products. This will make the implementation time much quicker than trying to add e-com for your entire product offering. If you are already selling online, you should check your stock levels and those of your suppliers so that you can know of any potential supply issues in advance. Any products you are overstocked in, this could be a good time to run a sale on them.
- Ask your customers what they need
It might seem the most obvious thing, but picking up the phone and asking your top customers how you can help them during this time might reveal some way you have not thought of helping them. Keeping communication going is always good, so even mailing your clients and informing them of your plans for the short term, whether that is temporary closure, or some sort of adaptation of normal services, keeps them in the loop and helps them to plan for how they will need to adapt through the crisis.
Contact us if you’d like a free consultation on how your business can adapt.
