When our kids were growing up, our summer holidays usually consisted of road trips up and down the west coast.
My wife kept daily journals of each trip. They all started with “We left home at 6:01 a.m.” It didn’t matter what time we really left; it was Sharon’s way of saying we got up early to meet the challenge of a new adventure.
The clock is moving toward 6:01 a.m. in Canada as we begin to emerge from our long COVID-19 hibernation. And as the new order begins to become more apparent, businesses large and small are adapting to a new reality as customers have gotten used to remote shopping.
Pivoting your business to include an online platform doesn’t have to be a big deal. You don’t need an Amazon store to sell stuff to strangers. You just need to use existing, inexpensive online tools to better serve your current customers.
According to sales consultant Phil Jones, many small businesses use their social media accounts as little more than online directory listings.
If you’ve been lax about your social media program, now’s the time to ramp up this important asset.
Jones urges his professional clients to start delivering advice on Facebook or YouTube, and shop owners to photograph their goods and post them on Pinterest and Instagram.
“Customers now use these platforms all the time,” he said. “It’s not like before, when you had to convince them to try something new.”
Of course, you’ll need to develop appealing online offerings, and it will require some thought to figure out online solutions that deliver an increased value proposition efficiently and effectively.
But it’s not impossible.
For example, if your restaurant posts its daily specials on Instagram, folks can easily phone in their order for pickup.
You can even use your physical location as a tool to direct your customers online. Alter that “CLOSED” sign on your door to read “Visit our website at [domain name] and shop with us online.”
And if you haven’t been collecting your customers’ email addresses, now’s the time to start.
Canada’s spam legislation requires you to get their permission to communicate by text or email, there are lots of consultants who’ll help you use email marketing services like MailChimp, CyberImpact, or GetResponse to build your email list by the book. I can help you with that if you like.
It’s a new day in Canada, and the alarm clock is closing in on 6:01 am.
People have not only gotten used to shopping online, but they’ve also gotten used to eating dinner at home and they’ve even gotten used to cutting each other’s hair in the kitchen.
So, returning to normal is not going to be like it was after the 2013 flood.
Normal is no longer what it used to be. But for small business, with a little creativity it will be even better.
