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The past year has shown just how much businesses need to adapt and to change, and as many more places open, there are some still uncertainties that come from living in a pandemic. There are challenges with vaccine roll-outs and different emerging virus variants, which can all spillover and impact businesses again.
Businesses have had to deal with an economic crisis, as well as a health crisis, which drives new employee protocols, as well as customer engagement protocols. The introduction of remote working was sudden and unprecedented, as well as businesses needing to consider their supply chains and new ways of working. These changes and developments have left many people wondering about how they can best prepare for what lies ahead, as there are still some levels of uncertainty. Businesses need to have a focus on resilience and survival, and it will be different from business to business.
A lot of businesses have changed and innovated what they do, and if they don’t, will not be able to benefit from any economic recovery. As a result, businesses need to focus on and be ready for this uncertain period, and be ready to strengthen what they do and review their strategies, in order to make a more resilient business for the future. Here are some of the things that businesses should focus on, in order to build their resilience and survival.
Creating an online presence
If you want to stay competitive, then creating an online presence is important. Many businesses have gone online when the pandemic first started, but there are some that are still hesitant to do so. Your target audience may prefer face-to-face interactions, but it is important to think about what you can do online so that your business can still take orders or work with clients.
Safe physical presence
There are a number of guidelines and procedures that those businesses with physical stores need to think about. When you have gone through the guidance, you need to see how it will fit best with your business to help your customers to keep coming back to you. Will wearing face coverings be enough, or will you limit numbers and have distancing in place? You should also think about the outside of your premises, looking at the design of it and potentially new sign installation, to let customers know that you are open and that you do have safety procedures in place to protect everyone. When customers feel safe with you and it is all clear to them, it can really help them to keep coming back and to recommend to friends.
Collaboration with others
Many small businesses are feeling the impact of the situation, and as a result, would benefit from working together in some form. It could be that you work with an online business to offer a discount to that store when they buy from you, or perhaps it could be working with a local business to give money off a meal in a local restaurant when they shop in-store with you. Working together can give you both a boost.