Re-Energize & Bloom Your Business
Needless to say that the past year has changed the face of doing business. We have all had to regroup and pivot, be creative, be patient and endure uncertainty and financial constraints. Businesses that remained open and were able to sustain the upheaval of the pandemic, and flourished in spite of it, did so by finding creative solutions to manage the constraints created by pandemic closures and limitations
Even though the pandemic has not quite ended, the way we conduct business may be forever changed. More and more people are opting to purchase goods and services online. In addition to changes that have been provoked by the current pandemic. People have the ability to easily search pricing, product reviews and customer satisfaction reviews on the internet. Businesses, especially small businesses, would be wise to prepare and include within their business planning ways to drive customers and revenue in a manner that is sustainable within any environment.
"It's important to know when to stop, reflect, and receive. In our competitive world, that might be called a waste of time. I've learned that those times can be the preamble to periods of enormous growth." ` Mr. Rogers
Here are HIVE Connex ABC's of Business Planning that should be considered moving forward:
A. Community Networking - We have said this before and we will continue to shout it from the mountain top. Networking is worth its weight in gold, especially when done well and done within your own community. People will do business with those they know and trust. This is even more true during uncertain times when things are chaotic. People will generally stick close to home and will go out of their way to support and rally around the people and businesses they know. Word of mouth can help your business grow and thrive!
B. Active and Interactive Social Media Presence - Creating and actively maintaining a social media presence is a great way to connect with current and future customers. It is a perfect way to share information about your business and products, share information regarding trends in your industry and share value added content. It is also a great way to be interactive with you customers, your community and other businesses. There are a few things to remember when using social media as a tool for your business. To start, when creating a social media account complete your profile in its entirety, be an active participant and post regularly. Additionally, be sure to update information regularly, such as operating hours and times you are closed, upcoming sales and holiday information. Lastly, be responsive. If people reach out through your social media account take the time to respond. There are many social media platforms to pick from. You can sign up for them all or pick one or two. Whatever you decide, make sure you use it well. It can be a powerful tool for your business.
C. Creating a Strong Marketing Plan - Having a strong and sustainable business requires some forethought and planning. Time and concerted effort needs to be spent putting this plan together and executing it. We are living in unique times, which will require unique efforts. Be creative, keep your audience in mind both the current and future customers. This marketing plan will require creativity, and should have multiple levels of engagement. Additionally you will need to be dedicated and consistent to the plan you create.
D. Using Technology to Your Advantage - Having an online sales presence is essential to staying relevant. Creating options such as e-commerce, virtual services or e-learning coursework are great options for creating steady streams of revenue. These options will allow your business to continue to generate services regardless of whether you are able to see people face to face. Having some sort of digital presence will enable you to engage and/or deliver services or products to your customers. In today's world technology is your friend and an effective tool to maintain sustainability.
E. Make Customer Engagement and Customer Reviews an Active Part of Your Business Practice - How people feel about your business and your service delivery has a huge impact on your overall growth and success. When you actively engage with your customers and ask them for feedback on how you are doing, you are creating a pathway for repeat business and word of mouth referrals. The more positive reviews you receive, the greater the chance that you will acquire new customers who are out on the world wide web searching for a new provider of whatever goods and services they are in need of.
F. Involve your fellow business owners - As the old Vanilla Ice song said..."Stop, Collaborate and Listen". Businesses working together to accomplish one common goal is a win for everyone. As mentioned previously, people want to do business within their community. They want to work with people they know. What better way to accomplish this than through community networking, partnerships, shared events, shared sales activities. There is much that can be done in partnerships. The ideas and the possibilities are endless.
In closing, we at HIVE Connex urge you to read and reflect the information provided above and make time in your schedule to assess and re-evaluate you current business practices. Making small changes can make significant impact on the sustainability and scalability of your business.
HIVE Connex Consulting Services, can provide your business with the skills, experience and expertise to create or strengthen the foundation for your business or organization. We can assist you in meeting your short-term or long-term goals, increase your businesses sustainability and competitive edge. We can also assist you with reinventing/rebranding your career path. We help businesses grow in new directions, with sustainable business models, while helping you diversify your revenue streams year over year, resulting in a brighter and more prosperous future.
For more information on starting or growing your business, please consider using HIVE Connex’s consulting, coaching, mentoring, training, marketing, branding, strategic planning, business planning, time management or business concierge services. Please visit our website at www.hiveconnex.com, or email us at hiveconnex@gmail.com with any inquiries.
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