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Strategy

COVID-19 Impact: 5 Tips to Help Your Businesses Recover from Coronavirus Pandemic

Businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are now limping back to normalcy. The Indian economy is now expected to see a faster turnaround with less disruptions to business operations as it opens up gradually. The coronavirus lockdown forced several businesses to shut while consumption slumped, investments took a hit and jobs were lost. In the time of crisis, it can be hard to stay calm, be optimistic and find ways and means to drive your business. For entrepreneurs and business leaders, being calm and working under pressure is part of the job.

In this article, we’ve put together some ideas that will help you in business recovery. Your business recovery may not happen overnight, but you can make it achievable by trying and not giving up.

Here are 4 Tips that can help your Businesses Recover from COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Marketing Plan

The pandemic and the lockdown slowed down the world. However, this time can be utilised by business leaders to strategically think about different ways to establish themselves in the market again once things get normal. An entrepreneur need to think of ways that can help them establish the brand identity again in the market. You need to understand your competitors and work on the leads.

Expect Delayed Payments

Businesses have witnessed a lull amid the coronavirus crisis. As businesses struggle to get back to normalcy, you can expect any restart to be a little sluggish. Almost all of us are going to be in the same boat. As you are struggling to re-establish a healthy cash flow, it’s highly likely your customers will be grappling with that too.

Look For New Sales Channels

As people now prefer being home as a precautionary measure amid the pandemic, this gives an entrepreneur a chance to establish and look for new sales channels to sell their products. Find out ways to serve your clients and customers via alternative sales channels. If you have a retail business and the pandemic has hit you hard and there is no footfall, trying looking for e-commerce offerings. If you are into hotel business, majority of people are trying and avoiding meeting at public places, in such case, you can be open for takeaways meals instead.

Review Your Website and Enhance Digital Marketing

As the economy opens, this is an opportunity for you to review your website and update the information with latest trends and demands. Take a look at your competitor’s websites and try to understand if you can add more value to your content, which will help you stand out from the rest in the market. Go digital and promote your website on social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter among others. Try to build a marketing strategy if you are not already doing so. Having a plan and campaign ready as social media marketing campaigns can connect your targeted audience with a marketing message immediately.

Communicate Openly With Your Customers

‘A Customer is the King’ is an age-old business mantra which shows the importance of customers in every business. Businesses that treat their customers as king have reported higher returns than their competitors who puts little to the value of the customers. Hence, be open and clear with your customers and understand their demands. Don’t just sell your product, but provide solutions to them. If this your mantra, no force can stop you from succeeding and taking your business to another level.

 

Categories
Process & Business Expansion

Business Continuity Plan during Corona virus lock down

“is your business falling due to Coronavirus Outbreak?”

Coronavirus Lockdown in India has changed the way businesses think and operate. Planning for operational flexibility is of extreme importance during such a global crisis. Here are 5 key steps that can help you create a Business Continuity Plan during Coronavirus and create strategies and a framework to face such disasters.

1. Know your key Business products or Services

As an Entrepreneur/Business Owner you should rank your business priorities in order of importance. For e.g.

  • Which area of business contributes most to the revenue?
  • Devise a plan of these critical activities and distribute responsibilities to employees on how will these critical functions be managed during Corona Virus Lockdown
  • Analyze how long can you continue with the existing resources. Look into cash flow management and financial implications.

2. How to reduce the negative impact of COVID-19

  • Your Business Continuity Plan during Coronavirus outbreak has to revolve around the people and your stakeholders
  • Protect the health of staff
  • Develop a communication strategy for employees, customers, and suppliers
  • Create a Standard Operating Procedure Guideline so that efficiency is maintained and core functions are carried out smoothly
  • Create a CoronaVirus Outbreak Team that will look into critical functions and will ensure the protection of employees with their preparedness
  • Consider flexible working options- remote working, work from home, alternate working days

 

BUSINESS CONTINUITY DURING Coronavirus OUTBREAK

Teamwork is essential. It will improve coordination and increase productivity. Show you care for the employee and everyone will work towards achieving the goal

3. Supply Chain Management during Coronavirus Outbreak
  • Identify operational and revenue impact
  • Check on feasibility of sourcing goods from other suppliers or perhaps multiple suppliers
  • Make sure that your supplier also has a Business Continuity Plan during Coronavirus in place.
4. Alter your product/value offerings
  • Since direct customer contact will not be possible during Coronavirus lockdown, it is wise to modify you product offerings to match what the consumer wants during this time.
  • For E.g. some businesses can look at digital offerings during COVID-19 lockdown or you can also divert existing employees from a dormant function to the customer service vertical to keep the customer satisfied by offering them better service during Coronavirus Lockdown in India.
  • In this way you might be able to retain existing customers and can utilize the workforce effectively.
5. Communicate and Prepare for the future
  • Devise clear communication strategies for internal employees and for external stakeholders
  • With a slowdown due to Coronavirus outbreak in India and across the globe, utilize the time to think about the future and how to make up for this slump
  • Periodically review your plan and amend if need be according to the external situation
  • Self-learning is a continuous process, hence learn from the challenges thrown at you
  • The Coronavirus outbreak will prepare us for the next global epidemic or slowdown, if it happens.

These 5 steps will help you prepare a Business Continuity Plan for your organization and help fight through the Coronavirus Lockdown. Insights, tools and structured business processes will help entrepreneurs and their businesses geared for pandemic planning.