Tips for Re-opening Your Small Business Post Lockdown

With the lockdown being partially lifted in different sectors, it is best to say that we can see a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. This does not mean that everything is going to return to normal in a few weeks or months. It however gives us hope that things are going to get better.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to heavy disruption for businesses and small businesses have taken a hard hit. Many small business owners are uncertain of what the future holds. To be fair, everyone is.

As a young business supporting small and micro enterprises, we share some of the apprehension. To help us prepare for reopening, we have interacted with several businesses that have shared some tips. Here are some of the favorites that we think may help you to prepare for reopening. 

1. Leverage the Internet

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we organized a training on how businesses can use the internet to grow. Back then, we knew that the internet was important but we did not realize that our very survival depended on leveraging it to increase sales, improve customer relations, and enhance our brand visibility.

How to leverage the internet: Cultivate a presence on social networking platforms. Set up business pages and join groups. You can use these platforms to keep your customers updated and to attract other potential customers. It doesn’t have to be perfect at the start and we can assure you that you can have everything figured out. All we can say is that once you start, you will learn a lot, and hopefully, you will use all those lessons to improve.

2. Assess your finances

The hard truth is that the future is uncertain. Therefore, small businesses may need to re-evaluate their businesses and carefully think about how they will remain afloat. Take a good look at your finances, especially your cashflow. The ideal situation should be that you should be earning more than you are spending. For businesses that are just starting out and have not broken even, this may be near to impossible.

What to do: Cut out avoidable expenditures. This may not be the right time to buy new fancy bulbs for your salon. Make sure that you are spending only on things that the business requires to run. If you have been walking to walk during the lockdown, you may want to continue doing so as this will help you to put some money away; money that you can spend on the important stuff.

3. Be creative

We have focused too much on the disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic that we have closed our eyes and ears to new opportunities for small businesses to be innovative and reimagine their businesses. This is a time for you to think out of the box. You will need to be creative as far as marketing, delivery, sales, customer relations, even bringing new products to market.

What to do: Map the opportunities that have opened up in your sector. How can benefit from them? Think of what changes you need to make in your business model to be able to fit into the times. These are not normal times and you need to think business unusual.

4. Promote Safety

As you reopen, you need to think of your safety, the safety of your employees and your customers. Businesses are being encouraged to for instance install handwashing facilities and signs to encourage social distancing. Ensure that all your employees have masks and where possible gloves. Investing in safety is what we all need to do if we want our recovery to be fast.

5. Finally: Do not lose hope

It is ok to worry, we all are worried. But, do not let worry consume you. You need to keep your positivity up. You need to look out for the small rays of light in the darkness. Talk to friends or mentors and find a community of like-minded entrepreneurs to share your story.

If you would like to talk to us, simply send us a WhatsApp message on 0782960558. We got you.