04 Dec Cost-Effective Ways to Promote Your Business’s Reopening
ARTICLE BY: NAOMI JOHNSON
If you are a small business owner, chances are you’ve never experienced anything quite like the challenges created by the pandemic. Maybe your business has been closed since March, or maybe you’ve been allowed to reopen at a limited capacity. Whatever the circumstances, it’s essential to prepare for the future—a future where your business is up and running, whether it’s at full capacity or not.
For you to be adequately prepared, not only will you need to make any necessary adjustments to your daily operations, but you will also need to market your reopening so that people want to visit your business when the time comes. We invite you to consider a few practical, cost-effective ways you can do just that:
Make Budgetary Changes
When you are in a tough place financially, it can be hard to accomplish your goals and push your company forward. The first step should be revisiting your budget so you can effectively allocate any money that you do have.
Along with reopening and laying a foundation for long-term success, your business will need money to promote your reopening efforts. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to access both government and private financial assistance and funding during these strange, uncertain times.
For example, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering Express Bridge loans for businesses that are struggling during COVID-19, as well as SBA traditional loans unrelated to the pandemic.
Re-Focus Your Marketing Initiatives
With the pandemic having such a significant impact on businesses and the greater public, it’s likely you need to make some major adjustments to any marketing and advertising initiatives you had in place. Everything has changed, and your priority must now be to let consumers know that it’s safe to visit and shop at your business.
Communicate to customers and potential customers the steps you are taking in response to COVID-19, including operational changes, safety protocols, and other details.
Bolster Internal Communication
Along with getting your message to consumers, it’s essential to ensure that effective internal communication is in place. This applies to your current staff as well as any remote freelancers on your payroll. Establishing regular communication and staying connected will help your operations run smoothly. Setting clear expectations for when each worker should be available and using collaboration apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams are a couple of the most practical ways to achieve this. Remember too that everyone needs to make digital security a high priority. Take the time to make sure you and any remote staff are staying up to date with antivirus software and maintaining protection for your network.
Reopen with a Bang
Finally, you will need to entice consumers to come back to your business when you are reopened. Think of any deals that you can offer, whether it’s discounted items, a storewide sale or exclusive promotions for email subscribers. And make sure that you are building hype for the reopening by using all the right channels, such as social media platforms and email.
A Word on Walking Away
Small businesses have scratched and clawed to stay viable during the pandemic. In some cases, business owners have decided now is the time to step back and leave the business in new hands. If you’ve hit a wall and it’s time for you to move on, consider working with Sam Goldenberg & Associates to help sell your viable business. To learn more, we invite you to call us at 505-820-0163 or email us at info@samgoldenberg.com.
No one needs to tell you that re-opening your business during or after the pandemic is a big deal. Along with careful planning for your reopening, be sure to promote it to the best of your ability as well. Reworking your budget, modifying your marketing initiatives, establishing effective communication, and drawing customers to your business through promotions and digital marketing are all methods that can help you accomplish this.
