KEY FACTORS THAT CAN HELP BUSINESSES SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC

One of the pillars of Propel Marketing & Design’s mission is to help businesses and business owners “live long and prosper” — to provide these businesses with experience, results, value, excellent customer service, and, perhaps most importantly, an in-depth understanding in updating their brands.

After a rough past year struggling to weather the pandemic, business owners like yourself could all use a little more understanding and help these days. There’s so much to process and so many new normals to adapt to, though, that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Focusing on these three areas of your business can be an impactful place to start.

STRATEGIC MARKETING

Over the past years or so, you’ve hopefully been able to evolve your marketing plan to maintain connections to your customers. Now that we can see a light at the end of the lockdown tunnel, you’ll need to shift your marketing focus towards keeping those people loyal to your brand:

• Brand loyalty is one of the most important commodities that a business can cultivate. Brand loyalty becomes second nature to consumers — we all tend to practice some sort of brand loyalty in our everyday lives without thinking about it.

• Brand ambassadors, customer engagement, and emotionally impactful marketing are all critical elements for cultivating and preserving brand loyalty. During tedious and stressful times, like the pandemic, consumers also tend to crave escapes and experiences.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Investing in your digital marketing efforts is one way to leverage technology to support and grow your business through the rest of the pandemic. Of course, technology will become even more crucial and will be particularly influential for smaller businesses that have limited resource access:

• Tech companies like Google have recognized the role that technology plays in helping small businesses weather and survive the pandemic and resulting market shifts.

• In addition to moving your marketing online, you may need to transition other elements of your business to digital channels as consumers’ expectations shift.

• You also need to focus on more basic technology, like cloud storage, to help prop up your business and ride out the remainder of the pandemic in the months to come.

Propel has excellent free resources available that can help you grow your business online, increase your brand awareness on social media, and much more. Check them out!

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

You can’t focus on your digital marketing efforts or update your technology if your business finances are still strained due to lockdowns and restrictions. To help get your survival plans and your business back on track, look for programs that will provide the pecuniary support you need:

• Government support is still available to businesses that need help staying afloat during the pandemic, and that support can come from grants, tax relief programs, and loans.

• If your business is still trying to retain employees, you may be eligible to receive help covering their wages and keeping the talent your business needs to survive.

• Whilst researching financial resources, also be sure to check with the most recent government restrictions and recommendations, to help your business avoid issues.

ONE MORE THING...

Marketing, new technology, and support can all help your business get by during tough times, but there’s also power in having the right people. You may not be in the position to hire full-time staff right now; however, you can fill in gaps with freelancers and consultants:

• Use this Shopify experts list from Upwork to find the temporary talent you need, or a website design agency such as Propel to expand your eCommerce options.

• Before you can build an engaging eCommerce website, you may also need to update your branding. Connect with Propel Marketing & Design for expert advice and help.

• Managing both your personal and business finances is also essential and can make hiring freelance help affordable. Consider hiring a financial expert.

• If what you really need is more time to focus on marketing, eCommerce, or finance, then think about hiring a freelance virtual assistant to help out with menial tasks.

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About the author: Julie Morris is a life and career coach. She is fulfilled by helping busy professionals live their best lives. Check out more of her blog posts and contact her on her website.

Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels