The following is a guest post from Elena Stewart.

It’s an all-too-common scenario these days. You’ve worked long and hard to start, sustain, and grow your small business, only to have the proverbial rug pulled under you practically overnight because of the COVID-19 pandemic. You’re not alone, but it doesn’t make that any better. What can make it better is the fact that though your lifeblood may be considered “non-essential” these days, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your business. Rather, there are workarounds you can take to keep it going and growing through this pandemic and beyond.

Get Creative

COVID-19 has made the business landscape unrecognizable. To adapt and survive, you will need to start thinking out of the box and change the way you do business.

• Discover the ways you can adapt your business to the new normal.
• Get on the innovation bandwagon, not just to adapt your business but to grow it.
• You’ll need to adapt your marketing strategy so it’s smart and responsible.
• If money is tight, look into funding, relief, and emergency loan programs to tide you over until business begins to pick up again.
• Don’t forget to take precautions in the workplace, or better yet, transition to remote work.

Get Online

The internet and the many tools and resources that come with it is proving to be a godsend in the age of social distancing. So, make sure your small business does not get left behind by taking full advantage of the power of tech.

• Get a crash course on how to run your business from anywhere.
• Have the essential remote work tools handy to make running your small business from home a real breeze.
• Make use of online job boards to find the talent you need, such as when you’re looking to web developers, graphic design professionals, and more.
• You can even increase your customer base almost completely online.
• Collaborate effectively with employees by creating channels in Slack.

Get in the Zone

Doing business in the safety of home may be the norm these days, but let’s face it — this can be less than ideal when you’re not used to it. As such, it’s important to take measures to keep yourself focused and your operations well-supported when working remotely, so your business continues to run without a hitch.

• A home office is certainly a great idea so you can keep running your small business with minimal distractions.
• Give your workspace a “professional feel” with affordable carpeting.
• You’ll want to ensure your home office inspires productivity for maximum output.
• Of course, don’t forget to stock up on the essential equipment your business needs.

Just because the coronavirus all but hit the pause button on the world doesn’t mean that you should just comply and give up on the business you’ve worked so hard to build. So, pull up your bootstraps and reinvent your thinking and, by extension, your business. 

Photo via Pexels.com