The UK economy is struggling due to the coronavirus crisis, but that doesn’t mean the end of your business. It’s important not to panic and make bad decisions – how you navigate the next few weeks could be vital to your future success. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.
Focus on the future – It’s vital to remember that this current situation is temporary, and while it might take a while for things to rebound fully, the country will get back to normal in time. Stay positive and don’t get bogged down by the here and now – work on how you can improve your business so you can bounce back stronger when this is over.
Keep in touch with your staff – During a crisis people need a leader. Whether they’re furloughed or working full-time, make sure your staff are aware they can come to you with any concerns and be prepared to do whatever you can to keep them calm, informed and loyal. See our previous article about keeping your team’s spirits up for more advice about this topic.
Improve your website – For most businesses, their website is the shop window to the world. It’s all too easy to forget about updates and let it go out of date. This lockdown period gives you the perfect time to go through it in detail, working out exactly what does and doesn’t work. Make sure it’s SEO-optimised, full of engaging keyword-heavy content and accurate, useful links. All this will help increase your ranking on search engines, putting you in a strong position for the future.
Connect with your customers – Stay in touch with your existing customers and let them know any changes you’re making due to the current crisis, or about any products and services you can offer that can help them. Keep thinking about marketing and promoting your business, but stay sensitive to the current situation and what people are looking for.
Establish trust – Take some time to reassure your customers and the general public that you’re doing all you can to tackle the outbreak, from improving sanitation in the workplace to letting them know that you’re treating your staff well when it comes to job safety. When all this is over, the public will remember how various businesses behaved so it’s important to demonstrate leadership and integrity.