by Richard Avdoian
Although, major sectors of our economy are still temporarily closed, there are businesses throughout the country slowly beginning to reopen although not necessarily fully operating and life as we know it has been modified. Many businesses and entrepreneurs are using the extensive downtime constructively to improve various aspects of their business.
Here are several constructive ideas and tasks you could embrace to help your business, other businesses and the community survive this temporary shutdown of the economy.
1. Be generous. This is an ideal time to reach out to help, support, show concern and compassion for your clients, vendors and the community. Helping and supporting can be as simple as offering a few innovative practical best business practice tips related to a specific issue or aspect of business through an article, FaceBook Live, Ebook or a video.
2. Offer assistance. It can be a family member, friend, your neighbor or a struggling small business you patronize in your area. Ask if they are in need of assistance with simple daily, weekly or monthly tasks such as grocery shopping, making bank deposits, or pharmacy runs. Support those local small businesses you patronize by purchasing gift cards for future use or give as gifts and order takeout more often then usual.
3. Check-in with current clients, previous clients, and prospects that are likely experiencing the similar feelings of worry, uncertainty, downheartedness, and struggling financially. Showing that you care and willing to answer any questions, offer assistance, and share coping skills will strengthen the business relationship and be a win-win situation.
4. Tackle reorganizing, decluttering your office and business. Use time to discard old files, outdated equipment and supplies, rearrange furnishings to be more efficient and possibly refresh the environment with paint, a thorough cleaning of your office and business. Set the stage for a fresh look once the quarantine is over and economy is flowing again.
5. Be proactive. Use this time to protect your business, thoroughly review your business’s legal documents. Are your formal client contracts, affiliate agreements, vendor agreements current or in need of revisions and do they appropriately include cancelation and rescheduling policies?
6. Unsubscribe from newsletters, subscriptions, and tools you continue to pay for but no longer use, need or have been replaced by other options. Also, consider reviewing your LinkedIn and Facebook connections to weed out those individuals you really don’t know, haven’t interacted with. This would make your list more manageable, making establishing relationships and communicating more efficiently and beneficial with those you know or want to enhance relations with.
7. Use time to be creative. Consider setting aside specific time to write a few articles, a Ebook, or develop or expand new products and services. Face it we are often thinking about creating new products and services but never seem to find the time to develop them. Now you have the time, so use it constructively.
Richard Avdoian is president/CEO of the Midwest Business Institute Inc., a business consulting and training firm. For information about training and seminars, contact Richard at 618-972-8588 or Richard@ RichardAvdoian.com.
Submitted 3 years 57 days ago