Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of all industries have been forced to temporarily close or drastically change the way they serve their customers. To adapt to current events, companies worldwide are coming up with creative ways to comply with stay-at-home orders and other mandates. If your business has been struggling to stay open, Thrive Web Designs would like to provide you with some examples of ways people are turning these challenges into solutions.
Create Adaptive Solutions
To come up with adaptive solutions to maintain business operations, it’s important to list all the problems you are facing. This can include current challenges as well as future issues you anticipate down the road. Once you have a good idea of what these are, you’ll be able to start brainstorming solutions. During this time, take inventory of all your business assets and what you need to maintain operations (masks, gloves, sanitizer, etc.) to help identify any possible solutions to help you go forward. You can also connect with other businesses in your industry to exchange information and ideas on overcoming challenges presented by the pandemic.
Examples Of How Businesses Are Adapting
To provide you with some inspiration, we’ve gathered some examples of how businesses are adapting to service their customers during this unprecedented time in our history.
Take-Out & Delivery Expansion
In the Treasure Valley and other cities across the nation, restaurants have been forced to either temporarily close or expand their take-out and delivery options. This has been a big problem for businesses that have never offered these services before. However, by finding ways to adapt like no contact delivery or meals that customers can pick up and eat at home, these options help to recover lost revenue that many dine-in restaurants are facing. In fact, by expanding their take-out and delivery services, these businesses are showing real promise at surviving the COVID-19 pandemic while growing their business model in ways that may benefit them in the future.
Storefront Pickup Services
Retailers that depend on in-person shoppers may not be allowed to continue normal operations like they usually would. That’s why they are expanding business operations by providing customers with masks at the door or eliminating contact by offering online ordering, delivery, or pickup services. In fact, many well-known retailers like Best Buy have adapted to allow customers to pick up the items they order online quickly. This keeps both their customers and employees safe from COVID-19 exposure.
Virtual Real Estate
Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have created a serious problem in the real estate industry. Temporarily gone are the days of open houses because many buyers and sellers are worried about going into homes that have become exposed to COVID-19 from other people that have viewed it. To address these concerns, many real estate agents are hosting virtual tours that allow potential buyers to remotely view them. This has significantly reduced exposure risks fears while enabling agents to limit physical visits to serious buyers only.
Free (or) Flat Rate Shipping
Independent retailers across the nation have lost significant revenue that they depend on from in-store sales. This, in turn, has hurt their ability to compete against online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. In response, these businesses are now offering free or flat-rate shipping for orders made through their e-commerce stores to help boost sales while their physical locations are closed.
Live-Stream Fitness
Gyms around the nation have been mostly shut down to comply with social distancing orders. However, these businesses still have customers who want to maintain their workout regime. In response, gyms are offering live-stream classes with physical trainers for their members. This is helping these businesses retain important revenue while maintaining customer relationships with those who plan on returning to their facility once the pandemic is over.
Home Service Providers
Home service providers like plumbers, HVAC technicians, roofers, etc., are facing unusual challenges because they all have to enter customer’s homes. Even when other businesses are closed due to stay-at-home orders, the government considers workers like these “essential”, meaning they are needed even during a public health crisis.
To help minimize exposure risks, companies deemed essential are taking additional steps to keep their workers and customers safe. This includes technicians wearing gloves, masks, and shoe covers. Some are also requiring the use of hand sanitizer before and after every visit or scanning workers for a fever at the start of every day. These extra safety precautions provide customers with peace of mind when they require service from one of these providers.
Last, But Not Least
If you’re doing all you can to keep your business running while keeping workers and customers safe, promote it! Post, email, or create advertisements. With all the creative solutions you’re coming up with, tell the world what you’re doing right. This builds trust with your customers during uncertain times and makes it more likely that they will do business with you.
Thrive Web Designs
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses of all industries throughout the nation to adjust their operations. However, the examples mentioned above show that with a little creativity, you can weather the storm no matter the situation.
At Thrive Web Designs, we hope this blog has provided you with creative ideas for your business. If you need assistance with your website, e-commerce store, or content marketing, we’re here to help. Contact us today by filling out our online form or call (208) 391-2504. Together, we will get through this!
