These are scary times we are living in. Currently, many areas of the world are either in a forced quarantine or being asked to self-quarantine. This is going to cause long term problems for businesses, especially small businesses. Let’s take a look at how businesses can stay relevant during the coronavirus crisis.
Children and Family-Related Businesses
Due to school closures, there are a lot of children around the country, and the world, not able to attend school. This means, there are lots of kids that are going to be BORED out of their minds. If your business caters to kids and families, this is a great opportunity to keep your business relevant and even grow your business!
- Schedule daily live presentations with your product or service. For example, if you own a paint or art studio – give daily art lessons.
- Go live and do storytime for your followers. Have a set schedule every day and spread the word.
- Create free worksheets for kids to work on during their downtime. Offer them for free, request email to build your email list.
Food Related Business
Food-related businesses can shine during the CoronaVirus quarantine. Everyone needs to eat! And with most of the family home longer than normal, feeding everyone so often is going to get annoying for some!
- Schedule cook with me live videos. Have the schedule ahead of time so that everyone knows if they have the right ingredients.
- Cooking with kids series. Create some videos of recipes parents can make with their children. The kids will learn important life skills while spending quality time with family.
- Create new recipes using basic ingredients most people have in their pantry. As the quarantines lengthen, supplies may start to get low. Come up with some basic, but filling recipes to get everyone through.
- If you own a bakery or something similar, run a contest asking for “new flavor” ideas. You’ll be surprised by what other people will come up with. Fun for everyone and might be your next best seller!
Service Business
Businesses that provide a service to the community have lots of opportunities. Service businesses have a lot of knowledge they can share with families during the CoronaVirus quarantine.
- Schedule lives throughout the week, let your audience know what topics will be talked about. Open the lives up for Q&A to make it more interactive.
- Can your service business provide real-life learning for children? For example, Financial Advisors offer a very important service to their customers, but their knowledge in finance can also offer kids a lesson! How can you help keep those kids busy while offering them the knowledge they will be able to use for a lifetime?
- Let your audience know your status during the quarantine. Plumbers and electricians may still be needed during a quarantine. Are you willing to go into someone’s home or will you be completely shut down? Let them know!
Agricultural and Farming Businesses
You, my dear business owners, have so much to offer during times like these. You have your loyal customers who go nowhere else but to you for their needs. But you have so much to offer many more people as well!
- Get on all the local FB groups and Nextdoor, let them know what you have available. Most people go to the grocery store for milk, eggs, meat, and produce. Once they run out the people are lost. Let them know what you have in stock in the morning. You’ll end up with more loyal customers after this is all over.
- Go live, teach the kiddos about a new vegetable or fruit. What you can make with it, how it tastes.
- Create some printables about the types of vegetables and fruits that grown great in the area and how to get started with your own garden.
- Highlight a product you sell, how it can be used and what makes it special.
- Offer some fun printable learning games with farming/animals as the topic.
- Remind your audience of fun activities that will be happening after all this craziness blows over
The CoronaVirus is scary for many, from parents worried about their children and elderly parents to business owners not sure of the future. Start thinking outside the box. How can YOUR business help those that are forced to stay home? It doesn’t even have to be educational. Sometimes, all we really need is something to take our minds off of reality for a few minutes. If you need some help with ideas, feel free to reach out to me!