What should your business be doing right now?
While this is a tough time for businesses, there are opportunities to be found for creative leaders. I’ve got 5 ideas to help you get started.
Many of us are staying at home and away from work. But for all you business people with a passion for what you do, I want to encourage you—let’s make this time count. This is the time to take a look at your marketing plan your brand and your idenitiy To consider new innovations and production methods.
As easy as it may feel to do, this is not the time to wait it out and do nothing; this is the time to be creative and prepare for when business resumes! Bring out your entrepreneurial spirit and start now so your business will be ready.
5 things you can do now for your business
The building blocks that ensure you stay ahead of the competition are marketing, innovation, productivity, and building a strong infrastructure. Managing and implementing these pillars are the foundation of a strong business.
Many of us have been putting off business improvement projects for a theoretical future when we’ll have the time. We have that time now. So now is the time to do those things you’ve been meaning to do. Let’s break down a few things you could be thinking about for your business right now.
- Audit your website. Could you be doing more with your website? Does it tell the story you want it to tell? Sometimes business owners, CEOs and managers suffer from the “curse of familiarity”, and they’re not able to see their website from a customer point of view. You might be missing opportunities to connect with your audience and drive more business. Have you ever asked a customer or client if your website really informed them about your products or services, and what things they like or dislike about your website? Maybe this is the perfect time to ask them, or to consult an expert.
- Explore your brand. Go through a brand exercise to really get to know and define your brand. Try asking your employees how they would explain what your company does to a family member. Ask them to describe your products or services, and find out how and why customers buy from your company. Find what is uniquely valuable about your business, and use what you discover to shape messaging for your website, ads, and emails.
- Get a fresh look. This goes hand in hand with your brand. Maybe it’s time for a new website as discussed above. Or maybe it’s time to update that old logo, or to refresh your stationary, data sheets, and advertisements.
- Reinvent. Take some time to think about and write down new ideas for your business. Could you add new products or services? Adapt your products to new customers or audiences? A brainstorming exercise can be effective whether done on your own, with coworkers, or with like-minded business leaders from your peer group. We’re all going through tough times, and we can tap into each other’s great ideas and encourage each other to reach higher.
- Try new mediums. What new directions can you pursue? Is it time to develop or strengthen a social media presence? How about radio ads? Can you make some videos and share them, especially during this time where many of your customers are home and spending more time online? You can do some groundwork now, and there is a lot of leeway for homemade videos right now. You don’t need a fancy studio—even late-night comedy talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert are recording videos from home or streaming live from their living rooms. Maybe you can share something valuable that can help others get through this time.
Even in the best of times, it takes a lot of dedication and hard work to stay ahead in the business world. Now it’s even harder, but there are also huge opportunities ahead as the world shifts and people need different things. I think the best way to be successful is to focus on what you can do now, to tune up your marketing, innovation, and production. Taking action now gives you the best chance of sustaining through this crisis and coming out of it stronger. Work actively to refresh and renew your business so it doesn’t continue to fade away as we weather this economic storm together. I don’t deny that these are difficult times, but by putting your creativity to work now you’ll be giving your business the best chance of success.
If I can help you at all during these times with business advice or a refresh of your website, ads, logo, or any other content, please let me know.
Cheryl Pirih
Pirih Productions Inc.
909.336.4373
Russ Cornelius, CEO
BrandSavants, Inc.
619.296.6662
