Covid-19: 9 Things Your Business Can Do During Lock-Down

As we enter the fifth week of lock-down due to the corona virus outbreak, the need to adapt to survive has never been stronger. Everyone has been affected by this disaster, thousands have lost jobs whilst others have been just lucky enough to have been furloughed. Many businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, pubs, bars, salons and restaurants especially, but in the face of this crisis are there areas of opportunities?


Branch Out – We’ve all seen in the news that many front-line workers are struggling to source PPE, is this something your business can help with? Or recruitment, could your business help to recruit additional front line staff or even set up a volunteer force? Alternatively can you donate any items to front-line workers, not only is this a lovely act of kindness it means people will want to buy from your business as soon as they can.

Communication – Now more than ever maintaining consistent communication is paramount. Not only should we be communicating with friends and loved ones to help our mental health, your business should still be regularly communicating with staff and clients. If you’ve had to furlough staff as a result of covid-19 you should still reach out frequently just to check they are adjusting ok, and so they know that you are still there for them.

You should also still be communicating with clients, one idea is to send a weekly email to all clients to advise any changes in the business, latest updates, best way to reach you and any future planning you want to implement. 

You can also reach out to new prospective clients and introduce yourself and your business and advise any services you can offer during lock-down. LinkedIn is the best tool to utilise for making new connections quickly, anyone you connect with can view your profile and check out your business with a few clicks.

Run risk assessments — Even if you have an existing risk assessment, it may no longer be suitable. Set up a new one focusing on the hygiene and safety measures needed to safeguard humans, finances, technology and operations during the outbreak.

Communicate with your stakeholders - It’s important to communicate to all your stakeholders about what is happening with your business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow up all your debtors to try and get any overdue payments in. You may need to consider negotiating, based on what they are able to pay in the current circumstances. Also communicate with your creditors to see what payments you may be able to defer. Review your trading terms to ensure that you obtain upfront payments (where possible) or a deposit for any new orders.

Check your availability for government assistance – Martin Lewis has heavily researched into the financial aid available from the government and how to apply for it, he’s also provided advise for personal finances such as applying for a mortgage holiday.

Contact your bank – Some banks maybe offering loan deferrals or putting together other arrangement for small businesses, even if you feel you won’t need this assistance it is still worth contacting your bank to know what you can do should the worse happen.

Optimise your website - Now more than ever you will be relying on your website so make sure it’s the best it can be. Make sure all your hyperlinks work, it’s in tip-top speed and it’s easy to navigate.

Up your social media game – Again, like your website this valuable business tool just became even more valuable. As a result of lock-down we’ve all gone virtual meaning social media usage has gone through the roof.

If you’re not on any social media platform now is the time to sign-up, remember only sign your business up to platforms your comfortable using and will use. You should be posing at least once a day and if you feel you’d struggle juggling a Facebook account, an Instagram account, a LinkedIn page and a Twitter page then pick one and give it the attention it needs.

Remember to set up the account as a business account not a personal one. Follow and friend like-minded businesses and potential clients and engage on their posts by liking, commenting and sharing.

Some ideas of what you can post; what pre-cautions the business is taking, images of past achievements or events, thank you’s to clients and staff, ask for feedback and ask your followers what would they like see more of, hold a Q&A session, future plans and the best way to contact your business.

Ordinarily, brand awareness is about using social media to reach new people and introduce them to your brand. During lock-down however, this is now more about staying engaged with existing followers/customers, you want to ensure you don't become forgotten if you've had to temporarily close. 

Use downtime productively – Make sure you don’t stop with your own professional development! Maintain a work schedule, time to relax and time to expand your mind. You may want to look into an online course or even YouTube videos to learn a new skill. 

Ultimately, anything your business can be doing during this difficult time is excellent as it means it won’t be as difficult to return to normal once we can. It’s really important to carry on and remember you are not alone! 

#StaySafe StayAtHome #SupportSmallBusiness