This year has provided us one crazy event after another. Our lives have shifted radically from how we work to how we shop. Some of us have experienced the loss of jobs, sanity and sleep, to say the least.
It’s been a rough few months but that doesn’t have to be our future. Admit it, some good has come from all the crazy — remote work and services, curbside delivery, cleaner practices. Life, as we know it, has changed and our new normal has over-the-top benefits.
For starters, launching your startup is easier than before. Believe it or not, whether you’re working remotely or unemployed or maybe a business owner who is stuck, now is the perfect opportunity to launch or simply reimagine your business.
Reimagine What You Can Be
If you’re already a small business owner, COVID has probably been overwhelming to navigate. But how can you turn it into an opportunity? Rethink what customer care means at this moment. How can you transform your business?
If your bed-and-breakfast is at a standstill because travel has dropped, consider offering day rates for those working from home. No one wants to work in a noisy house, and others need to get away from home to concentrate.
We’ve seen restaurants take on the grocery market and offer curbside pick up. Perhaps your restaurant startup can follow their lead or take a new route entirely.
Consider adding a tab to your website offering engaging lessons on whipping up some menu favorites. Customers craving your dishes can enjoy them from home and putting those lessons behind a paid wall will generate revenue and potential future business for you.
Connect From Anywhere
Today’s technology is the biggest game-changer. Gone are the days of picking out the perfect suit and heading to a meeting. Basic Zoom etiquette says no holes or stains on your shirt but, honestly, what people can’t see won’t hurt them, so just adjust your camera.
Life is easier when meetings require a few keystrokes. Use that to your advantage. Go after that business partner or investor you had in mind two states away. You don’t need connecting flights to connect with people.
As your building your business plan, remember: Small business software can help you create an amazing work-life balance from the beginning. You can allow your customers to schedule their bookings online so you don’t have to stop whatever you’re doing to answer a call. And if you’re concerned about your ability to build a solid client base, we get it, but in the digital days, reaching potential customers could not be easier.
Build a Team with Ease
With schedules and invoices and emails and social postings — your head is reeling. Let’s take a deep breath together.
The key to running a business on your own while maintaining sanity is securing an end-to-end client experience platform that eliminates the need for 10-20 tabs to manage the heavy lifting. Creating automated systems that trigger messaging and recategorizing is a simple task that reaps boundless benefits.
If you need more manpower, then take advantage of remote work. People across America are facing cut hours and unemployment. In a survey we conducted with America’s SBDC, 46% of the companies surveyed expect to bring back less than 75% of their employees.
Those employees left without jobs need to find work and fill this free time, which means a larger pool of talent for you to pull from. List your job as a remote opportunity and open up the location beyond your zip code.
Think Outside the Building
Half of the burden when starting a business is finding the perfect building — something with pizzazz in a great location but still affordable enough where you can furnish it. What if we told you that you already have the building and there’s no need to purchase space or over decorate to prove your worth? Pick a corner, any corner — of your home, that is.
COVID-style working has made launching a startup cheaper by eliminating one of the greatest costs. Set up an entire in-home office or just a folding table to host your laptop and camera, allowing your living room to be your backdrop for your one-on-one interactions.
With some people hesitant to launch their startup and big business playing it safe — this new normal shouldn’t intimidate you. Take advantage of it.
