A lot of things are currently on hold due to the coronavirus situation, particularly when it comes to business. You might have had clients cancel contracts, a lack of customers and even had to furlough employees meaning its a worrying time. Whether your business is running at full capacity, reduced hours or closed completely, now could be a useful time to plan your next steps. When things eventually return to normal, you’ll be in a good place to spring back into action and hopefully be even stronger for it. Here are some ideas.
Keep on marketing
Your marketing efforts really are about playing the long game, even if things aren’t looking great now, the work you put in will pay off in a few months. Focus on SEO and link building, utilise social media and come up with creative campaigns that will get people interested once they’re back in work and earning money to spend. This might feel like an easy area to cut to save money, but if you’re smart you’ll continue investing in your marketing since it can help you get ahead of your competitors and allow your business to get straight back into making profits when you can.
Move to commercial premises
Running a business from home is convenient, but you have no room to grow. If you’re currently running things from your home office then use this time to consider planning a switch to commercial. While you won’t be able to go and view properties in person right now, you can definitely see what’s out there and set up appointments for viewings once lockdown restrictions have been lifted. Don’t forget to ask about the condition, and whether commercial plumbers, electricians, alarm fitters and other tradespeople have been in recently so the premises are at its best. This can be a big step up for your business and something to consider if you want to expand.
Outsource
Outsourcing areas of your business allows you to take over this department, and can ensure the work is being done to the highest standard without you having to personally oversee things. You can outsource departments such as marketing, HR or accounting, or just individual tasks such as web design and blog writing. If you don’t have the skills yourself and don’t want to employ another person full time when things are so turbulent at the moment, it can save you time, money and hassle and is a great way to expand your business. Since the companies or individuals you employ will be responsible for themselves (from their equipment to their tax and more) it’s much less pressure than taking on extra employees and you can outsource the work as and when it comes in. This means if you have an area of your business where the workload fluctuates, you’re not at risk of paying an employee full time when there’s not enough work available.
