Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Our current economic state is in distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic taking the world by storm. Unfortunately, the result of businesses being forced to close, consumers staying home, and the public being wary overall, small businesses have been hit the hardest in the entrepreneur world. With so many uncertainties being up in the air, small businesses are struggling to stay afloat during this hardship.
Even so, there is still hope for all you small business owners! The public can still help support small businesses, even when things are slow. According to a report, this pandemic has been exasperating many small businesses and the report says that the rich get richer by 35% and the poor get poorer.
Celebrities have also spoken out about the importance to shop locally; some have even shared some small businesses in their local area with the hopes that getting the word out to their many followers may help lift the business. Here are a few ways you can gather the support you need to keep your business running.
Remain Consumer-Focused
While entrepreneurs typically have to roll with the punches even on a good day, COVID-19 has been the ultimate test to small business owners who are having to adapt to the current climate and market. After all, haven’t we all noticed the overflow of businesses, small and large, that began selling in-demand items like masks and hand sanitizer?
Due to this, don’t be afraid to ask your customers what they would like to see more of. In fact, customers typically feel a sense of gratification when they realize a business has truly listened to their feedback and taken it into consideration. One way you could accomplish this is by sending out an email newsletter to your customers asking for feedback or sending a short survey they can participate in.
Show Your Appreciation
If you have the means to do so, it may be worthwhile to implement some type of reward system for returning customers. It doesn’t have to be anything hefty or expensive, but just something to get them to keep coming back and supporting your business. Maybe start a punch card system, “with every ten purchases, get 10% off your eleventh purchase.”
Or, “get (insert item here) free.” Again, if you decide to go the free route, stick to something you can afford to give for free. Even a referral system may do the trick, where customers are given a small card they can print their name on and give it away to someone so in-turn they receive a reward. For instance, “Refer a friend and get 10% off your next order!”
Keep Marketing
If things are slow, increasing your social media presence can have a huge impact on your revenue! Take this downtime to get accustomed to or just boost your presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Pinterest, and Google, to name a few.
Use hashtags, interact with comments, like posts, create stories, respond to reviewers, and tell your customers to tag you when they purchase or use your product. Hiring some persons who are good in marketing will increase your business and advise you on how to expand the business.
If you go with digital, social media can help you a lot for increasing the business and stay in touch with more PEOPLE, greet everyone with a good heart and be nice to people. Always try hard to know what consumers and people want to talk with more people and take their opinions then think about their opinions and do work on it.
Be creative in your every step of increasing business. A little one-on-one with customers can go a long way, show them that there is a person behind that logo; being personable could drive more business to your doors. Get creative in your approach to reaching out to prospective consumers! What better time to delve into the social media world than now?
Times are certainly tough for many of us right now, and we must continue to adapt to our environment and make the most of what we have. Small business owners must continue to align themselves with their demographic and industry in a way that sets them apart from the rest, particularly the large-scale businesses that aren’t facing the same obstacles.
