This article originally appeared on www.MDAndersenCPA.com
This has been the strangest summer of my life. And I know I’m not alone.
COVID-19 has many business owners feeling stuck in a period of “suspended animation” – nobody is sure what the future holds, and as a result, it’s challenging to continue moving forward with your business.
The truth is, there is a whole lot you can do right now to strengthen your business, no matter how drastically you’ve been impacted by this economic slowdown.
Here are five ideas to consider:
Invest in relationships with key customers, clients, and referral sources
Make a list of your customers, referral sources, partners, vendors, and other important relationships. Then dedicate just one hour each week to working that list. Call them on the phone, ask how they’re doing, ask how their family is doing, ask them if there’s anything you can do to support them. This investment into your key relationships will pay dividends for years to come!
Audit and update your website
Is your messaging up-to-date? Are the services and products that you’ve listed still accurate? Do your forms and links still work? Is your blog current? Do you have a “Lead Magnet” that you give away in order to capture contact information? Is the design still fresh and relevant? Many business owners neglect their website once it’s been launched, and this “slowdown” is a great opportunity to make sure it’s current, accurate, and effective.
Create marketing content for use down the road
The number-one excuse I hear for why business owners can’t create marketing content is “I’m too busy.” Well, here’s your chance. Create a Video FAQ series, launch a podcast, produce a library of “Special Reports,” or finally write that book you’ve been talking about forever. These are valuable assets that will benefit your business for years after Coronavirus is a distant memory.
Launch an email newsletter
I’ve been saying for years that a regular email newsletter is one of the easiest, most cost-effective marketing tactics available to business owners. It’s truly low-hanging fruit, and yet so many businesses don’t have one. Platforms like MailChimp make it easy and very affordable to get started – and now you’ve got the time to make it happen! (Watch this video for tips on how to get started.)
Keep marketing and keep selling!
The best thing you can do today – for your business, your family, your customers, and our economy – is to keep generating revenue for your business. Keep money circulating. Keep providing paychecks to your employees, keep paying your vendors, keep generating tax revenue, keep the economy as healthy as possible. That means you need to keep marketing and keep selling. You need to be creative in the ways that you engage with your customers right now. You probably need to pivot – but please don’t STOP.
COVID-19 is what it is. We don’t have to like it, but it’s our reality. Even though life and business have been disrupted, there is a whole lot you can do right now to move your business forward. Let’s make it happen!
Danny Decker
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