April 28, 2020

By Intrigue

“It’s kind of tough at this point to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re starting to see confidence come back in the marketplace.”

Eventually, the situation we’re in will pass. No one is sure when exactly that will be or what the future will look like, but after speaking with business owners every day, we’re starting to get a sense that we can see a return to a sense of normalcy on the horizon. For entrepreneurs, this means that now is the right time to start preparing your business for when things go “back to normal”.

Below is a summary of the three tips Rob Murray, CEO of Intrigue, shares in his video “Getting Ready To Open Up For Business”.

4 Tips To Help Prepare Your Business

1. Let your customers know you’re open

The most important information you can relay to your customers and prospects is:

  1. Your business is open.
  2. How your business is going to operate.

If you will not be allowing customers to enter your business, let them know. 

If you’re booking appointments by videoconference, let them know. 

If you have revised hours, let them know.

Communication — especially in times of uncertainty — is crucial. Let people know exactly what your situation is and how you’re going to continue to work with them and support them.

2. Plan Out How Your Business Will Operate Differently

Your team, your customers, and potentially the government is going to want to know if you will have safety measures in place when your business opens up.

Now is when you should be deciding if you’re going to implement safety measures (e.g. physical distancing). Preparing now will help you determine your processes so when your business opens, the expectations are clear and you will be able to operate effectively.

3. Provide Value To People

If you’re in the home improvement industry, consider sharing helpful tips with your customers. For example, how they can clean their windows, paint their walls, or prepare their HVAC system for the summer months.

If your business is family-oriented, consider providing your social media followers with colouring sheets to help keep their kids engaged and happy.

People are at home and looking for things to do. Bring value to their life.

4. Leverage Your Digital Marketing!

People are using social media and browsing the web now more than they ever have before — so make sure you are where your audience is!

Post fun content on social media (have you ever done a Facebook or Instagram live?), send your customers an email updating them on the status of your business, and make the updates to your website that you’ve been meaning to get to.

When all this is said and done, you want to be remembered as the business that:

  • Spoke to your customers
  • Engaged your customers
  • Left a lasting, positive impression on your customers

Focus On What You Can Control

The tips provided in Rob’s video are within your control. The virus and how the government and society respond to a pandemic is out of your control.

Use the time you have now to communicate with your customers and prepare your business to come out of this situation stronger than ever.

As always, reach out to Intrigue if you have any questions about preparing your business in a post-COVID-19 world. Stay well.

Intrigue is a Canadian digital marketing company delivering solutions to help businesses get noticed and found. Guided by a commitment to empower leaders to strengthen communities, Intrigue offers website design and development, branding, online advertising, content marketing, graphic design, video production, SEO, and analytics. Take your marketing to the next level and Get Noticed. Get Found.® intrigueme.ca

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