Times are tough for entrepreneurs. Where a few weeks ago we thought the coronavirus was only a problem in China, we now think very differently. Restaurants have to close, healthcare works day and night and our shelves are being 'hammered' empty. Yet in every situation, there are opportunities for you as an entrepreneur. In this blog, we give you 10 tips and ideas to turn the negative into something positive!
Invest in online brand awareness
Almost all entrepreneurs are keeping a tight hand on the purse strings at the moment. Logical, because if there is no money coming in, you can hardly spend it. Still, we advise you to look at the possibilities of creating online brand awareness, especially in these weeks. People are sitting at home, having less to do and spending more time on social media. In addition, companies are spending less money on advertising so it is an excellent opportunity to tap into a new target audience in particular. In marketing terms, we call this the 'attention phase'. At The Fully Bookers, we can help you tap into a new target group and eventually convert them into returning customers.
Improve your website
Many entrepreneurs create a website once and then don't look at it again for years. Since you probably have more time now than ever before, it might be a good idea to take a look at what could be improved. Therefore, discuss with your staff and customers about what can be improved. Is the load time right? Do all the buttons on the page work? Are the images recent? Don't have any knowledge on these topics? Then let The Fully Bookers take a look at your website. We can give you advice on what a website anno 2020 should meet to get the most out of it.
Collaborate with other organisations
In times of crisis, people come together more often. We fraternise more, and you can reap your benefits from that! Think about which parties can offer your help or that you can help! As a restaurant entrepreneur, do you have a lot of stock left over? Bring or sell it to organisations that could make excellent use of it right now. Apart from the commercial aspect, this is the excellent time to find partners who can help you in the future. No business will forget you if you invest in a good relationship now.
Improve your internal processes
You've probably figured out that things haven't been going well in recent weeks, and I'm not just talking about turnover. Are your internal processes in order? How is communication going? Who is responsible for what? It's a good idea to write out all the processes from A to Z for once. You will find out that what is very clear to you, a colleague knows nothing about. Help each other to carry out even stronger, clear processes after this time.
Voucher sales
As written before; if no money is coming in, you can't spend it either, right? However, not supplying products does not immediately mean that you cannot generate sales. In this period, customers understand very well that you are having a hard time as an entrepreneur, and you can respond excellently with vouchers. For example, you can sell pre-orders or vouchers for the future. At The Fully Bookers, we have a lot of experience in selling online products and bringing in reservations. Make these vouchers even more attractive by offering a discount or providing an additional product. That way, money will still come in and you won't remain stagnant as an entrepreneur.
Thank your regular customers, employees and partners
Of course it is tough as an entrepreneur, but look on the bright side. The world stands still for a while, but that too has its good sides. Realise what you have built up, the colleagues you have and the partners you work with. Take the time to give them a call, send them a card and thank them for their efforts over the past period. I hear you thinking, what's in it for me? Expressing your thanks to these people may not be very valuable in the short term as an entrepreneur but these people will be 100% committed when you get back to work. In addition, they will be more involved in the business and will help think of new solutions so that you as an entrepreneur come out of this stronger.
Develop events for the future
All major and minor events have been cancelled for the coming period. Not only entrepreneurs but also visitors find this very annoying. People are sitting at home and would like to do some business. What happens after this period of sitting inside? Right, people start doing fun things! Be it shopping, visiting terraces or festivals. You as an entrepreneur can take advantage of this. Combined with tips 1 and 5, this is the ultimate way out of the crisis. Need help setting up campaigns to sell out your event? We would be happy to help!
Preparing future content
Social media and online content are not a top priority for many entrepreneurs. Due to busy and long days, many entrepreneurs forget to write their social media posts, this is no longer necessary! In the coming time, you have all the time to plan content ahead. Write your facebook posts in advance, cut your instagram story photos into the right format etc. So you can spend your time wisely now and benefit from it in the coming months. Do you need help writing suitable posts or would you like to outsource your entire social media? We are happy to look at what we can do for you.
Share your staff with other companies / work from home
Is your business closed but you still need to pay your staff? Then think about how best to use your staff. For instance, there are still plenty of professions that could use an extra hand. This will allow you to still use your staff and they will not have to be bored. So staff sharing is not only financially attractive, it also creates new networking opportunities and can lead to new collaborations.
See what your competitors are doing
It is an excellent time to take a critical look at your own processes, as well as those of competitors. How do they handle this situation? Are they coming up with creative solutions or posting fun content on social media? Perhaps you can learn new lessons from competitors' strategies!
Bonus
All these tips are written broadly and for every entrepreneur, this situation is different. Nevertheless, we at The Fully Bookers believe in using effective online campaigns, especially in these times. We would love to help you see how you can survive these weeks and actually achieve long-term success with this. Feel free to contact with us to spar. We are here for entrepreneurs!
