No doubt, it’s a really tough time to be a small business owner. Not only do you have to deal with the fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but at the same time, you also have to take great pains to keep your business moving forward. There’s a small comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in this situation. However, even more important is knowing that there are, in fact, resources that can help you at this time — not just to stay afloat, but to keep going and growing. We’ve put together some of these resources here to get you started.
How to Stay Afloat
No doubt, keeping your small business alive during this pandemic is your biggest challenge and utmost priority. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources dedicated to helping you make this happen — you just need to find them.
- In this time of utmost need, it’s always wise to look toward the government for small business assistance and guidance.
- The CARES Act, in particular, has made several loan options available for SMBs.
- The private sector has also stepped up, with businesses like ZenBusiness offering grants to small businesses that need it.
How to Keep Going
Just as important as ensuring that your business survives, you want to make sure that it chugs along and keeps moving forward, as well. This will invariably entail going where the winds of change will take you and adapting your operations accordingly.
- There are, in fact, more than one way for a small business to thrive during the pandemic.
- It can be the right time to embrace digital transformation if you haven’t already.
- Taking your business online can be a real power move.
- Equally as important is to ramp up your remote work efforts, such as by improving remote collaboration.
How to Grow
Of course, there’s no point in surviving as a business if you’re going to stay stagnant. In this day and age, it’s important to take measures to ensure that your business not only thrives but will keep growing and remain competitive, as well.
- Making improvements to your home office, such as installing affordable carpeting, is a great way to encourage the right growth mindset.
- A revamp of your marketing strategy into one that is more geared towards the present situation and future outcomes could put you well ahead of the competition.
- Of course, you’ll need to have the best remote working tools in your arsenal to help keep you and your team on the right track.
Suffice it to say, don’t hesitate to get the help that you’re entitled to at this time, but at the same time, don’t rest on your laurels just yet. Instead, do what you have always done, which is working hard to provide value to your customers and keeping your business firmly on the path of growth and success. You simply can’t go wrong that way!
Contributed by Elena Stewart
Photo via Pexels.com