As we enter another week of lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, small business owners everywhere, and especially those in the service industry, are being forced to fight for survival as restrictions on trade and travel continue to hamper their ability to function.
Service businesspeople such as personal fitness trainers, make-up artists, and handymen are facing challenges that most people do not think to plan for, but there are ways these businesses can innovate in order to survive. Let’s look at four tips that service businesses can follow in order to survive the coronavirus lockdown.
Communication is Key
Because of the pandemic, there is a lot of confusion surrounding not only the virus, but also the conditions of the lockdown and which businesses can stay open and which ones cannot. Regardless of whether your business can stay open or not, the most important thing now is communication, both with your clients and with your staff. If you haven’t done so already, now would be a great time to reach out to your clients to explain to them what measures your business has put into place to help deal with the lockdown, as well as what services you will still be offering them. If your business is closing during the lockdown, you should explain to your clients the reasoning behind the closure and your plans following the lockdown.
Diversify on Your Offering
If your business doesn’t include an online aspect already, then now is the perfect time to explore your options. If you are a personal fitness trainer, for example, you could start offering online classes rather than dealing with all your clients face-to-face. Handymen could make use of YouTube and start a DIY-focused channel to show off their expertise.
Discounts and Coupons
Because social distancing may need to continue well into summer and normal operations may not return for up to six months, the future looks to be a tough one and purse strings will be held a lot tighter in the months to come. Now would be a good time to introduce discounts and coupons for the services you’re currently offering, to try and attract a bit more business.
Give Your Staff Options
While you may be grappling with business-worries, you should never forget that your staff is also looking to keep their heads above the water. If you need your staff on hand during the lockdown, try to be flexible with their hours to allow them time to be with their families. You will need staff that you can trust to help your business get back on its feet after the lockdown, so take care of them now to maintain their loyalty.
If you’re having some trouble streamlining all your processes during this time, then you could look into investing in some service-based software for business owners like the Sagenine software. This software makes planning and organizing jobs and teams, as well as invoicing completed jobs, a breeze.
It may be difficult to see a bright future ahead of you but it is important to remember that most businesses are in the same boat as you, so take this into account as you plan for the future of your service business.
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