How to improve your business before reopening

Due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its long-term impact on small businesses, it is time to see a glimmer of hope in the chaos. As a small business owner, you may temporarily close the door. However, this is the best time to reflect, reorganize and reload the business to resume and reopen.Here are some tips and Small business resources Help you use these slower times to improve your business when you reopen.

Organize your business finances

Although you may not be in the regular office behind the store or sitting next to the manager who helps you with your daily operations, this is a good time to organize your business finances at home. You can also use this time to apply for a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan.

As of December 27, 2020, Congress has approved additional funding for PPP. Now Fundbox can help you connect with PPP lenders.

Many bricks and mortar The bank is closing For security reasons, and it is difficult to access your account and organize your finances. Use this downtime to explore alternative options in case something similar happens again.One Easy-to-use digital bank It is perfect for letting your business move forward without interruption. Whether you set restrictions on business cards through your mobile phone, or pay employee salaries and collect invoices through apps, digital banking can help you simplify your finances.

In addition to transitioning to a reliable digital bank, it takes extra time to organize your business tax. If you have not started this process, then you are lucky.not only QuickBooks provides three months of free service Helping businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, but the tax deadline in the United States has been extended to July 15, once again helping small businesses and businesses affected by the pandemic.

Refresh your public profile

Although new comments may not appear in your company’s Yelp business or Google my business Page, use this downtime to update your online identity to your exact specifications. While your website may sound obvious as a place to keep your customers up to date, Yelp and your Google listings are customer-oriented and are a great place to actively represent your brand while interacting with customers, because they Interact and experience your brand with comments from people who have already visited.

Stay at the top of your company’s Yelp page during this period, giving you the opportunity to read past positive and negative reviews. This can help you connect with your customers and build this trust. Wizard like this Can help any business owner find the best way to use Yelp.

Like your Yelp business page, your Google My Business is another great place to find potential customers for your business. Make sure all your information is up to date, from your business hours to your website address. When people are actively searching, even uploading new pictures can leave a clean and professional first impression on your business.

Redouble your efforts on social media

You may be wondering why doubling down on your business’s social media is relevant, but think about what people are doing while “maintaining social distancing.” Many people stay at home most of the day, do not leave, consume content through TV/streaming services, and scroll through social media.

Paying more attention to your social channels means connecting and letting your followers know what’s going on.This is a good time to run A/B testing of Facebook ads, Putting promotional gifts on Instagram, etc. This is not only a good time to experiment, but as people seek to interact, this is your chance to interact with them and stay at the forefront of their minds. When testing new methods and activities, keep in mind the severity of the situation. Make sure you are sensitive to any #StayAtHome campaign and don’t call on people to “hold hands and wait in line starting at 6am”. This sounds silly, but before publishing, especially now, please double check your copy!

Explore alternative options

The reduction in foot traffic may slow down your business and affect almost all industries.This will force more and more suppliers to improve their customer service, which may allow you to negotiate better deals or even NetYou should not only discuss payment methods in the near future, but also look at other services that your current outsourcing business relies on.

One of the biggest challenges that COVID-19 can pose to businesses of any size is how and when they get paid.This #paytoday events Urge the government and other businesses to pay small businesses immediately instead of waiting the usual 28 days until their net terms expire.This not only helps employees immediately (even in PPP loan Application and dispersion), but it is estimated that if all small business suppliers are paid immediately, it will be equivalent to injecting nearly one trillion dollars into small businesses.

Although COVID-19 continues to affect the daily operations of businesses across the country and around the world, there are still many Relief plan and other resources Help and improvements you can take. The consequences of COVID-19 may also affect your employees and require extra time to pay attention Manage your own employees And do your best to take care of them. From organizing your finances and planning your online profile to negotiating fair payment terms, these techniques can not only help your business weather this storm, but also help you face a better future.